what are the indications of a collapsed trachea or a enlongated palete

[pugman2]

my pug has been doing a reverse sneeze a couple of times a day the last few days nothing else out of the ordinary. the only other time he has done this previously is if he was eating too fast and got a piece stuck

[pugtown]

One of my fosters would have this "fog horn" sounding cough. And the cough was not from being ill. Some theophylline and weight loss made it go away. He was 10 yrs at the time.

[CountryPug]

Loud breathing, coughing and exercise intolerance.

[lbgrrl]

I dont think reverse sneezing is indicative of it--I hope not as Bea does that once in a while. It scared the crap out of me the first time I heard it. She did it in her crate at night. Now that she sleeps in my bed, I havent heard it since. It was probably part of her evil plan.

[DantePugs]

Reverse sneezing is indicative of elongated soft palate (ESP). Many many Pugs have ESP to varying degrees of mild to severe and anything in between. Your vet can tell you how severe it is. Collapsed trachea is a whole different story and the symptoms usually get progressively worse over time as it's a degenerative health problem. Difficulty breathing though not what you would see in a panting Pug that is just hot, excited or temporarily out of breath after activity is a common symptom. It's more like they'll just start breathing heavily and more labored than normal even when they're just laying down or sitting down. Pugs with collapsing trachea usually have difficulty settling into a position that allows them to breath more easily so they shift a lot, getting up and sitting down often etc. Tricky stuff to spot with all the weird breathing ways of Pugs, but if there is a concern about either of these issues, a trip to the vet would be wise.

[shaynapug]

Reverse sneezing is not a sign of it! My Kelev would do it terribly at times...and he was fine breathing wise!

[MopsMeister]

Both of my pugs have partially collapsed tracheas. (Both from the same father & mother but 4 years apart). The first clue I had was when Buddy began making what I called "goose honking" noises when he got excited. I worried that he had swallowed something or was choking so off we went at warp speed to the Vet clinic. The Vet's X-Ray was amazingly clear (it even stunned the Vet) and showed where a good sized section, around an inch to inch and a half, was 50% collapsed. The initial and very simple treatment that the Vet suggested was that Buddy take a 25mg Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride daily to minimize the chances of his getting overly excited since that's what seemed to instigate his honking.

I did this for a few weeks but then stopped. That was about 3 years ago and since then he has not had that honking fit again. I'm not sure what has changed but he's been fine so...knock on wood.

[Lola's Mum]

Sometimes pugs can make the honking sound after they drink water too fast...

[zach119]

My pug just had his soft palate resected,and nares widened on monday.When I had him checked,the Vet sd that his loud snoring was an indicator of ESP.His nose is still swollen from the suregery,and does have a congested breathing sound when breathing through it,vet assured me that this is normal right after surgery,but the loud snoring has gone away.Vet also told me that his breathing attacks when he got excited,or ate and drank too fast,and the honking sound is a good indicator of ESP.The Elongated Soft Palete was partially blocking his airways,and could stretch and get worse over time.If it isn't corrected,could damage his larnyx,and lead to a shorter life span.

Don't mean to scare you,but it can lead to serious problems,but can be corrected.Pesonally I think the loud snoring is probaly the best indicator,since it has gone away with my pug,right after surgery.As far as the other indicators my vet told me,I will find out more after he has recovered,but so far no more honking sounds,and breathing attacks after getting excited,but still too early to tell.

The total procedure with the ESP and nares cost $1,016.43,here in Oklahoma City,not including the heartworm test,and bordetella vacc I had to have done before surgery.My vet referred me to a Vet Hospital that is more equipped and experienced in doing these procedures,especiall the ESP resection.So as a pug owner,it is best to have it checked out by a vet,preferably by one that has alot of experience with these issues.

I hope it is nothing major,and wish you well.

[DantePugs]

Good advice Zach and I'm happy to hear your Pug is doing well! I'm also glad to hear you have what sounds like a very good vet, who has the smarts and integrity to know his or her own surgical skill limitations. I've heard many stories over the years about vets who underestimated the degree of difficulty of ESP surgery, often with bad results.

The history of reverse sneezing is that it's a made up phrase that was coined by someone with a short nose breed of dog to describe what they witnessed when they saw it and then it was repeated over and over and over again by owners of other short nosed breeds of dogs. The internet has somehow helped turn reverse sneezing into it's very own medical issue, but it's not that at all. It's a symptom of a breathing problem that is beyond what would be considered normal for a breed, and the prime indicator of ESP. It can be and sometimes is a symptom of other breathing maladies but the overwhelming majority of times, it's caused by some degree of ESP. You're absolutely correct about the potential for long term damage, which is one reason beyond quality of life that vets recommend surgery for cases of ESP that are diagnosed as severe and sometimes even moderate as well.