Esophagus or Trachea Injury - Dog

[JenniferC]

Piper is 12 month old American Brittany. On Thurs 4.29 she pulled very hard on her leash and afterwards she did the dog thing where they hawk and make noise because I suppose they cut off air supply. We usually walk her on a harness because she pulls but this was a quick potty outside in the rain and she was only wearing her collar. She seemed fine after that. The next day I noticed that when she vocalized at all or deep sniffed that she made the hawking sound for several seconds as if something was stuck in her throat. I assumed that she injured her trachea or esophagus. Her BEAM was fine and she ate and drank normally. I palpated around her neck and she did not have any noticeable pain. She woke up at 11 last night and made the noise and then she spit up some clear stomach fluid. She is not gagging or coughing and this is not vomiting. This is the hawking action and sound. She went back to sleep and slept until 5 and then made hawking sound for a longer period and did not cough up any fluid. She is sleepy and I have not offered her breakfast yet. Her BEAM seems normal for her in the morning. I am trying to figure out if I am missing something or if I am correct to see this as a mechanical injury. I have been giving her Arnica 30 from this assumption that she has swelling. My plan is to keep evaluating her and if things change for worse take her to Emergency Vet or if she has not improved to take her to our regular vet (non-holistic unfortunately as there is no one within 3 hours of me) for evaluation. I am assuming that she will take an x-ray and probably offer steroids and anti-inflammatories but at least I would have a diagnosis to work with. Trying to determine if I am proceeding correctly. Does anyone have experience with this? Thank you.

 

[Dr. Sara]

Dear Jennifer,
Puppies can be pretty goofy, and Piper likely bruised her trachea when she pulled. I have seen this in puppy patients, and it generally responds well to symptomatic treatment. Actual physical damage is highly unlikely - dogs who are tied out cause damage by lunging to the end of a tie out line; your body is far more elastic.

When Piper coughed and gagged in response to the bruised trachea, she irritated the delicate lining of her trachea and pharynx (back of the throat). In addition to mechanical bruising, the current high pollen levels in much of the country are likely also irritating the delicate mucosal lining of the trachea.

Arnica 30 C is an appropriate trauma treatment. If it does not seem to be helping, Bellis could be a good second choice for delicate tissues.

There are other comfort measures that you can take:
Teas with demulcent herbs (slippery elm, marsh mallow), like Traditional Medicinals Throat Coat tea, can be prepared according to the package, allowed to cool slightly, and offered. Many dogs will drink them straight, others need it to be mixed with a bit of warm broth to enhance acceptance. Demulcents soothe irritated tissues.
See if a cool pack (bag of peas wrapped in a cloth, or a gel pack wrapped in a cloth) is soothing when applied to the front of her neck and throat. This can be applied for 5 to 10 minutes a few times a day.

Do work on teaching Piper to walk without pulling, even on a harness. Brittanies are strong little dogs, and it will be nicer for all of you if she learns to walk calmly. Positive training, with lots of treats for loose leash walking, and standing still when she pulls, will help. A positive reinforcement trainer will help teach you how to teach Piper gently and effectively.
Stay well,
Dr. Sara

 

[JenniferC]

Th

Dear Jennifer,
Puppies can be pretty goofy, and Piper likely bruised her trachea when she pulled. I have seen this in puppy patients, and it generally responds well to symptomatic treatment. Actual physical damage is highly unlikely - dogs who are tied out cause damage by lunging to the end of a tie out line; your body is far more elastic.

When Piper coughed and gagged in response to the bruised trachea, she irritated the delicate lining of her trachea and pharynx (back of the throat). In addition to mechanical bruising, the current high pollen levels in much of the country are likely also irritating the delicate mucosal lining of the trachea.

Arnica 30 C is an appropriate trauma treatment. If it does not seem to be helping, Bellis could be a good second choice for delicate tissues.

There are other comfort measures that you can take:
Teas with demulcent herbs (slippery elm, marsh mallow), like Traditional Medicinals Throat Coat tea, can be prepared according to the package, allowed to cool slightly, and offered. Many dogs will drink them straight, others need it to be mixed with a bit of warm broth to enhance acceptance. Demulcents soothe irritated tissues.
See if a cool pack (bag of peas wrapped in a cloth, or a gel pack wrapped in a cloth) is soothing when applied to the front of her neck and throat. This can be applied for 5 to 10 minutes a few times a day.

Do work on teaching Piper to walk without pulling, even on a harness. Brittanies are strong little dogs, and it will be nicer for all of you if she learns to walk calmly. Positive training, with lots of treats for loose leash walking, and standing still when she pulls, will help. A positive reinforcement trainer will help teach you how to teach Piper gently and effectively.
Stay well,
Dr. Sara

Thank you for all the information and confirmation! I actually switched to Bellis and she has improved greatly. I have both the herbs and will make the teas. We have done a lot of loose leash training, but when she sees a bird it all goes out the window. She does pack a punch for 31 pounds! Thanks again.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

It's fantastic to hear that Piper is doing better after getting homeopathic Bellis!

Were there any guiding symptom clues that you saw which others can look for if their pet has an injury and Arnica doesn't help enough?

 

[JenniferC]

It's fantastic to hear that Piper is doing better after getting homeopathic Bellis!

Were there any guiding symptom clues that you saw which others can look for if their pet has an injury and Arnica doesn't help enough?

I knew from a first aid class that Bellis is a helpful remedy for deep tissue injuries and specifically it was mentioned that it helps with seat belt injuries. So I thought about the injury and it was from the leash (similar to seat belt) and the injury was deeper. Also I have a Materia Medica and in the Bellis section on throat it lists huskiness and a heavy cough and her sounds had a deepness and huskiness to them. So deepness seemed to be the key word.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Fantastic Jennifer! The seatbelt injury is a great analogy.