My puppy has a narrowed trachea. Is it congenital and won't get worse?

Question

My puppy had an X-ray that showed a very slightly narrowed trachea. She rarely coughs and acts completely normal. The vet told us he thinks she was just born like that and it's not getting worse, or that the X-ray was at a weird angle and made it look narrowed. Is this possible? Could she have been born that way? And it won't get worse? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed | 1 year and 10 months old | 9 lbs

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

Yes, it's very possible that Norah may have been born with a slightly narrowed trachea. This is called a hypoplastic trachea - it's most common in English bulldogs and other short-nosed breeds, but can occur in any breed. Many dogs never have any symptoms or problems at all, and the tracheal size sometimes increases a bit as the puppy grows. Dogs with this problem can sometimes have trouble tolerating heat or intense exercise because they can't pant as effectively, so it would be a good idea to keep an eye on her when it's hot out to make sure she isn't distressed. Obesity can also make this problem worse, so make sure that Norah stays nice and slim. Otherwise, if she's not showing any symptoms of a problem, there's no reason that she can't have a perfectly normal life with no issues at all.

My puppy has a narrowed trachea. Is it congenital and won't get worse?

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