Pet Forum / Miscellaneous / Animal Health / March 2008

I have a 4 year old teacup Yorkie who has had more than her fair share
of medical issues. At this point in time she has had a portasystemic
shunt that she had surgery for at age 2, she has had pancreatitis/
gastritis right before turning 3, and then last spring she had
"idopathic vestibular disease" or so the vet says. She recovered from
all of her sypmtoms in the approriate time frame, and has been seemily
normal ever since.

Ever since she recovered from the "idopathic vestibular disease" she
has had an "snarffling" issue, it is recurring but not always there.
It does not get worse when she exercises, sometimes its better,
sometimes it is worse. There are times when she seems to be trying to
hack something up but nothing has ever come up. She is ok, and her
quality of life is good. She still plays and is just as happy as she
always was, but I am concerned.

I know it is not a collapsed treacha because I do not use a lease with
her, the vet suggested nasal bugs, but she has no discharge, and in
all honesty I have lost all faith in my vet.

I used to be a smoker, and Chloe did sit in my lap when I drove. So
part of me wonders if I, heaven forbid, gave her lung cancer,
emphysema (although my father said this does not display symptoms like
this, but he's a doctor not a vet) or possibly asthma?

I can not make her go through another surgery, she also had a hearnia
repaired when she was spayed, and I also can not afford another
surgery.

Does anyone have any ideas or thoughts on what this may be?

Any help would be wonderful and greatly appreciated.