hi dr jennifer l. fry my family...

Question
hi dr jennifer l. fry my family is a owner of a 9 week old english bulldog who has had kennel cough for 3 days now but is getting worse.we took him to the vet and they told us that his trachea is very small. and the problem is he doesnt have enough air going through.my question is will his trachea get bigger as  he gets older? i just need a second opinion from you because our vet thinks we should put him to sleep. i really need your advice thank you

Answer
If he has kennel cough then he should be placed on antibiotics and cough suppressants for 1-2 weeks until the infection subsides.  Collapsing trachea is common in small breed dogs but not so much in bulldogs, however, these dogs do not have to be put to sleep but they do need to be kept calm, use a harness to walk and sometimes be on special medications long term.  Bulldogs tend to have an enlarged soft palate that can cause difficulty breathing and I would be more inclined to think that could be part of his problem.  I would highly recommend that you take him to another vet for an examination before making any drastic decisions.