So - here we were with our English Bulldog puppy (that's her on her back trying to play with Rufus our pitbull/lab mix in the picture), who we were told to keep calm, cool and slim. Luckily Stella has never been turned into a beggar. She loves her dog food - Nature's Variety - which we feed Rufus too. I have to say this food treats them both very well - although pricey - worth it (and I have tried lots of other high-end dog foods over the years with my dogs). She never overeats - and we try to keep her weight in check - although she's already a small bulldog due to her small trachea.
Her hypoplastic trachea is a condition where her trachea is abnormally small - about the size of a cat, our vet has told us. This causes her to breath as if you or I were having to breath through a straw. Normal breathing is fine for her, but if she gets overexcited or overheated, she puts more and more stress on her trachea, which can cause breathing difficulty, problems dealing with mucus, water and food, and eventually can cause the trachea itself to begin to weaken or collapse. Apparently vet students in some of the best veterinary schools are working on surgeries to correct this problem - but so far its not treatable.
It seemed that one of the worst things we were going to have to battle was the fact that when she got overexcited, she tended to vomit or hack up mucus, and that sometimes she must have been aspirating on that material, breathing it back into her lungs, and this would turn into pneumonia (at least this is our hypothesis). Or, the excessive breathing would cause the mucus to build up and get so thick that she would then develop breathing problems. Either way, the lemon is our savior and Stella's favorite toy, and its the one thing that seems to keep her airways clear and functional! We all love the LEMON!
hello,
ReplyDeleteour mini bulldog has that sme problem with getting too hot or excited he gets all this froth and mucus stuck in the throat. weve heard about lemon before. do you drip it in his mouth or what? Thanks!
If you watch the videos I have uploaded - you can see that we have gotten our bulldog to think of the lemon as a toy. We get her to bite a lemon half and right when she bites it we give it a good squeeze! If your bulldog won't have anything to do with it, I encourage you to squeeze the juice into his throat, but follow it up with lots of praise and pets - so he doesn't start to think of it as a negative thing. Usually after about all the juice from the half lemon is gone, she will clear the mucus from her airway. It works wonders! You could also try the squeeze bottles of lemon juice, or fill an empty squeeze bottle with fresh lemon juice. I think its important to give them strong doses of it, vs. adding it to their water. Even if he doesn't spit up the phlegm, you will hear it start to break up and it will help clear it up. Let us know if this helps you little guy, and send me a pic! I was thinking of a mini bulldog before we got Stella, but of course she is practically a mini due to her breathing issues, she is staying very small - only 38 lbs.
ReplyDeleteAs I sit here at 11:30 at night in the emergency vet with our bulldog Moose you all have given me hope. He is only 15 weeks old and has had a rough go of it from the start. He got over his pneumonia but as we discover he has the extra small trachea. For the first time this morning he threw up a white mucus and went down hill from there. He spent all day in the vet and they said to put him to sleep. We didn't want to make a rash decision so we took him home to see how he was. Now we are at the emergency vet hoping for a miracle. If he does pull through I will def try lemons. We already planned on the airway surgery but have to wait another month. Thank you for all the helpful info.
DeleteOur thoughts are with you and your pup, good luck! If you make it through the rough patch, and ever want to speak directly with us, let me know! I'll email you our phone and/or email.
DeleteI actually thought stella was a mini! that is about mini girl size. Auto is actually a really small mini, only 25 pounds!
ReplyDeletei wanted to say thank you for the advice because we have been dewprate. This breathing issue has happened 3 times already and it is so bad that his eyes role back and he begins to pass out. it is so scary because he is like our child!
The lemon seems to be working, he threw up after and then rand around as if to say "i can breathe!"
i dont know how to send a pic on this thing!
-jessica
Jessica,
ReplyDeleteI am so glad Auto is being helped by the lemon. We give Stella lemons every other day or so, and it definitely helps keep that phlegm from building up. She almost seems to know its good for her! If Auto has the small trachea, you should try to never let him get overexcited or play too hard for long periods of time, this will help too. If you email me a picture I will definitely post it, and I would love to see him! Keep us posted!
-Tracey
tracey "at" fastspot "dot" com
It is interesting that this mini bulldog has the same issues. I have read that the breeders claim minis are unaffected by breathing issues. That is obviously nonsense.
ReplyDeleteToo many breeders are pushing poor quality animals out to the public- it is scandalous! In the UK you pay about �2000 for a puppy that is $4000.
I am so happy to have found this site. When I received my EB at 12 weeks old. He came to me with right middle and lower lobe pneumonia and was diagnosed with Hypoplastic trachea. Since his pneumonia has cleared up he has been wonderful. He has not hacked up any mucus. He loves to play with my neighbors lab. I am always looking to see if he has any signs of cyanosis (bluish color) in his gums or tongue, none thus far, and I never over due it with him. I am however so scared that one day the floor could drop and he with become sympomatic.
ReplyDeletejust want to give you an update on auto! He had his enlongated pallate cliped and it was the best thing we could of done! He is doing so good, no need for lemon or worrying about him!
ReplyDeletejust want to give you an update on auto! He had his enlongated pallate cliped and it was the best thing we could of done! He is doing so good, no need for lemon or worrying about him!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update! Glad to hear Auto is doing so well!
ReplyDeleteHI! My name is Ashley and my boyfriend and i just got a little Bulldog/Pug mix. We were so sad to find out he had a hypoplastic trachea. I am so glad i found this site because the vet worried me and made me feel like he was going to be a very sickly dog that wouldn't last long. So far he hasnt been sick or had any major breathing problems. Thank you so much for the lemon suggestion, I will keep that in mind. I feel so much better knowing that other people out there have puppies with the same problems that are able to deal with it!
ReplyDeleteEven if my dog isnt showing any signs of congestion, should i still be trying the lemon every other day or so?
ReplyDeleteWe do, just because, the lemon isn't going to hurt them, and if it helps keep that phlegm out of their systems before it becomes a problem - then all the better! Of course, we have it easy cause Stella loves to bite the lemon halves and thinks of it as a game. She even carries the lemons up to her bed at night!
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteI have been looking to rescue an EB for almost a year with very little luck. I was approached by a local hobby breader whom has a 6 month old EB pup that has possible trach collapse or hypoplasia she has taken her to a couple vets whom have referred her to the University of Michigan for further review. I would really love to adopt this little girl but before I do I am looking for all the info I can get to make an informed choice. I am so happy to have found this it gives me hope that this gal could live a hapy semi-normal life, as I am hesitant to bond with her and have her pass.
I am so happy to find your blog! I have a small husky/sled dog mix and she has severe trachea hypoplasia, she is about 6 years old. she was very symptomatic when she was very young but then seemed have overcome the symptoms and ran and played hard for years. Now this winter she is have terrible problems breathing when she runs around, especially outside in the cold and it seems to be caused by a build up of mucus in her throat. i am thrilled to hear about the lemon trick and I can't wait to try it. I will keep you posted. Thanks yoiu!
ReplyDeleteThis is great! My English bully, Pudgie, has a huge amount of mucus in her throat when she goes to bed. Shes not hyper when she goes to bed but she gets clogged more when she is relaxed. We've tried the lemon before only it got on her lip and the acid was obviously too strong and caused a pretty big rash were the acid burned. That was when she was 2 1/2 months. Now we give her a teaspoon of lemon maybe 2 times a week and we never heard her 'trying to breath' again. She is currently 5 months and never been better.
ReplyDeleteWe just got a bulldog puppy he is 11 weeks old and has this same problem everyone is talking about. I can't believe this is so common! Our breeder however did know about it and sold him to us for much cheaper but we saw him and fell in love now we are just trying to treat his problem. Our vet just keeps giving us antibiotics and Motley shots :( it works temporarily. But the lemon sounds much better! So I just give him some lemon juice a couple times a week? He has pneumonia right now but he is on medicine I am def going to try the lemon.
ReplyDeleteTHANKS SO MUCH
Once your puppy is healthy start trying to get him to play with lemon halves! They are so fearless - if you can convince them the lemon is something to chase and bite, and turn it into a game when they are young, you can easily administer for them as they get older - we lucked out on that front. On another note - keep your pup as cool and mellow as possible. Stella really is doing great but we give her lots of time outs, and even lock her away in an air conditioned room when lots of guests come over cause she can't calm down and is so excited to see everyone. Its sad, but its worth it in the long run - and it keeps her healthy. Besides, she much prefers getting her stomach rubbed laying in the bed in the mornings, or going for a Starbucks run in the car and looking out the window!
ReplyDeletehi my name is traci i live in corpus christi, texas. My english bulldog is about four months old, her name is dakota she was also was diagonis with hypoplasia wher her trachea is to small. I read that you had use lemon for your english bulldog, and want to try it wtih mine. I want to give Dakota hope for as long as she lives. She is a great dog and loves to play with her other two english bulldog sisters.IF you have any other advice i would appreciate it...thankyou!
ReplyDeletehi my name is traci i live in corpus christi, texas. My english bulldog was diagonsia with hypoplasia wher her trachea is to small.I had read the comments on the website and came across LEMON and how it can help. I want to give dakota hope for as long as she lives.If anyon ehas any advice i would appreciate it .. thankyou
ReplyDeleteTraci -
ReplyDeleteGood luck! The best advice I can give you is keep your puppy calm! Don't let her play too much with the other dogs, lots of time outs will help her not aggravate her breathing passages. We use the lemon juice every few days especially when STella is sounding phlegmy. Ideally you can use it as a preventative vs. trying to use it once your dog is already having a hard time. Think of the condition like breathing through a straw - you know how the saliva and phlegm builds up when you do that? Same thing for Dakota. So keep her calm and cool - I know it's hard to stop bulldog puppies from playing, but it's for the best for her. Short spurts of fun, or find non-active things that she likes - like chewing on nylabones, going for car rides, etc. Good luck!
SOOO glad to of found this blog! This is our 2nd bully and never had these serious types of bearthing issues before, but did spend close to $40K in his 12 years of life on other bully issues. Our newest addition, Bentley, is such an angel! We thought we did our dudilagence with finding the right breeder, but sadly, that does not matter in the bull dog world. Little Bentley has been in & out of the vet and ER since he was 8wks old. First being misdiagnosed with Kennel Cough due to the symptoms he displayed. He has had aspirated pnemonia twice now, only to FINIALLY be diagnosed with hypoplastic trachea. He has always been a supper phlemmy dog, constantly choking and gagging and then throwing up. Fortunatly, he is a very mellow bully due to the extensive training he's been in to eventually become a therapy dog. Yes, my trainer laughed when I told her my dream for him, but so far he's proving to be one whom loves for kids to just roll and pull and tug on! As many of you I'm sure have experienced, there is just something about our bully's that bring a smile to peoples face! They can't but to want to get down and get kisses and to rub and touch them. There isn't a night I don't wake in panic to his choking and gaging. We are doing a palate and nose resection in two weeks once his lungs clear from this past bought of pnemonia. Our last bully had undergone a palate clip and is last year a nose resection and he never had breathing issues again. For all bull dog parents, extreme excersize and heat is just asking for disaster. I just gave him some lemon juice, so I'm hoping to see this phlem break up. Our water bill is through the roof due to all the hot steamy breathing treatments he gets daily to help him. Does it help, perhaps for a little bit - think its more important for the pnemonia sake than the phlem. What we won't do for these little souls that somehow steal our hearts instantly!! I look forward to keeping up with all of you on this blog. If anyone wants to talk more "shop" seeing as I have experienced so many bully issues, please feel free to email me - deannefingerman@gmail.com.
ReplyDeleteI am glad to see a blog to help out these little ones with serious airway disease but I am disappointed not to see any comment on how to bred this malady out of the bulldog breed and that breeders should not be selling these dogs but giving them away with a written promise to spay and neuter so future generations of bulldogs can be happy AND healthy. Dont go so easy on the breeders...or AKC! There are plenty of bulldogs that suffer and die because they overheat from their airway problems. Please mention spaying and neutering and hold breeder more responsible.
ReplyDeleteIt was completely accidental that I came across this blog. My 10 mth old EB was diagnosed with Hypoplastic Trachea yesterday. I have attempted to do as much research as possible and originally thought maybe she had a collapsing trachea. This is the 2nd time she has aspiration pneumonia. The first time was when she was around 2 1/2 months. I am not completely sure if that time might have been because she was playing in with the water hose and maybe aspirated water. Nonetheless, I have some relief knowing what we are dealing with now and that so many other people have positive, successful stories to share. When the Vet diagnosed her yesterday, they were quite surprised that this had not be detected when they spayed and the fact that she did so well during her surgery. (Imagine my surprise!!) Yesterday when I took her in she was extremely lethargic, standoffish, vomiting mucus, and wouldn't eat or drink anything. I started her meds last night (4 of them) and she is a new baby today - full of life and love. Needless to say she slept soooooo much better, woke up, ate breakfast, then we had a huge love fest!!! She just wanted to give mommy (me) kisses and play with her little sister (3 mth old lab/beagle mix)in tug of war. Life is grand once again!!! BTW, thank you so much for the lemon idea. We will most definitely keep them on hand from now on!!!! Wishing the best to all of you and your babies!!!
ReplyDeleteTerri, can you tell what 4 meds helped your EB on?
ReplyDeleteI have a beautiful and fun-loving bulldog male and it was found out that he had a hypoplastic trachea at 4 weeks old because of pneumonia and a good vet. He is still struggling with it and will use lemon juice now for him. I would like to know Terri's 4 meds also. I worry constantly because he loves to play with his playmates. Thanks for any help. Carolyn
ReplyDeleteI know it has been awhile since you started this blog, but do you know if currently there is a surgery to help with hypoplastic trachea? Our new baby, Rocky, was diagnosed yesterday with this. Very similar to Stella's case - the size of a cat. The vet wants us to consider surgery once we clear out his lungs. I am not sure, if it is not a "have" to or successful surgery. I do not want him to be part of an "experimental" study. They are suggesting surgery thru one of the local college vet schools. Please let me know if anyone has any information on the hypoplastic trachea surgery. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteLynn,
ReplyDeleteI don't know of anything, but Stella's trachea has gotten bigger as she's gotten older. We did get her the palette surgery and her nostrils widened which helped her breathing. I'd be careful going with a vet school, and ask to talk to owners of other bulldogs who they did the surgery for to get references and be sure they've done plenty of these types of surgeries. Good luck to you and your bully.
How is the Bulldog doing today???
ReplyDeleteMine I had, after getting 6 months old, was a fine healthy active Bulldog.
Can you email me your answer, as I am checking a TON of sites and might forget to check back.
aron@cutebulldogs.com
Thanks so much.
Aron
I'm hoping this blog has not stopped. I don't see any posts after November of last year. My precious 6 month old French Bulldog was just (in the last hour) diagnosed with severe hypoplastic trachea. We have had Jacque on steriods for about a month and they are causing some aggression towards his brother Louie. The second opinion vet is suggesting we contact UC Davis and talk to someone about a stint procedure they do. It's not super common and they don't have any longevity in the dogs that have had it so far. Meaning the dogs are only about 4 years out from the stint surgery. I'm confused and concerned and also waiting for the UC Davis vet to call me so we can discuss the cost. I'm definitely going to try the lemon, but our little guys is said a severely narrow trachea and they may not even be able to do the surgery on him. I'm still waiting for the return call from the vet. I'm reading no over exertion, which is hard because his brother, Louie, loves to rough house with him and hold him down. Louie is 22 pounds and 6 months also. Anyway, any advice is very welcome. We are still reeling from the vet telling us that we may not have him 'around' very long. I can't even go there. Help! Chrissy
ReplyDeleteChrissy, sen me your emai and I'll provide any info I can I'm Tracey at Fastspot dot com.
DeleteHi was wondering what happened with your bully baby as mine is in the same boat and its so difficult to watch him struggle through I feel so helpless. Any advice would be so appreciated.
DeleteThank you, Shannon
hi
ReplyDeletei have an EB puppy with this problem, he is throwing up at least four times a day, i am losing my mind, will the lemon help with this
Moosie,
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about your puppy. Go see a good bulldog vet, feed soft food, and limit activity. Good luck!
Hi Everyone!
ReplyDeleteI can't even begin to tell you how much I have gone through trying to figure out what is causing my EB to be so congested....I have switched food, detergents...you name it I've done it. Just the other day I spoke to another woman who has had numerous EB's and she said that I need to get Cash to this certain specialist in town who does the trachea surgery. Cash is my baby and I am horrified with the thought of putting him through this, but if it helps him I'm all for it. I would love to hear people's opinions. Cash just turned 4 and from what this woman told me...is that this would be a perfect time. She said that you don't want to do it to early because the trachea could grow back. He has been congested (meaning super flemmy) every day and sometimes wakes up at night coughing. It breaks my heart :( I've done lemon but he absolutely hates it and it only helps a little bit.
I would ask for references for this vet - as I believe trachea surgery is relatively new. I know they hate the lemon, but if it gets the phlegm out, I say it's a small irritation for them to go through. I also have done steam treatments, and gotten her to have breathing treatments by the vet, where they also pat her ribs to help clear stuff out. Stella often wakes up with raspy breathing at night, usually cause she is hot and also has phlegm. Keep Cash cool, that does help too. Stella is 5 almost 6 now and doing great. We keep her on a high quality food that she seems to do well with (doesn't throw it up or aspirate on it), and regular lemon juice helps her clear out her phlegm. Keep us posted on Cash, and wishing you the best of success with whatever treatment you try. If he's made it to 4, maybe with some diligent maintenance on your part he doesn't need surgery? Most EBs with bad trachea problems don't last too long, so at least he's managed to deal with it this long. FYI we also did have Stella get the palette surgery and have some saccules removed from her airway - when she was about 1. That seemed to help her.
ReplyDeleteWe just got back from the vet today and after chest X-rays our bully Samson has a trachea the size of a pencil she said. He's getting nebulizer treatments for early stage pneumonia. He's also on antibiotic that was started prior to the nebulizer when we thought it was just sinus infection. Is this size trachea considered the severe end of hypo plastic trachea? He is 17 weeks and after some reading hoping he has a chance of growing out of this??!!! What are ur thoughts. If we take him back to breeder I fear he will be euthanized. This is our first bully and we just don't kno what to do!
ReplyDeleteIt's up to you, he may grow out of it, but you'll need to be careful with him. Our vet told us Stella's trachea was the size of a cat, but it's since gotten bigger, and she's doing great at 5 years old. Try to get your pup through this spell and see how it goes, you may be his only hope, as breeders often will euthanize dogs with this condition. Good luck, I hope you keep him and he improves!
DeleteWell Samson is on clavamox right now and we ate continuing with albutoril in the nebulizer. We really hope this will bring him around. He's not eating as much as I'd like, tried chicken broth and rice. Pretty lethargic..saw a glimpse of his play today with our 2yr old son, but now he's back to how he was before. I just pray we can get him healthy!!! If anyone has any tricks or advice we would love to know. We are in Iowa so not sure about a specialist...
ReplyDeleteDo the things your vet is having you do - the nebulizer breathing treatments and meds for pneumonia - give him time - hopefully he will improve. Once he's on the mend - you really must limit his activity so he doesn't cause the trachea to flare up from too much heavy breathing -which causes it to get inflamed, causing mucus build up - and the problems. It's hard with a puppy, but he will get used to it. Then try the lemon to relive his airways if he does sound phlegmy - but probably not until he's recovered from the pneumonia. You may also want to consider surgery to increase his nostrils and deal with his soft pallet (if it's elongated) as we did for Stella - that helped. Good luck and keep us posted! Sending good thoughts. - Tracey and Stella
DeleteDo the things your vet is having you do - the nebulizer breathing treatments and meds for pneumonia - give him time - hopefully he will improve. Once he's on the mend - you really must limit his activity so he doesn't cause the trachea to flare up from too much heavy breathing -which causes it to get inflamed, causing mucus build up - and the problems. It's hard with a puppy, but he will get used to it. Then try the lemon to relive his airways if he does sound phlegmy - but probably not until he's recovered from the pneumonia. You may also want to consider surgery to increase his nostrils and deal with his soft pallet (if it's elongated) as we did for Stella - that helped. Good luck and keep us posted! Sending good thoughts. - Tracey and Stella
ReplyDeleteThank u for the advice! I hav been scouring the Internet reading bout EB's and pneumonia. And small tracheas. We hope he makes progress and he can grow to b a healthy bullie
DeleteI hope he does great! Good luck and know that many others were told to put theirs down by vets, and they didn't, and those dogs are doing great today.
DeleteMy baby Hope is going thru this now ~ took her into the vet for the third time yesterday and she's finally gotten bad enough that he understands my concerns . He has me booked into a specialist this morning and Hope's episodes have become so violent I hope she makes it thru until morning. I am so sad for my sweet girl to see her struggling. I try to comfort her which helps a little. She's 5 1/2 months and weighs 23 pounds and her trachea is about .5cm and the doctor said he would like to see it 4x that size. Reading this while I'm watching her struggle with her breathing is helping me make it thru - thanks for being out there!
ReplyDeleteMy 5 month old English Bully Mac was diagnosed with Hyper Plastic Trachea. As you know...his episodes are absolutely horrible. The Dr. said that him gaining weight is a good sign. But the episodes are so scary. He developed pneumonia last week...but seems to be ok now. We purchased from a reputable breeder...but as you can see that didn't make a big difference. Can you tell me how your Hope is doing? Im praying for good news.
DeleteHi, I don't know if you still actively reply to posts here. I sure hope so as I am in the same boat as several others here. What a great service you provide to those of us who are loosing hope of ever finding answers or staying positive through such a diagnosis.
ReplyDeleteI have a male who at 10 WKS was diagnosed with the same problem. He has all the symptoms you list here. Luke was born on Feb 25 this year.2013 He has had several trips to the Emergency Vet with little or no resolve. The first place wanted to do the surgery at 10 weeks but I didn't feel this should be done at such and early age. My regular Vet and I decided to shoot for 6 months but his congestion, which they tell me isn't really congestion... But it is, why else would he sound so awful and try to cough up? I've tried lemon from those plastic squeeze bottles and just a small squirt. I worry it will go the wrong way because he hates it so. Did you ever have any other info on the nectarines I think he'd like those I know the seed isn't something to mess with, as those are often where the problem lies in fruits.. Any positive outlook or advice at this point would be SOOOO VERY helpful I've spent most of my time crying and frustrated over this sweet baby boy. You mention in one of your posts that the steam from a shower works well for you, the warm steam? Because my vet said the warm isn't good. But I am thinking how much swelling would occur from that sort of heat? i AM GOING TO SEND THIS OFF HOPING YOU REPLY AND THAT EVERYONE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD IS HAPPY AND STILL DOING WELL. Thank you again for sharing... It really is helpful to see some sort of positive how small was your babies trachea do you know? Luke's isn't even the .03 size. I believe this to be correct in writing maybe .3 his is 2.83 ?
What happened with your girl as my boys is even smaller I am afraid... Yikes!
ReplyDeleteI know this is an old thread but I am currently going thru this with my almost 6 month shorty bull, kegger. He has a hypoplastic trach and possibly a elongated palate which he must see a specialist for. He is currently on antibiotics and a neub. He has always been phlemy but last week his breathing went critical and spent two days at the hospital. He is now doing well, will still be seeing a specialist for his soft palate, but im going to try the lemon. How effective would you say it is? Minimal improvement? Large improvement? I'm hoping as he grows it becomes less severe.
ReplyDeleteHi am Simon from England we have a 3 month old French bulldog crossed British bulldog he as the most beautiful dog my partner and I have ever seen we had him at 8 weeks old he has been fine untill Sunday night were he started to rattle when breathing in we took him stright to vets on Monday morning ware he was given antibiotics and a muscle relaxer and told to come back Tuesday he was still eating and drinking fine but noise was getting worse..we went back again vet give him the same x2 japs as the next before.he got worse Wednesday sound getting worse and stopped eating and drinking completely. again same x2 injections was given were told to keep putting him a steam room and keep massaging his chest..we did this all Wednesday night and went back vets today to push for a X-ray..poor little man has been there all day with all blood tests done Whitch came back normal temperature has been fine since this started Sunday night he been in oxygen tent all day x4 more injections today..the X-ray shows his wind-pipe is only 3mm and he has a lot of fuild on the lungs..the vet has sent us home saying that due to size of air way and the brokituss newmoner he thinks it would be better to put him to sleep as with air pipe being so small that the shit on his lungs will not clear..we are in a world of pain as do not no what to do for the best as we love him so much but also don't want him to be in pain..please any help any one can give us will help..
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading this simon
Simon, I'm SO sorry you and your partner are going through this, and I'm sorry for you pup. I'd say this - if he can fight through the pneumonia and get himself clear lungs - you should give him a chance. Of course, if he can't recover he will pass on his own, or you will know it's time to help him go. But if he can recover, I've seen dogs' tracheas get much better as they age - they can grow and expand just like the rest of your dog. Give him the meds, the oxygen, and the rest and if he can make it - then you should really adjust everything you do with him to keep him healthy. It will be a hard situation - he'll be somewhat like a disabled child - but he won't care! If you can give him a quality of life and little pain and lots of love - I think it's worth it. Let us know what happens! And good luck.
DeleteThank you so much for your reply in the last hour he has had something to eat and drink the 1st time in two days..we are doing everything we can steam room ever two hours..small walk around patio then help him bring up the rubbish..we are so greatfull to speak to other peaple that have gone though or going though the same as we are it gives us strength not to give up on him...he really is one of the family..
ReplyDeleteHi Simon, My name is Shelby and I'm friends w/ Tracey and their story of Stella. I have an English bulldog, Benson. When he was just a pup - around a year he started having similar situations as your story. Benson had multiple visits to the Vet ED and multiple months of antibiotics as he has hyperplastic trachea and poor breathing. At six months old, we agreed to have his soft palate removed along w/ his laryngeal sacs. He was temporarily trached for a few days post surgery due to swelling. Ever since we have had great success with his breathing. Here is what I recommend: (a) Don't put the puppy down - that is not the first solution unless he is suffering beyond anything they can repair (b) Get a second opinion- find a vet in your area who is comfortable w/ bracho animals (the smush faced dogs) (c) Discuss surgical options as far as removing the soft palate and laryngeal sac (d) Get a humidifier and keep it in the room w/ the dog- this will keep the air moist and help with maintaining a soft open airway. (e) do soft food - if you are feeding kibble make sure it's wet and soft- that will be easier for her/him to swallow (f) elevate the food/water bowl- it will help w/ swallowing as their head is raise (think just like a human it's better to sit up to eat). If you need anything feel free to reach out- Paws crossed for a good outcome!
DeleteSimon - just checking in and hoping things are still good with your dog? Would love an update!
DeleteHi
ReplyDeleteWe found a vet that's been working with bulldogs for 35 years he has given us x3 injections a day for next 5 days and shown us how to do it so the little man do's not have to go back every day..we also went and brought a oxygen mechine took 3 hours each way to get it but my god it was worth it..put it on him sat night for 1 hour the amount of rubbish that came up was un -real..still using the vic sniff stick and 30 mins after he had his oxygen treatment he eat 1/4 tin off wet dog food and 3 Chicken balls Whitch he loves..it's now Monday morning he still rattles when he 1st wakes up but charms down within 5 mins still sleeping a lot but is a lot more with us got my 1st tail wagg and lick this morning best feeling ever..we no it's going to be a very hard few weeks but worth ever sleepless night..
We believe he is on the mend going to take a while but he is worth waiting for..
Thank you for listening you would not believe how much it has help..
Simon England
Simon -I'm so glad to hear you've found a bulldog expert vet! Once your little guy is feeling better, you can talk about the surgeries Shelby mentioned. Also, all the other things she mentioned will help keep your pup from getting sick again hopefully. Also - we REALLY limited Stella's playtime, or any time in the heat. Basically if her tongue was out - it was time for a "time-out". She also had the palette surgery and the sacules removed, and had her nostrils widened. That all helped her stay healthier and live a longer more healthy life than she would have without them. Of course, any surgery has to be very carefully done so stick with expert vets who know to watch for airway swelling post surgery, etc. We are all sending positive energy to you and your family, please keep us posted and good luck!
DeleteI have a 18 month old bulldog. It was all going well till he was 6 months old and he started with the mucus to the state where he collapses which is horrible to see. Hes been for a heart scan all is ok there. We thought it had gone and he was ok but hes started doing it again. Any ideas what it could be? Vets have said its not soft pallete. It hasnt happened in the last year so why does anyone think its happened again? We are from England and to be honest ive not got 100% confidence in the vets. I just want my baby boy to be ok.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what is happening. Have they Xrayed his lungs and trachea, to see what could be going on there? Suddenly collapsing sounds like it could be a seizure, too. Can you tell us some more details of exactly what happens? Also I'm sure there are good bulldog vets in England, you just might have to travel far, but it would be worth it. Good luck with your baby!
DeleteHello, I know this is mostly about bulldogs, but I have a pug that is 9 weeks old and having the same problem. Last weekend I took her to the emergency room, and I was told she has pneumonia. They kept her overnight in an oxygen cage and on antibiotics. The next day I picked her up they sent her home with antibiotics and something for allergies. Well Tuesday I took her to another vet due to her breathing hard again. This new vet told me there was no hope for her and I should just do the right thing and euthanize her. I was thinking in tears and could not believe what I was hearing. So I took her back to the emergency room and ask the vet why she didn't tell me this the first time. She said she wants to see if it's because of the pneumonia, once it clears we can decide from there. I agree with her. Any advice from someone that has experienced this? Thank you.
ReplyDeleteYvonne - stick with your ER vet. If she can recover from the pneumonia and grow - her trachea might grow too. Also - the only way to know this for sure is via X-rays so if your other vet didn't do X-rays - they can't know if she truly has a small trachea. There are surgeries they can do for smushed faced dogs to help them breath easier (making their pallet shorter, removing nodules from their airways, even widening their nostrils). However, at such a young age - they still have lots of growing to do and no surgery should happen at such a young age. Keep your puppy CALM, cool, and get her through the pneumonia. Then find a new vet as well. Jerk. Best wishes to you and your little puppy - I hope she pulls through and grows out of her problems - many do, but it's tough going. Good luck!
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