Does your Yorkshire terrier cough? Dogs don't cough like people do, so when you hear your dog cough, you need to warn you that there may be a problem on the horizon. If it's a cracked sound, maybe something is stuck in your dog's throat. If this is an unproductive, buzzing type of cough, and your dog is a Yorkshire terrier, then this may be an early onset of a collapsing trachea. Tracheal coagulation can also affect other breeds, but it seems to be a health problem for yorkies. Sometimes it is genetically, and breeders should try very hard to propagate it from the Yorkies. This can be caused by the wear of collars or wires that fit snugly, and then, when the dog pulls on a leash, it chokes. Constant pulling and choking will eventually damage the wind. This also applies to all breeds.
My Yorkie had a slight cough in the summer of 2007. At that time we had repairs in our house, and I thought that his throat was dry from gypsum dust and sawdust in the air. The cough did not occur daily, so I did not worry about the progression. I made every effort to vacuum dust and dust daily.
In the fall he had a vet check and I mentioned coughing. Our vet said it probably destroys the trachea. She prescribed Torbutrol as a means of suppressing cough, and after his first dose he was so addicted that he could not stand, eat, or fall into his bowl of water. She said that he would probably have to do this for the rest of his life, taking 2 tablets a day. After this reaction, I called the vet, and it was decided that he could not tolerate this drug. He only weighed 4 pounds 6 ounces. After that, I tried cough medicine. I also gave him vitamin E and vitamin C.
During the winter of 2008, he had several visits by veterinarians, and it was always the same - his heart checked well, and his lungs were good. His appetite was good, it seemed there was nothing to worry about. I have never talked about the warning signs of a collapsing trachea that may take his life. His cough went from this dry, cracked sound to a sound similar to a man when he tried to clear his throat. For many days he did not cough at all, but for many nights he began to cough and seemed unable to stop. I tried to give him honey to cover his throat, because I am sure that his throat should have been very raw from all this cough. There are cough medicines on the market that contain honey. Sometimes they helped, but not always. For several days he walked around the house, coughing - trying to breathe. As the trachea narrows, it becomes like an attempt to breathe through a straw.
I searched the Internet for answers, I looked for natural medicines for it, but in fact there isn’t much that can be done. Sometimes surgery is offered, but it is not always successful and can be very expensive. Not to mention the discomfort your dog will survive.
The curled up trachea claimed another sacrifice, since my Yorkie died of suffocation in a dream on October 1, 2008. So, if your dog makes sounds like coughing, please discuss it with your vet so that you know what to expect. Gather as much information as possible and do your best to make your dog as comfortable as possible. You can try using a cool mist humidifier at night in the area where your dog is sleeping. Keep his weight down, too. But above all, love him and pay him as much attention as you can. I am very lucky that I have been my Yorkie for 14 years. We were constantly together, and he was terribly missed. I sincerely hope that if you deal with this health problem with your Yorkie, you will find something that will help him. Now please go hug your dog!
