Due to their small size, Maltipoos are susceptible to a collapsed trachea. This condition can really cause your Maltipoo to have breathing problems as the windpipe collapses, leading them to suffer a harsh dry cough and also get problems with swallowing.
When seeing your Maltipoo gets hard swallowing or has a dry cough, you may worry that your pup is experiencing a collapsed trachea. To identify whether your pup experiences a collapsed trachea or not, you will have to know some symptoms, since a dry cough and hard swallowing does not always refer to a collapsed trachea.
Okay, let’s see some symptoms of a collapsed trachea that your Maltipoo puppies may experience through our post below!
Symptoms of a Collapsed Trachea
In addition to hard swallowing, there are also several symptoms that can indicate a collapsed trachea. What are they? Let’s see some symptoms, as follow:
- Coughing
The most common symptoms that your pup shows is a honking type cough. This will typically be worse when your pup gets exercise, excited and/ or when out during hot, humid weather. - Trouble drinking or eating
Your Maltipoo pup may struggle to drink or eat when he chokes, coughs and can’t breathe properly while doing so. - Breathing noises
When your Maltipoo puppies take breathing and you hear a wheezing or similar type of unusual breathing sounds, it may indicate your pup has a collapsed trachea. - Low energy
If your Maltipoo puppies suddenly shows tiredness, lethargic and tends to be passive and also accompanied by the symptoms above, you can immediately take him to the vet to check whether they get a collapsed trachea or not.
It’s important to note, the cough that is caused by a collapsed trachea will commonly be non-productive and is not accompanied by fever. Some factors that may trigger respiratory disease include activities like drinking water, excitement, exercising and excessively low or high temperatures.
Furthermore, a dog with a collapsed trachea may experience bouts of respiratory distress that can be violent and last a few minutes until they resolve themselves. Aside from that, humid weather and obesity can be other factors that can bring out the symptoms of a collapsed trachea in your Maltipoo.
How Does a Collapsed Trachea Happen?
It is known that trachea is the part of the respiratory system which carries air from the nose and mouth to the airways in the lungs. Trachea is made of rings of cartilage forming a tube. When the cartilage rings weaken, they will collapse and cause the airway to narrow, making breathing hard. The rings of cartilage will keep the trachea open for air to get in and out of the lungs.
Maltipoo is one of the dog breeds that are prone to this. The weak rings probably start to have problems when they mature. In some cases, it will be pressure on the neck which causes this to happen, regarding whether or not the dog is predisposed.
The rings of cartilage will collapse if there’s too much stress put on the Maltipoo’s neck. In most cases of a collapsed trachea, the cause of this condition in Maltipoo is unknown. It may also be a congenital disorder as a condition that your Maltipoo was born with. So far, their Maltipoo’s trachea can collapse because they do not have enough cellular rings of cartilage.
If your Maltipoo’s trachea collapses, you will notice your Maltipoo experiencing a honking cough. It will happen when the air pushes through the collapsing rings of cartilage.
In the majority of cases, the collapsed trachea occurs when your Maltipoo has a collar put on them. Then, the collar is attached to a leash. When wearing the collar, the one ‘jerking’ motion can cause collapsed trachea and there’s no turning back.
Additionally, the Maltipoo puppies that are not yet trained to listen to all commands will be most susceptible to this. If your Maltipoo wears a dog collar that is connected to a leash and they jump with force, of course, the leash will stop them mid-action and all the stress of their jump will put directly onto the neck, and it’s what causes the collapsed trachea.
Diagnosis and Treatment
When your Maltipoo coughs more often and severely, an experienced vet may suspect collapsed trachea immediately, particularly as it is so common with small and toy dog breeds. However, x-rays can be taken to confirm this.
If your Maltipoo experiences a collapsed trachea, medication and prevention care will be taken to treat him. After the veterinarian makes a diagnosis, they probably prescribe medication to manage inflammation and coughing.
For mild to moderate cases, your vet will prescribe one or more of the medications, such as:
- Antibiotics
- Cough suppressants
- Steroids (oral and inhalant using an aerodawg device)
- Bronchodilators
- Sedatives
The vet may also give sedatives to reduce coughing and anxiety. Some Maltipoos may need heavy sedation to stop the cough cycle. However, coughing will only increase irritation and make your pup get more coughing. Your vet probably suggests you to use Maropitant (Cerenia) as a drug of preference to reduce inflammation in the airways.
For Maltipoos which do not respond well or may have reoccurring problems, the surgery will be highly recommended. Breathing will be so hard that the dog has little quality of life, particularly it’s true for seniors.
Prevention
Talking about prevention of a collapsed trachea, it is very simple. Instead of putting a collar onto your Maltipoo neck, it will be better for you to put a dog harness onto them. However, it can be a normal, expected aspect of puppy care.
Need to know, a dog collar can still be used for identification purposes, but it’d be better to use a harness when walking your pup. Of course, it must be used anytime your Maltipoo is connected to her or his leash.
Reportedly, harness has become popular, when many people are learning about the importance of keeping your dog from collapsing trachea. It’s easy for you to find a harness that fits for your pup, as it is available in any size and comes in many different materials and a variety of styles.
