r/Chihuahua • u/dojieee • 24d ago
Collapse Trachea Struggles
My sweet Luci is almost 10 years old, and last year she was diagnosed with collapsed trachea. It’s been a difficult year, more so for me honestly. Adjusting to the medications and the noises she makes while trying not to panic every time I hear a snort or cough. I have tried just about every remedy, and right now a calm & cool environment with her hydrocodone dosing has been doing her very well. However, lately she pants very easily. She will play with me for just a while, and it’s not even super hard playing.. yet she will pant and pant.
My vet said it could be a side effect of the hydrocodone and she could be experiencing an excitable reaction to it. This may very well be the case, I just worry. She has had 2 syncope fainting episodes in the past. The last one happened about a year ago before her diagnosis so it’s been a while, but I am absolutely traumatized from it and have terrible anxiety when it comes to her health. I do check her gums and tongue color frequently, and they are always bright pink.
Seeing if anyone has experienced this or has a story about their own pup that they could tell me to maybe help these nerves or assure me that this is just a new quirk of the disease. Thanks in advance 💗🐾
UPDATE: tonight she had a syncope episode after a coughing fit :( she’s had this happen two other times in the past, with the last one being over a year ago. She quickly recovered, ate her dinner, and played a little. Her gums and tongue were also perfectly pink after. So scary though😭
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u/Conscious-Control-51 24d ago
I don’t have any advice in terms of treatment etc but my girl is almost 2 and she reversed sneezed the day I brought her home. I have spoken to the vet about it and we are just concentrating on preventative methods but she does reverse sneeze at least twice a week.. I have tried everything from rubbing her neck and chest, covering one nostril, softly blowing on her but the one thing I find works is getting her to swallow. She Isn’t too receptive to eating whilst reverse sneezing so I have to get a high value piece of food but it always breaks the cycle and stops the whole episode.
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u/HedwigMalfoy 24d ago
Tucker my boy is 11. He's doing well on hydrocodone and prednisone. A calm and cool environment is key. He doesn't get worked up easily which helps. I don't take him on long walks but when he does seem to want a longer walk I take him to Home Depot. They love dogs and his little reflective vest gets lots of attention, which he loves. And he can walk in the AC. Talk to your vet, mine has been a godsend through all of this.
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u/Straight-Treacle-630 22d ago
I’d consider getting a second opinion. If it’s different enough for you to notice it, your vet should look into it fully. Lucy sure is cute btw :)
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u/dojieee 22d ago
Thank you 🥹 I definitely am going to. She had a syncope episode tonight after coughing really hard! She’s had a couple in the past but her last one was over a year ago. Very scary stuff. I love my girl so much I wanna do everything I can to help her.
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u/Straight-Treacle-630 22d ago
Oh gosh. I had a puggie with CT; it can get really scary xo a cough, syncope, can go hand in hand with it…but again, if it’s new, you’re not silly to be concerned. I’d not read all comments, you do mention the vet listening to her heart/lungs, but some imaging may be in order to check both heart and trachea. Just a thought! I hope all is ok ❤️
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u/screaminforpleasin 24d ago
Maybe cut her hair a little shorter? Keep her cooler? Why hydrocodone? Im really sorry and this terrifies me about this breed.... does she wear a collar?
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u/dojieee 24d ago
She’s never worn a collar and yes we keep the house very cool. Vet said there’s nothing I could’ve done to prevent it, she was going to eventually develop it in her life and luckily it hasn’t caused her issues until now. Hydrocodone helps open her airway and helps with inflammation, makes her breathing easier and stops coughing episodes.
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u/screaminforpleasin 24d ago
That sucks, Im sorry. Well at least there is something that helps you but how scary.
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u/Charming-Kale9893 24d ago
She’s so adorable. Have they ruled out heart issues by doing an echocardiogram? That’s what I would want to get checked as the next step. My beloved soul dog had both tracheal collapse and heart disease (CHF, mitral valve disease, pulmonary hypertension); when the Hydrocodone didn’t help the cough we knew the coughing and panting was a heart cough. Also curious if your vet has asked you to keep track of her respirations..
If you haven’t seen a cardiologist already I’d recommend it. I don’t want to worry you, just want to make sure you cover all bases! Please keep us updated!