Help Needed! Desperate for help!! 4 mo old EB with severe hypoplastic trachea

[Izzy's Mom]

I am late to this thread... sorry been MIA. Doctor Dikeman at Brittmoore Animal Hospital is highly specialized in bulldogs. I recommend him more than I recommend my own doctor! Let me know if you need a number if you good their name you can find contact information.

Thank ya'll for the support and prayers, they are greatly appreciated! I'll try to go back and answer the questions, and yes, I'll be happy to give any and all info I have to help others if they are ever in this situation as well...

1. No, his 1st vet was for his puppy shots, he was taken there when he was in distress, who then referred him to the emergency clinic. When we brought him home that evening, we immediately got online to look it up and did find a bully specialist vet in our area here in TX. He's seeing Dr. Keith French at Bear Branch Vet Hospital in the Woodlands...So we made the appointment and we've been taking him there ever since. That vet has sent off his xrays to a specialist as well who doesn't think his trachea will grow with him during a growth spurt.

2. Yes we've spoken to his breeder, before I got that last xray with the measurements of his trachea, they were surprised because they said the vet he seen for his health check to fly here was excellent, which was the day before he flew here to TX. They say if we send him back they will refund the money, but he is not medically able to fly back, it would kill him, and even driving 30 mins to the vet stresses him out, so that's not an option either, he's under strict limitations of no heat, no stress, no over playing etc. All of which will cause him to have more breathing issues. The breeder says this is the first time they have ever had this happen. I've messaged the breeder since we got the xrays yesterday with the measurements of his trachea etc... haven't heard back from them yet.

3. No we don't put any collars on him, we have a harness, which we've been using since day 1, before we knew of these issues but especially now because of that.

I'm writing the following for ya'lls info and as well as for anyone else who has/will be/or is going through this...

These are the antibiotics are baby has been on for the last month.. mind you he's been going every week for the last month, so his meds have been changed weekly basically..
Clavamox - on for 1 month, just took him off yesterday to switch to a different one.
Baytril - had to take him off of that after 2-3 days due to vomiting and pooping bad
Doxycycline - handled that one ok
Gentocin - used in the nebulizer - did really well on that

Yesterday we did the switch off of Clavamox so this is this weeks cycle of meds
Gentocin - nebulizer
Convenia Injection
Orbax...

Along with all of that, he's also taking albuterol via the nebulizer, we've done Pulmicort in nebulizer, he's taken Theophylline chews and on cough syrup as well as Children's Mucinex.. He's also been on Apoquel 1 time before and again this week for itchy spots on the back of his neck.. We live in TX, and with all the flooding and rain we've had, there's been alot of skeeter and biting gnats... we think that may be what's been biting him.

Along with that they say put him in a bathroom with a hot shower going, we can't do that, that makes him too hot so we have the vaporizer going for him. We do lemon juice to help him get the phlegm up and out.. We do the coupage to help break up the congestion in his lungs and help him to get it up and out.

We will do everything we can possibly do to help this sweet little guy out! My family is very much all animal overs.. This sweet little EB baby is 1 of 7 dogs we have in our home.. No not all bullies, but each and every one of them are precious and are my children, just have fur and 4 legs!

Our vet, the bully specialist, loves this little guy, and he's hoping for a miracle and hoping he defies the odds and proves him wrong with him saying that there's not much we can do.. That his trachea probably won't grow with him. Last week he was doing much better, was 1/2 as congested as he was before, was actually playing, was happy to see everyone at the vets (he LOVES people) and was barking for the first time in weeks, although his little voice was hoarse from all the coughing he's done, but he was barking, he was being a puppy! So the vet as well as ourselves were worried at how the change came, he was doing so well... Today he's actually alittle better, thank the Lord! He is still wanting to rest alot, but after his lunch (we had to wake him up, and it was after his normal lunch time, but he needs the rest), he wanted to play alittle, which we were happy to see him want to play! He's always giving kisses, no matter how bad he feels, he's very loving and loves people... So if there's anyone else out there that has any ideas or suggestions on what we could do to help out this precious little one, please feel free to tell me, we want to do everything we can to help him! He deserves that and so much more!!

 

[Jenni23]

I'm super late to this thread, but I have been going through the exact same thing with my 5 month old female, Gigi. She has had pneumonia since February and we have just now turned the corner with her. I actually had to find a vet who was very experienced with English Bulldogs. Once I did find him, she got the right treatment and has been improving everyday. She did have a minor set back with a UTI, but we're getting over that. Her new vet put her on doxycycline twice daily, also a z-pack. She started out on clavamox and baytril, and neither of those did anything for her. We have a nebulizer and she was given albuterol only when she seemed to have a very hard time breathing, the rest of the time it was distilled water. I do keep a diffuser with essential oils going all the time, it has eucalyptus and peppermint in it. The essential oils seemed to help a lot! Oh yeah and also she has a severe hypo plastic trachea. It makes it hard for them to cough up all that stuff, but she's doing great and I think your boy will get there too, it's just a LONG road, especially if you don't have a bulldog knowledgable vet.

 

[rjisaterp]

[MENTION=15852]Whoababy23[/MENTION] How is your Bentley doing today? I am still sending you prayers and positive vibes. Our Jewel and Bentley say hello to Bentley as well keeping their paws crossed.


I applaud [MENTION=2]bullmama[/MENTION] 's working hypothesis and data gathering. I wish you well in your work.

 

[Whoababy23]

Hi Everyone,
Wanted to give alittle update on our Mr. Bentley, as many have asked, as well as answer a few questions that a few members have asked via private message...

First, Bentley is ok.. he had a few "good" days but here comes the pneumonia back to rear it's ugly head.. It's never fully went away, just gets somewhat better then comes back again. On his weekly vet visits 1 week he will be really bad then the following week he will be "1/2" better, not as congested sounding but never completely over it, not once since April 7th. On his "good" days, he will try to play, try to be a "normal" puppy, but HIS "normal" is not what you would see in an actual "normal" puppy. How can he do things "normal" when he's only being able to breathe through something that is way way smaller than a drinking straw... only 3 millimeters in diameter..

For my family, it's no different than when I volunteered and worked with disabled/special needs children.. Each one of them, their "normal" was different depending on their disabilities. Bentley's "normal"/good days are different than any one of my other dogs (remember there are 7 total). So his "play" may be quite different than what you picture in your mind, considering I can bet you a zillion dollars that what you are picturing in your mind is a "normal" puppy playing. If you remember the picture I posted of Bentley and my yorkie playing.. Bentley is sitting on his rear, holding a stuffed carrot toy in his mouth while the yorkie is trying to take it away from him... Our other dogs bring toys over TO him and try and get him to play with them. Yes, on his little walk in the late evening when it's cool, so we can try and get him alittle exercise he took a roll in the mud, I think that's what just about any dog would do!

Second, a few people have messaged me asking me to explain Bentley's trachea.. I'll explain it the way the vet explained it to us... Trachea's are shaped like the letter C ... The shape of the C is made up of cartilage, kinda like our noses are made up of cartilage, kinda hard type of tissue... Then where the 2 points of the letter C are.. from point down to point is a softer type of tissue.. Well with dogs that have severe hypoplastic trachea they really don't have that soft type of tissue, so their trachea's are made up mainly of cartilage, which generally doesn't grow as much as the softer type of tissue would, hence the reason they say that the trachea won't grow. Bentley's trachea is smaller than any of the trach tubes they use to intubate a cat who has a small trachea as well. Like I mentioned, it's way way smaller than the size of a drinking straw, and that's what he is trying to breath with.. Now add pneumonia on top of that... Congestion, mucous, phlegm all trying to be coughed up and out of that teeny tiny little trachea.. He has a VERY hard time doing that, it gets stuck in there and he loses his breath and falls over and collapses trying to catch his breath.. This is way different than a collapsing trachea. Bentley due to his severe trachea issues will have chronic chronic pneumonia for the rest of his life, which from all the vets and specialist will be a short life..

Third, many many many of you have asked if his breeder is aware of everything going on with Bentley.. I can assure you that she is.. As a matter of fact she's been reading our posts on this forum. I know she's been forwarded all of Bentley's records and xrays, and we are still waiting for her to take them to her vet to get them reviewed and get his/her opinion on them. This would give us peace of mind and in our opinion it would give her peace of mind as well. By knowing if it's something that is genetic and being bred into these puppies by certain dogs. No different than a breeder breeding a dog with severe underbite, generally a good breeder won't do that, it doesn't represent the breed well. So I'm hoping that she will do that, take his records to her vet and then forward his report to us, like we've had Bentley's vet records forwarded to her. We've been very respectful and have not once stated her name or her business name of her dog breeding business.

Please continue to pray for Bentley.... We will continue to do everything we can to help this little baby, to give him the best fighting chance! He deserves that and so much more! Pray that he gets over this pneumonia which seems to have taken up residence and we are trying to send it eviction notices! ha ha Pray that he has "good" days and that they will be far more than his bad days! I thank you all in advance for the prayers and well wishes for Mr. Bentley!

 

[Jenni23]

What antibiotics is Bentley currently taking? You may have said earlier in the thread, but I haven't gone back and looked. Also has your vet or specialist recommended a respiratory panel? Gigi had one and they just take some swabs from the back of the throat and the eyes and send it off to test for different respiratory illnesses, it covers a lot! We found out that the illnesses that were causing her pneumonia, were bordetella and canine adeno virus 2. This was how we knew the doxycycline and zpack would work. Her doctor said it probably started all because she had a intranasal bordetella vaccine, and Bulldogs should never have that vaccine in the nose. Was he given a bordetella vaccine in her nose? Gigi also has the extremely small trachea, and she was able to get through it and as she has grown, it seems to be less of an issue.

 

[Whoababy23]

Bentley has been on...

Clavamox
Baytril
Doxycycline
Gentocin
Convenia Injection
Orbax
Theophylline
Albuterol Ampules
Pulmicort Ampules
Prescription cough syrup
Children's Mucinex
Apoquel
Betagen Spray
Trifexis

He's about to go on Amikacin via nebulizer, waiting on it, the vet ordered it and it hasn't came in yet, and probably other antibiotics again. He's been on 3 different antibiotics at a time, generally. No the vet hasn't recommended a respiratory panel. He did mention previously about a trachea wash, but after seeing just how small Bentley's trachea is, he said he doesn't think that is a good idea now. No Bentley didn't get any bordetella vaccine, at first I thought he did, but reviewing his vet records he didn't, it was my yorkie who we had just gotten 2 weeks before him she had the bordetella vaccine. Attached you will see a picture of the size of just how small 3MM's is.. That is the size of Bentley's trachea.. you will then understand how even a swab in the back of the throat could cause issues for him...We have to be very careful with his food, everything due to the size of his trachea. From everything I've read and researched and heard from the vets, it's a chore just for him to breathe and get oxygen in, considering how small it is.. that puts a strain on his other organs, his heart etc. So we have to keep a close eye on all of that as well, much less the side effects of the meds, as some of them can affect his kidneys and cause him to go deaf. It's a tough battle, and we are fighting it with everything we can, to help Bentley. Like I told the vet, jokingly, but wish it could happen.. I joked and said too bad we couldn't inject growth hormones in his trachea, and the vet said he wished there was such a thing as a trachea transplant! The last several days, he's not eating like he normally does, he gets dry food soaked in water and then alittle can food mushed up to make a gravy to pour onto the dry softened food.. He's coughing more, sounds more congested and wanting to sleep more than he had in the previous days. So we are hoping and praying that when the new antibiotics are in that they will kick this pneumonia's butt and evict it from Bentley's chest where it seems to have taken up residence!
Thank ya'll for the continued prayers and support, it is greatly appreciated! Bentley sends his thanks as well, by offering slobbery kisses!

 

[2BullyMama]

Bentley has been on...

Clavamox
Baytril
Doxycycline
Gentocin
Convenia Injection
Orbax
Theophylline
Albuterol Ampules
Pulmicort Ampules
Prescription cough syrup
Children's Mucinex
Apoquel
Betagen Spray
Trifexis

He's about to go on Amikacin via nebulizer, waiting on it, the vet ordered it and it hasn't came in yet, and probably other antibiotics again. He's been on 3 different antibiotics at a time, generally. No the vet hasn't recommended a respiratory panel. He did mention previously about a trachea wash, but after seeing just how small Bentley's trachea is, he said he doesn't think that is a good idea now. No Bentley didn't get any bordetella vaccine, at first I thought he did, but reviewing his vet records he didn't, it was my yorkie who we had just gotten 2 weeks before him she had the bordetella vaccine. Attached you will see a picture of the size of just how small 3MM's is.. That is the size of Bentley's trachea.. you will then understand how even a swab in the back of the throat could cause issues for him...We have to be very careful with his food, everything due to the size of his trachea. From everything I've read and researched and heard from the vets, it's a chore just for him to breathe and get oxygen in, considering how small it is.. that puts a strain on his other organs, his heart etc. So we have to keep a close eye on all of that as well, much less the side effects of the meds, as some of them can affect his kidneys and cause him to go deaf. It's a tough battle, and we are fighting it with everything we can, to help Bentley. Like I told the vet, jokingly, but wish it could happen.. I joked and said too bad we couldn't inject growth hormones in his trachea, and the vet said he wished there was such a thing as a trachea transplant! The last several days, he's not eating like he normally does, he gets dry food soaked in water and then alittle can food mushed up to make a gravy to pour onto the dry softened food.. He's coughing more, sounds more congested and wanting to sleep more than he had in the previous days. So we are hoping and praying that when the new antibiotics are in that they will kick this pneumonia's butt and evict it from Bentley's chest where it seems to have taken up residence!
Thank ya'll for the continued prayers and support, it is greatly appreciated! Bentley sends his thanks as well, by offering slobbery kisses!

View attachment 98675

Continuing to send lots or prayers your way.... give Bently hugs and kisses from us