Tracheal collapse is a progressive disorder and a common cause of airway obstruction in dogs(1). The trachea, or windpipe, is a 'tube' made up of rings of cartilage. Sometimes these begin to collapse, sometimes to the point of being completly flattened. This affects the air getting to the lungs of the dog and occurs most commonly in smaller breeds.
Signs your dog may be suffereing from Tracheal Collapse:
- Noisy breathing
- Coughing (goose honk)
- Heavy, labored breathing
- Collapsing from 'exhaustion'
Collapsing Trachea occurs because of inefficiency in the nourishment to the supporting tissue. A combination of herbs are used to support the key systems - in particular the muscular, respiratory, and cardiovascular systems, in an attempt to nourish and repair the trachea.
The McDowells Program
The herbs Elecampane, Yarrow and horsetail are all aimed at repairing and building connective tissue.
Cactus and Hawthorn work together both as a heart tonic with the cactus helping the Nerve Plexus and regulating the heart beat and the Hawthorn is a circulation and heart herb specifically.
Valerian is directly aimed at easing muscular tension, which leads to inefficient blood supply. Once the muscles are able to relax, the blood supply increases allowing for healing and repair to occur.
Elecampane helps to increase lung capacity and is the key ingredient that will strengthen the lungs. This along with the Saw Palmetto and Valerian help to build tissue health.
Saw Palmetto is used specifically for building muscle strength.
It is important that you also feed crushed Millet and Linseed (which is included as part of the program) as this also helps with repairing and building connective tissue and provides silica and essential fatty acids.
We believe that by supporting all the systems of the body they will in turn help to strengthen and repair the damage done to the trachea and help to make your dog a more comfortable, healthier and happier dog.
References
(1) Tracheal Collapse in Dogs
https://pets.webmd.com/dogs/tracheal-collapse-dogs
(2) Tracheal Collapse in Dogs: a Complete Guide.
https://ourpetshealth.com/info/tracheal-collapse-in-dogs
