Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How common are tracheal collapse and liver shunts in Yorkshire
By Weisse, Chick et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2026·Interventional Radiology and Endoscopy Service, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prevalence of tracheal collapse syndrome, congenital portosystemic shunts, or both in Yorkshire Terriers at one veterinary hospital.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of Yorkshire Terriers was studied to find out how common tracheal collapse syndrome (a condition where the windpipe weakens and can cause breathing problems) and congenital portosystemic shunts (a liver blood flow issue) are in this breed. Out of over 11,000 dogs, about 6.7% had severe tracheal collapse, while only 0.8% had the liver condition. Interestingly, only a few dogs had both issues at the same time. The average age for diagnosis was around 10 years for tracheal collapse and 2.7 years for the liver condition. More research is needed to see if there's a connection between these two health problems in Yorkshire Terriers.
People also search for: Yorkshire Terrier breathing problems · tracheal collapse treatment for dogs · congenital portosystemic shunt symptoms in dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The prevalence of tracheal collapse syndrome (CTCS) and congenital portosystemic shunts (CPSS) in Yorkshire Terriers is poorly characterized. It is conceivable that CPSS could affect the likelihood of CTCS development if the observed prevalence rate of both conditions is lower than the expected prevalence rate based on multiplication of the individual prevalence rates of each condition. ANIMALS: Yorkshire Terriers diagnosed with CTCS, CPSS, or both at the Animal Medical Center (AMC). METHODS: In this cross-sectional, single-institution study, medical records of Yorkshire Terriers were reviewed for patient date of birth, sex, weight, date of last visit, and reported diagnoses of CTCS, CPSS, or both. Medical records were reviewed to confirm the diagnosis of CTCS or CPSS. Observed and expected age-specific prevalence rates were compared within defined age groups. RESULTS: A total of 11 061 Yorkshire Terriers were identified, with 7263 having data for age at last visit available. The observed prevalence of CPSS was 0.8% (93 dogs), severe CTCS was 6.7% (739 dogs), and both conditions were 0.05% (6 dogs). The median age at diagnosis was 2.7 years (interquartile range [IQR], 1.0-5.7) for CPSS and 10.0 years (IQR, 8.0-13.0) for CTCS. The observed age-specific prevalence rate of both conditions (joint) in each age group was similar to the expected joint prevalence rates in each age group. CONCLUSIONS: Further investigation is needed to confirm whether there is a link between CPSS and the development of CTCS in Yorkshire Terriers. Investigation into genetic and physiologic interactions is warranted.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42132355/