Abstract
An eight-year-old male Chihuahua was presented for evaluation of coughing and dyspnea at rest. The dog was diagnosed with severe cervical and thoracic tracheal collapse and bilateral atrioventricular valve regurta-tion. Medical management was initiated to alleviate respiratory distress, and ten days after the first admission, the collapsed cervical trachea was surgically dilated using extratracheal parallel loop line prostheses (PLLP). Cli nical signs such as dyspnea and coughing improved markedly after operation, although a mild cough persisted. The result obtained in this case suggests that severe tracheal collapse may be successfully treated by surgical intervention using PLLP even in middle-to old-aged dogs, if the collapse exists primarily in the cervical portion.
