many chihuahua owners email us with concerns related to their chihuahua puppies or dogs experiencing breathing problems, more specifically frequent gagging, coughing and chihuahua wheezing and seizures that result in gasping for air. this article may be helpful to you if your chihuahua has been affected by obstructed breathing or symptoms thereof.
chihuahuas are known to suffer from problems related to their soft palate or a collapsed trachea. it is a health concern that is characteristic of the chihuahua breed and is also commonly referred to as “reverse sneezing”.
tracheal collapse is a condition in which the trachea partially collapses or flattens out as your chihuahua is trying to breath. this leads irritation and results in the gagging, coughing and wheezing symptoms mentioned above.
the trachea airway in your chihuahua is a very sensitive area
the trachea is the airway from the larnyx to the main bronchi in the lungs. it looks somewhat similar to that of a vacuum hose and has many stiff rings with flexible tissue connecting them.
sometimes these rings are not stiff enough and are unable to hold the trachea open against the air pressure that’s created during respiration. the portion of the trachea that is not stiff is then sucked into the airway causing partial obstruction making it difficult for your chihuahua to breath.
the difference in a normal trachea vs. a collapsed trachea
factors that can lead to tracheal collapse in your chihuahua are obesity, irritants, allergies, repeated heart conditions, bacterial infections, viruses and second-hand cigarette smoke.
tracheal collapse can also be brought on by damage done from leash pulling, especially if you use a collar to walk your chihuahua. it is recommended that you switch to a trachea friendly dog harness to prevent any pushing or pulling against the trachea.
if any of these symptoms develop, take your chihuahua to the vet right away. this is an important chihuahua health concern. if they are not treated, damage can occur in the lungs, larynx, nasal passages and soft palate regions. your veterinarian will provide you with the right medications and you will be able to further prevent symptoms.
a happy and healthy chihuahua is the goal, and a sick chihuahua must be properly cared for. famous chihuahua welcomes your comments and shared experiences.
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below is a sample page from the section of tracheal collapse!
reference: tracheal collapse in dogs vetinfo4dogs.com/dtrachea.html
photo references: egyvetonline.com/animaldisplay.aspx?c=2&info=16
animalhealthcare.com/handouts/dogs/collapsing_trachea.htm
162 Comments. Leave new
What a great article, thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the information.very much appreciated. My baby does the same thing. Thanks again.
My sweet Serina is a Chihuaua rescue. I’ve had her for about 5 years. She’s like 13. She was diagnosed with a collapsed trachea shortly after I adopted her. She’s been on medication for years and it just keeps getting worse. As a matter fact she’s on medication and cough medicine now. Poor baby, she is laying with me now wheezing and coughing. It is difficult for her to breathe or to sleep. My doctor Has been trying to help her. He says, as I have found while doing research, surgery has mabye a 50% chance of woking. Is it worth it to try to do the surgery? I don’t know what to do… I feel so bad for my sweet 4.5 pound Serina. Oh she lost about 5 oz in the past year… Any advise?
My chihuahua has recently been diagnosed with this condition, it’s heart breaking to watch him gasp for breath, he’s much worse in the evenings or in warmer weather, I’ve recently brought an air purifier which has also helped to make breathing alittle easier for him, if anyone has any advice it would be great fully appreciated. He’s also gone very lethargic and doesn’t want to do any exercise, I would love for him to enjoy his walks again like he used to,
My dog has symptoms like ‘reverse sneezing’ when she drinks water too fast.
She’ll then make that ‘chocking noise’ that lasts a few seconds then sorts itself out. Never had it any other time. She wears a harness and not neck collar and is not overweight. I will mention it to the vet next time I go.
If I pick my little girl and hold her upright, head on top, and sqeeze a little pressure around her heart area, she quits coughing. I also give her a bronchial dilator that I got from my vet, in tablet form.
Another way to assist in stopping the episode of coughing or choking is rubbing or petting her/ him were they absolutely love it. Were it makes them melt with pleasure. This works and has worked for me every time. My coco loves her back/ spine rubbed. She usually snaps right out of it.
I have a 4 year old female chihuahua, she was purchased from harrods in London when they had their pet kingdom,she has done that noise since we got her, sounds a bit like a duck sound and at times it gets loud and makes her reach to be sick then it stops but I have found if I say in a stern voice ” princess stop that” then she does. So yes maybe distraction is a good idea like someone else mentioned
I found a way to manage my pomeranians Collapsed Trachea. Simba was having his coughing or honking fits mulitple times a day and we felt so helpless. After much research, it said that dry air would make it worse. So I used a vaporizer at night in his room where he slept but it didn’t seem to help much. I then decided to start sitting him on the toilet while I showered, wondering if the steam would help and to my surprise, IT HAS HELPED HIM TREMENDOUSLY!!!
Now, each morning and each night, I will set him on the toilet seat (on a towel for comfort) turn the shower on to the hottest water, and open the curtain. I keep him in there for 10-15 minutes each time. Sometimes I will be in there with him and others I will leave him in there with the steam alone.
We started adding drops of Organic Eucalyptus Oil to the surrounds of the tub. Now its very rare that he has a coughing fit. We will go days (sometimes weeks) without it and if he does get it, it will only last a couple seconds. Unlike before. HUGE DIFFERENCE!
Even when he gets very excited! NOTHING!
I think you people are absolute idiots. I have chihuahuas and my kids and I love them and they are considered family! They eat the best food out there and I go over and beyond for them but people fall on hard times and can’t always afford the vet bills and the vets in Buffalo don’t do payment arrangements. I go without so my dogs get what they need but I can’t always afford to take them to the vet. Some rich people treat them like they are an accessory just because they have money does not make them awesome pet owners. We may not have all the money in the world but I do my best and my dogs are lucky to have my family as,we are just as lucky to have them. You can’t put a price on love andoing affection. Most of the time I Google things and treat my dogs myself if I can’t take them to the vet and I have done a damn good job. I have to say I took one of my pups to the vet recently for seizures and the vet could not give me an answer to why she was having them and said she thought it was gas and gave her a shot, I paid 200 went home and she had another an hour later. I researched it and found out she is diabetic. I cared for her did everything it said to do on the Internet and she’s been fine ever since. So don’t tell me you have to have money to own a pet and don’t tell me a vet is the best option. The best option to throw your money away and get no answers. Grow up and stop being judgemental none of you are perfect weather your rich or not, we all have flaws. I know I’m a great pet owner and no one will tell me different just because I lack money.
one should not treat our pet at home at your own risk get them to the vet if you can’t afford care, don’t own a dog.
We can afford to care for our pets. For those of you who criticize people for getting a puppy if you can’t afford a vet bill for an unexpected illness are first class Morons. People can’t predict medical issues. Think about the entire situation before passing judgment!
When my baby gets excited he acts like he’s needing air …when he trys to breathe in when excited he sounds like he’s snoring …please help he’s four years old and I only got him 6 days ago and can’t take him to vet until the 1st of month ..
I’d like to address the remarks about lack of funds to take your pet to the vet. Most of us consider our pets to be family members, our children. Not all children are born to rich parents. Are you also suggesting that poor people shouldn’t be allowed to have children? If someone loses their job should their kids get taken away and put into foster care with rich people?
It’s the people who bale on their pets when they get sick that causes so many of the homeless pets in shelters. They shouldn’t be left to suffer in a shelter until someone rich comes along to adopt them! That’s ridiculous!!! You love and care for them and do your best for them. The only people who shouldn’t have pets are the ones that spend their money on foolish things like $400 cell phones and going out drinking and THEN say they can’t afford to take their pet to the vet.
I’d also like to say that I had a Chihuahua when I was a child who had these coughing spells that we thought was asthma or something and we found that if we rubbed the pads of the dogs paw during these attacks that they stopped.
My chihuahuas has a harness on but he still gasp for air but he also has a collar on too so can a collar make him gasp for air.
I just wanted to bring to light a condition that my chihuahua was diagnosed with. My chihuahua has laryngeal paralysis which may get confused with the above conditions. His stomach would convulse in and out as he was gasping for air. To date, it has cost me around $10,000 to find this diagnosis and to treat it. If you find that you cannot figure out what is wrong, this could be the cause. My dog has had a tie back surgery to tie back one side of his laryngeal flaps to open up his airways for breathing. A bronchoscopy procedure would correctly identify this condition.
I have an 11 year old Chihuahua. Took her to the ER and had to return to the vet 2 days later due to difficulty in breathing, not eating or drinking, and listless. Our vet diagnosed her with a mass around her trachea & said it was too large to operate on because she could bleed to death or have heart failure before they could complete the surgery. My Chihuahua has been taken care of, yet I can’t save her from a growth that is taking over her air passage.
I’m very upset with comments made on this site that if you can’t afford to take your animal to the vet, you shouldn’t have an animal! First, there are too many animals in shelters or dropped off to just ignore them. Secondly, no one takes an animal in, feeds it, loves it, and cares for it but stops to think about possible expenses when the animal is starving for food and attention. A dog or cat needs love and caring first..it may live 10 or 20 years without needing the urgent care of a vet. Not everyone can afford $500 or more in vet costs, but giving an animal love, a warm bed, and food is worth a million dollars when the animal may face certain death from starvation or being put down because of full shelters. SHAME ON YOU .. to those of you who believe a price can be put on love and care.
People really took the comment about the gum & ran with it !! Only they didn’t realize that the person was saying that they put syrup ON their gum as in- above their teeth. Gosh people. You really know how to make yourselves look dumb
i have had chihuahua for over 30 years! about 5 years ago my son made a purchase of chihuahua in sarasota fl at puppy paw. its been five years this dog struggles with breathing coughing drinking water the doctors have taken xray there saying asthma but i have never seen a chihuahua struggle so much. i would differently recommend not to get a chihuahua through a dog store!!!! i have had chihuahua have problems with wheezing before but this has been very costly for me and they still havent been able to help her they said to give her bendrayl and that does nothing for her.
So I adopted a 2 Chi S about four years ago. They were a couple so I adopted them both. She was. about 7, he About 5. They are delightful little dogs and they love Me and eachother. I can’t think of my life without them. The problem is that the female has a collapsed trachea. I have taken her to my vet , who I think is really a good, honest vet, he gives her medication it stops for a while and it comes back. I feel so bad for her, but it doesn’t seem that there’s anything they can do other then giving her medication, giving her shots and trying to help her stop. Dr. says if she haS surgery a 50-50 chance that it work. He says that It probably will not work; she is 4.5 pounds And 11 Yo now, she might not survive. Does not seem like good odds for such a tiny dog. She gets a steroid shot about every three months, she’s been on antibiotics, had x-rays, it just keeps coming back and getting worse. This last three months she never really stop coughing. And now I’ve taken her in again for another shot and she’s now taking 2 ccs Benadryl for children 2 times daily. It’s helping – at least shE isn’t coughing every minute, and she sleeps at night. Any advise?
I have a pocket chihuahua n today he’s having some attacks I don’t know why but my friend came n put siroup in he’s gum n the attack stop a little but them they come back I’m very nervous about these please I need help I’m just trying to help him I pick him up from the street n I love him but I don’t know what to do
Fgs… Giving your dog gum?! Are you kidding me? Asking for home remedies for an obviously suffering dog? Take them to the vet and quit being selfish!
My heart is breaking at all the idiotic posts made about chihuahua care, or lack thereof. I wish I could reply to each of the posts claiming they can’t afford pet care and pop them on the head. Seriously? Get them to the vet, I don’t care if you have to eat raven or have a limited income or are handicapped- I’m all of those things and I still get it done. If you can’t afford care, don’t own a dog.
What’s with the owners who keep getting dogs you can’t afford care for? If your dog needs vet care for any reason, being broke is no excuse not to go. I’m broke too. Make a payment arrangement with the vet, find a clinic… But fgs, don’t let them suffer…. You’re only fooling yourself if you think they aren’t.
tHEY SEEM TO REALLY BE SUFFERING WHEN THEY GO THROUGH THIS. mY CHIHUAHUA HAS HAD X-RAYS SO THE TRACHEA LOOKED OKAY. tHE BEST THING I HAVE FOUND TO DO IS DISTRACT HIM, AND THE QUICKEST WAY IS TO ASK HIM IF HE WANTS SOME GUM! hE STOPS ALMOST IMMEDIATELY! tHEN I GIVE HIM THE TINEST LITTLE PIECE OF GUM, ABOUT LIKE TIP OF A PEN. gUM IS NOT SOMETHING YOU WANT TO GIVE THEM, BUT IN THIS CASE, IT IS GREAT FOR THIS. mAYBE SOMETHING ELSE SUCH AS OFFERING A TREAT WOULD WORK FOR ANOTHER CHI.
REGARDING THE PROLAPSED TRACHAE, I HAVE A 8yr old chi that has developed this. She was a little overweight (6lbs) but we have gotten that under control, especially now that she has a new little sister that makes sure she gets plenty of exercise 🙂 It is true they need a harness for leash walking. Let the pretty collars be worn as jewelry. I have also found three things 1) take your baby to the vet 1st to make sure the cough u hear is p.t. 2) always wrap them up when it is cold outside. The cold will cause a coughing spell. 3) use over the counter cough medicine like Triaminic or at the health food stores you can get theirs too. Make sure to remember their size! Use an eyedropper or the equivalent and give them 1cm every 6 hours. This has helped my girl tremendously. I may hear her cough once or twice a day, some days not at all. Much better than when she was first diagnosed!