Re: Collapsed Trachea

Posted by: Linda
Posted on: January 31, 2001 at 16:02:11

In Reply to: Collapsed Trachea
Posted by: Lisa
Posted on: January 31, 2001 at 13:25:38

Question:

: It is possible that my jack has a collapsed trachea. Of course I will be bringing him to my vet and am researching this on the internet. I was just wondering if any of you that answer this forum have a jack or have had a jack with this condition? Thank you for any help/assistance you can give me.

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This is what I found on the subject and I haven't heard about it in Jack Russells. The only way a Vet can really disgnose this is with a Bronchoscope (sp?) and it can't be done just by manulipation or just looking. You will most likey have to go to a Vet School to have this done.

Tracheal collapse is a condition in which the trachea partially collapses as a dog breathes, leading to tracheal
irritation, coughing and sometimes secondary changes in the lungs or upper airways. It is most common in toy breed dogs but can occur in larger breeds at times. It is likely that this condition is partially the result of breeding for small size. It is reported to be most common in Yorkshire terriers, poodles, Chihuahuas, pugs and Pomeranians have been reported to be the breeds most commonly affected by this condition (Slatter's Textbook of Small Animal Surgery) but
it is reasonably common in all the toy breeds and several other smaller dog breeds.

The trachea is the airway from the larynx to the main bronchi in the lungs. It looks a lot like a "Shop-Vac" vacuum cleaner hose --- lots of stiff rings with flexible tissue connecting them. The rings are actually more like the letter C with the free ends slightly overlapping and are composed of stiff cartilage when properly formed. For some reason, the rings are not stiff enough in some dogs and they can't hold the trachea open against the negative air pressure created during respiration. The portion of the trachea that is not stiff is sucked into the airway, partially obstructing it and leading to irritation and coughing. This happens on inspiration when the portion of the trachea affected is in the neck region and on expiration if the trachea inside the chest itself is the problem. The irritation is self perpetuating, since coughing and increased respiratory efforts lead to further irritation and worsening of clinical signs. Eventually, damage can occur to the lungs, larynx or even upper airways (nasal passages and soft palate regions). Part of the problem is anatomical, but not all dogs with identifiable tracheal collapse show significant clinical signs, so other factors must be partially responsible. Obesity, irritants, allergies, obesity, concurrent heart failure, obesity, bacteria, viruses and obesity can all contribute to the problem, as well. If a pet owner smokes, this is another good reason to quit doing so. Smoking does seem to be a factor in initiating and prolonging symptoms of tracheal collapse. The tracheal lining is ciliated and the cilia move in unison, sweeping a layer of mucous, antibodies and other protective substances constantly towards the larynx. This helps to keep foreign material out of the lungs. Chronic irritation of these tissues may make the overall disease in dogs with tracheal collapse much worse.
Hope this helps
Regards
Linda