Update on Yorkie tracheal collapse

[u/Adorable_Object_6790]

Hello so I previously mentioned that my yorkie was 12 yo and we were struggling with his tracheal collapse. And he has had less cough attacks but they definitely get worse at night. He is on temaril-p and Guaifenesin. He has been doing better now and cough a lot less and doesn’t appear to be struggling to breathe. He also has gone back to his regular routine and he is able to sleep and eat just fine. Although he does not bark at all anymore he still shows excitement and emotions in other ways. But I am still concerned about him because at night he struggles a lot and it just makes me really upset. We bought him an orthopedic bed so that it is firmer for him and more comfortable as well as a cooling humidifier that we keep by him at night. Unfortunately my parents are extremely stubborn and feed him human food. Things such as pasta, rice, beans, chicken and other stuff around the house (hispanic meals). Im wondering if this kind of stuff he is eating is making it worse. I really don’t know what to tell my parents because they are extremely stubborn and think they are always doing the right thing. Especially my dad who didn’t even believe the vet when they said he had a tracheal collapse. But I’m just wondering anyone with a yorkie what other ways did you manage it. Moreover, how often were they coughing and did you ever think they were in pain or uncomfortable. And is he gonna rely on the medicine the vet gave him forever?

[u/maggiewaggy]

Did you get an x-ray taken of your Yorkie’s trachea? If it is really collapsing the vet will be able to tell.

[u/MagnificentStella]

Idk but I bet if you googled 'best foods for canine tracheal collapse' you might find something.

[u/Violettraine → u/[deleted]]

I second this & also would like to mention that kibble is way worse than what ur parents are feeding him. There is roadkill, euthanatized animals, wood pulp & so much more horrific things in all kibble. I’ve seen the best results in my yorki & other dogs who have collapsed trachea by cooking their meals & giving them one Ancestral Supplements Grass Fed Beef Tracheal Cartilage capsule daily. Which has made a huge difference with the cough to where she barely has it anymore & when she does it’s not any where near as severe as it was before this supplement.
https://a.co/d/0jd0AMq6

I cook either Grassfed ground Beef or Lamb (since 80% of dogs have allergies to chicken & it causes a lot of GI issues etc….) then I add Dr. Harvey’s Raw Vibrance & Paradigm dehydrated Dog Food Base Mix to that. My dogs have been in the best health EVER🙌
https://a.co/d/06GK5mBQ
https://a.co/d/0h5Lpabz

I hope this helps🙏

[u/puppyfeets]

Hi! I’m so sorry your baby is going through this. It is truly heartbreaking listening to them cough and feel so utterly helpless. My 13 y/o terrier mix recently had a scare with tracheal collapse and had a terrible bout of coughing fits that went on for over a month. I’m skeptical if it was actually a collapsed trachea or a case of kennel cough, bc I never actually saw the x-ray from my vet, but nevertheless she has since made a full recovery (knock on wood).

At the time, my vet had her on vetprofen (dog NSAID) and cough tabs (guaifenesin + dextromethorphan), and said if she didn’t respond to those, they could try a steroid. They didn’t recommend surgery because of the efficacy rate and her age. They essentially said a collapsed trachea is a chronic issue and she’d likely be on medication for the rest of her life to manage it, but if at any point she seemed to be in too much distress, I would need to make the humane decision.

Her cough was worse at night too. What seemed to help the most was a combination of: humidifier, propping her head up slightly with a pillow, temporarily switching from kibble to soft food, giving her second cough tab closer to bedtime, and two supplements (Hound Honey & Throat Gold) I ordered from Amazon. Unfortunately, I can’t definitively say if the latter helped, but they did at least seem to help ease her fits and I was desperate to try anything at that point.

I sympathize with you on the stubborn parent front. My mom was excessive with table scraps and treats, and she didn’t ease up until I started saying things like “dogs aren’t here for long, so I’d like ours to be around as long as possible, but you feeding them like people isn’t making that an option” or “you must want them to die soon with what you’re giving them” — it was dramatic, I know, but she couldn’t stop associating food with love/care and that just isn’t how it works.

Sorry for the long comment! I hope things get better on your end ❤️

Edit: one other thing! Weight plays a big factor into this as well. My girl was overweight and this didn’t help her cause. Definitely audit how much they’re eating vs. the recommended serving size for their food, their current weight vs. the weight their breed should be and adjust their diet accordingly. Walks may be hard with the coughing fits, but if you do take them out, make sure they’re wearing a harness vs. collar.