Atypical lateral tracheal collapse in a Yorkshire terrier.

A 10-month-old, neutered female Yorkshire terrier was presented with a 6-month history of inspiratory dyspnoea, coughing and exercise intolerance. Tracheoscopy revealed marked lateral-to-lateral fixed collapse of the cervical trachea and mild collapse of the thoracic trachea. Surgical exploration revealed a marked reduction in lateral tracheal width and multiple malformed tracheal rings. Placement of extraluminal ring prostheses around the cervical trachea resulted in widening of the tracheal diameter and an immediate improvement in clinical signs. 6 years postoperatively the patient was reported to have an excellent quality of life with complete resolution of clinical signs.