??? about small trachea
Submitted by Tavia_Bubba on April 16, 2011 - 12:12pmim trying to figure out if bubba is having a issue. we have an appt with Dr Kinnear next saturday. but thought i ask. his breathing is fine but he definitly snorts alot and sometimes i can hear the phlem in his throat. he did have pnumonia a few weeks ago but has been fine. no coughing or hacking but i can hear it and it freaks me out!!!!! im also concerned with his nares as im reading so much stuff about them both. ok ill stop rambling now.
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small/thin trach
Not a good thing to have. My 6 month old started w/pnuemonia. Then he kept coughing like a peson and hacking all the time. Then his breathing got heavy like he had just ran a mile and was just sitting. The vet took several extras - his trach was inflammed (gave him antibiotics for inflammation) x-rays show he has a thin/small trach. We may have to keep him on steriods (always) and we give him benadryl too. His breathing is good now, he seems better from all the issues he started with, we may be referred to a specialist to check his trach as he grows to keep in check with it.
Please keep up w/this as it is very important. Check April 14, post (collaspe trach - Dani). She has gone through a terrible heart ache right now. If you catch this soon it is workable and cureable. He will be fine.
keep me posted.
J
Jackie Struss-Gonzales
jackie_struss@justex.net
not sure if his is smaller than normal
The vet i have been going to is my regular vet that i had used for my previous animals. he is not a bulldog specialist and quite frankly i dont think he is that experienced to begin with. i was referred by one of the breeders i have met and she recommeded Dr Kinnear. He specializes in bulldogs and i have heard nothing but great things about him. my vet mentioned that it was small but he also said that it was normal in the breed. so im taking him to a bulldog specialist to really find out. he snorts like a piggy sometimes but doesnt have issues breathing. he sounds a lil wheezy but never coughs up anything. im just OCD and wanna make sure he is fine. i have the appt on the 23rd.
OCD is good...lol
yeah, small trach seems to be 'common' not sure that it's normal. Great to have him checked out, you cannot be too careful ever, always safe than sorry. They do snort - all bullies and snore...LOL
mine had a cough, like a person (pnuemonia at 6 wks), then the heavy breathing (inflammation in his trach). Which is a thin/short trach but they hope as he grows so does his trach.
Just keep up with it, good for you to be on top of it!
Jackie Struss-Gonzales
jackie_struss@justex.net
No No Should not be Common
Please don't let anyone tell you that. Small trachs are deadly, are not curable and cannot be repaired by surgery. The dog has a poorer quality of life when they have a small trach. Please people if someone is telling you it is common and they are a breeder or your breeder....you need to run from these people. Anything with a small trach should never be used in a breeding program.
I totally agree. So sad someone is out there thinking this is ok
And especially if it is a breeder. Obviously they care less about the quality and more about the money if they are breeding these pups.
Thanks for saying what you did Deb, people need to hear it.
Amy and Sophia
true true
wasn't sure the correct word, not common, but seems I have heard about this situation more than I want.
Jackie Struss-Gonzales
jackie_struss@justex.net
Trachea size
There is an ongoing study being supported by the Bulldog Club of America on trachea size (Hypoplasic trachea). When it first started several years ago I sent in X-rays on 4 or 5 of my dogs for evaluation. If I remember correctly, the dog had to be 12 months old for inclusion. I pasted the link to the study below.
There is a formula that OFA uses to arrive at a number to describe a dog's Trachea size. It is a ratio of the cross section of the trachea vs the cross section of the dog's rib in a specific spot. A grade of 1.00 or more was classified as 'normal'. Of my dogs, the lowest reading was a 1.10, the best was a 1.94 and it really did follow what I knew of the individual dogs' breathing capacities. Because of the low reading (the male with the 1.10) I had him neutered and placed in a pet home after he finished his AKC Championship because I felt it better for the breed to not using him for breeding.
When my adult dogs have had C-sections or other surgeries I always ask the Vet what size Trach tube was used on the dog. All have been in the 8, 8-1/2, or 9 range, with one a 10, except for that one male, his was a 5-1/2. He also benefited from a light palate clip when he was neutered.
http://bcahealth.homestead.com/trachealstudy.html
thank you...??
is there a age that is best? if he should need it?
Palate Surgery
IMO should be done closure to a year old...unless you have a real quality of life problem with a very bad palate. Also the palate can grow so if you do the surgery too early then you may have to have it done again.
Small trachs are not repairable or curable. But if the puppy is sick the trach can be inflamed and appear smaller then it actually is.
Any trach tube that is an 8 or above is awesome. I'm fine with a 7 as well. But the tube size doesn't always tell the whole story. If you have a narrowing closer to the stomach the tub doesn't typically go that far down the throat, so the tub size won't matter.
A puppy that has had pneumonia is more susceptable to getting it again. The can have some scaring on their lungs from it. So while they are young you have to watch them closely.
thanks for the site
great site and great information. I too have been dealing w/these issues and not sure what is the norm, common, or good for my bully. He is 6 months old and has had issues w/pneumonia, inflammed trach, and still not sure where we stand on that.
thanks for the info.
Jackie Struss-Gonzales
jackie_struss@justex.net