never had the problem. but i would look at how much he is suffering and what is his quality of life the way he is. if all he does is cough, it seems to me that that is not very good and i would get the operation especially if the surgeon said it would fix the problem. i hope this helps..
May God walk with you today. arlene --- On Thu, 8/21/08, Patty <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: From: Patty <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [Chihuahuas] Tracheal Collapse To: [email protected] Date: Thursday, August 21, 2008, 5:18 PM Hi everyone, I had posted previously about my 5 yr old chi, Dexter. He was coughing/gagging when he drank, played, or just got excited. I took him to the vet and after xrays was diagnosed with tracheal collapse. This is common in small dogs and can be genetic. My choices for treatment are not good. It will continue to worsen and someday the trachea may not open and he will die from no air. Since it is structural, medicine wont help. My only option is surgery and there is no guarantee that once the area is fixed, there won't be another collapse in another part of the trachea. Surgery will be very expensive and would have to be done in a larger city than I live in. The money is'nt the issue though. I just don't know what to do for him. I am going to consult with a surgeon and get a second opinion. I can't stop crying, it seems hopeless right now. Has anyone else had this problem with their dog? Has anyone had the surgery? This group is great and I enjoy reading the posts. Dexter's mommy, Patty
