Tracheal Hypoplasia
by Jennie Bullock         Tracheal Hypoplasia is a congenital (present at birth) condition, in which the dog is born with a narrow or underdeveloped trachea.  This restricted trachea does not provide sufficient airflow, during normal breathing, at rest.  Tracheal Hypoplasia most often occurs in brachycephalic (short muzzled) dogs.
        Indications of tracheal hypoplasia include : a chronic "honking" cough, difficulty breathing during exercise, fatigue and even collapse.  Most often tracheal hypoplasia is found in conjunction with other respiratory conditions associated with Brachycephalic Syndrome.
        Currently, there are no treatments available to correct this problem.  There has however, been some success reported using cough suppressants and bronchodilators to reduce the impact of this condition.

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