Pomeranian trachea collapse

This posting is for Pomeranian owners wondering what to due with a
collapsed trachea in their pom.
I recently experianced the problem with my pom and
found out there is a proceedure at the university of minnesota vet school
for inlarging the breathing way. It involves placing stainless steel tubes
in the trachea to expand the walls of the trachea to allow more air
volume. If the broncials leading to the lungs are collasping I beleive
they use even more tubues to hold them open. Coughing may continue but at
lease your dog is getting air. they also use cough medicine to alleivate
the coughing promblem that may be present. Operation cost $2,400 to $3,500
depending how bad.