Yorkie Lifespan With Collapsed Trachea

Yorkies are often diagnosed when they are young adults but symptoms of tracheal collapse tend to develop in mid life or even later in other breeds.
Yorkie lifespan with collapsed trachea. It generally appears in yorkies at about the age of 6 or 7 although it can develop earlier or later in life. My sweet little boy odie a yorkiepoo passed away on october 2 2012 at only 8 yo due to trachea collapse disease. Just avoid collars on leashes and get a harness instead to avoid pressure on the throat. Tracheal collapse is a common cause of airway obstruction in dogs.
This is due in part to its tiny size. In memory of odie. This narrowing of the cartilage rings within the trachea can cause severe breathing difficulty. Small breed dogs especially yorkshire terriers are most at risk for developing a collapsing trachea.
Sometimes however the tracheal rings begin to collapse and as air is squeezed through a characteristic honking cough results. Yorkshire terriers hold the third highest rate of deaths by respiratory disease in dogs behind the bulldog at 18 2 and the borzoi at 16 3. Even with the best in medical preventative care tracheal collapse still occurs but why. The three types of respiratory illness that yorkies have been found to be susceptible to are pulmonary fibrosis brachycephalic airway syndrome and collapsed trachea.
It ranges from the throat to the bronchi airways. A collapsed trachea is quite common among dogs and it doesn t have to be an immediate decision on euthanasia there were a series of steps that my vet helped me take to manage and improve my dog s condition so she was able to have a decent quality of life until the end from the point of diagnosis in 2017 she was able to live a couple more years until she was put down in 2019. As a yorkie advances through life the cartilage in their trachea weakens. Yorkshire terrier national rescue inc.
While little dogs in general are prone to tracheal collapse yorkshire terriers are the most commonly affected according to web md. Tracheal collapse in yorkies is one of several health issues that you can expect due to their size and fact that they are purebred. Collapsed trachea is common among small breeds so it is recommended to attach leashes to a yorkie s harness rather than their collar. When this happens the cartilage rings in the trachea become.
Your article gave me a lot of hope but i am still scared and worried. Collapsing trachea c o mary elizabeth dugmore 1065 lewis road chapmansboro tn 37035. Avoid extreme exercise and if you bring your dog to the groomers say no kennel dryers since they can take their breath away you will know if your dog is. A dog with a collapsing trachea experiences chronic intermittent bouts of coughing that tend to get worse with exercise excitement stress.
Pulmonary fibrosis is a disease that produces scarring of lung tissue. The trachea or windpipe is a tube made up of sturdy rings of cartilage through which air is transported to and from the lungs. There is not a day that goes by that i don t thank god that i had him in my life even if it was only for a short 8 years.