Gidget’s owner brought her to our hospital because she was having difficulty breathing. Her gums were pale and she was weak. Knowing that she has a preexisting heart condition we administered oxygen therapy, and took x-rays to check her heart. She was hospitalized under intensive care, monitored throughout the night by our technicians and treated with oxygen and fluids. She had an echocardiogram with our radiologist who determined that her heart was not the cause of the breathing difficulties. Gidget’s owner came to visit her every day, and after each visit we noticed that Gidget would have more difficulty breathing due to her excitement. Dr. O’Reilly performed a throat exam under sedation and noticed that her laryngeal folds were not working properly. Her larynx was collapsing, preventing air from entering her lungs. He performed a surgery called a permanent tracheostomy which allows her to breathe through a hole in her windpipe, bypassing the collapsed larynx. Now Gidget will have a permanent hole in her trachea that will allow her to breathe. She stayed in the hospital for a few more days after the surgery with technicians taking care of her throughout the night while she got used to breathing differently. Now Gidget is recovering well and is breathing normally. She is enjoying life back home with her siblings and runs to the door to greet her owner when she comes home.
