Tracheal Collapse in Dogs | Roxxi’s Throat Problems

What a happy dog. Always front and center! This photo is the perfect example of Maxx and Roxxi. He’s always in the background, monitoring, and she’s always in your face!

I noticed Roxxi’s dry cough around the end of last summer. The dog’s annual exam was close, so I waited until then to bring it up to my vet since it didn’t seem urgent. 

What is a collapsed trachea?

A collapsed trachea is common in older dogs of smaller breeds. Roxxi is a chihuahua/pomeranian mix and weighs about eight pounds. The trachea, or “windpipe,” is a tube made up of sturdy rings of cartilage through which air is transported to and from the lungs. Sometimes, however, the tracheal rings begin to collapse, and as air is squeezed through, a characteristic honking cough results. It is unknown why a tracheal collapse occurs. 

There’s no way to cure a collapsed trachea, but weight plays a big part in sustaining a healthy dog with this condition. Roxxi loves snacks. She’s a very greedy dog. In fact, sniffing the kitchen floor for food is part of her morning routine. Her vet has told me that there’s nothing to be done about a collapsed trachea and that dogs can live healthy lives with this condition. Weight control, however, plays a big part in your dog living a healthy life with a collapsed trachea. I barely control my own weight, so I had to become more aware of what I’m feeding Roxxi throughout the day. I have a habit of giving her whatever she wants. If I’m eating french fries, she asks for french fries. If I’m eating ice cream, she asks for ice cream. And I give in. I had to break the bad habit of giving my dogs whatever they want. Also, she gets peanut butter every evening to coat her medicine (joint supplements and occasional allergy meds or steroids). 

What We’re Doing to Treat Roxxi’s Collapsed Trachea

Most tracheal collapse cases are treated with cough suppressants, bronchodilators, corticosteroids (to control inflammation), and/or antibiotics. 

She was temporarily on steroids to assist with soreness from having a collapsed trachea, along with other health issues she has. Now, I try to give her warm carrot pieces with her medicine or fruit instead of peanut butter. She still gets peanut butter occasionally, but not every night. Roxxi loves fruit and vegetables, so this was not a hard transition for her. The hardest part of changing her diet was limiting the treats she gets throughout the day. As a way of compensating for working all day (When will I achieve my dream of being a work-from-home dog mom??!!), I give my dogs way too many treats. I’m still working to break this habit. I get in the hang of cutting back on sweets, but the habit forms again, so I only buy healthy treats that don’t have much fat or any random ingredients. The main treats I buy are Greenies and any jerky treat where the only ingredients are meat and glycerin.

What’s Next? 

The cough has worsened. Roxxi’s vet says that it may happen with time. I noticed that she has a rougher cough since having her teeth cleaned a few weeks ago, where she relied on a tube to breathe during the procedure. The doctor assured me that anesthesia for dogs with collapsed tracheae was used, but I’m still a bit concerned that the tube upset her throat somehow. I’m monitoring her closely, and as far as I can tell, she’s only making a rough coughing sound when she’s really hyper (i.e., when I have food or really late at night when she gets a burst of energy). I will continue monitoring her weight, keep her hair cut low because believe it or not, her hair when fully grown out adds a pound to her body. I think she overheats a bit and gets irritated and coughs, which doesn’t help her tracheal issues, so I try to keep up with her haircuts. 

Has your dog had any experiences with a collapsed trachea? Let me know in the comments or over on our Instagram. 

As always, thanks for reading, and I hope this offered some insight. I want to make sure that other dog parents don’t feel alone. As someone who has dealt with the loss of an animal and treating various health issues with my dogs, I want to be an ear to others and offer advice where I qualify. 

Talk to you next time, 

Karyn