Does a Soft Palate covering the trachea always mean death ?

minimom1 · Jul 7, 2009

Sorry to keep posting about this on here but I can find very little information about this online.

My 26" yearling who I have been told by a reputable breeder is a minimal dwarf.

When she was about 8 months old she started periodically making this raspy / gargely

breathing noise, but she only did it sometimes.

As she has gotten older and heavier it has gotten a lot worse. The other day I could hear

her from over 10 ft away. It still comes and goes, and I am trying to figure out what triggers it

to get bad. There is no cough but I noticed yesterday she has a milky/creamy discharge in her

nose but it is minimal, just another cause for concern.

My vet told me her soft palate is partially covering her trachea and there is nothing he can do

but that she will be just fine if I keep her fit and dont let her get too heavy and desensitize her

so she does not get stressed easily. He said IF she gets rhino or flu she is at a lot more risk but otherwise it is fine.

That sounds wonderful BUT it is contrary to everything I have read and heard about this

medical problem in dwarfs. It seems most of them get so bad they get put down by the

time they are 2 or 3.

I am concerned because my vet is a large equine/cow vet and admits he does not have much experience with mini's. I trust his opinion on some stuff but when it comes to stuff specific to mini's I wonder sometimes. I live in an area where there are not many mini's so finding a vet within a couple hundred miles that specializes in minis is very tough.

Any advice or information, or just relaying a story that you know of would be helpful.

Also is this problem specific to dwarfs or can normal mini's get it aswell ?

stormy · Jul 7, 2009

My advise would be take him to an equine specialist. I think this is the only way you can really get an answer to this question for your individual animal, all animals are different...surgery may be an option, you need a professional opinion.

sedeh · Jul 7, 2009

My first mini was a dwarf named Buddy that we took because the owner would have put him down otherwise. He developed pneumonia when he was very young and almost died. The vet took x-rays and they showed his trachea had a restriction(smaller area). He required antibiotics, steroids to decrease the inflamation and inhalers but we got him through it. I've never heard of the soft palate covering the trachea.....it does sound like it would occlude their airway and they would die. I'm so sorry you're going through this. The dwarfs are such special little guys. All I can say is have another vet look at him and see what they say. Some dwarfs don't live as long as others. Buddy is still doing well and he's 6 now and went to a friend of mine that had a lonely mini and needed a friend. Edited to add: Buddy also has periodic episodes of choking....usually while eating. I did tell my friend that if Buddy ever got an upper resp infection it would be very serious if not deadly for him.

txminipinto · Jul 7, 2009

You need to consult with a equine soft tissue surgeon. If you have a veterinary teaching hospital nearby that would be a great place to start. It sounds like your mini has a similar problem that most bulldogs have..an elongated soft palate. This can be surgically corrected when a surgeon goes in and shortens the palate. In a horse, it may be a bit challengeing since their oral cavities aren't very wide, but a lazer might be able to reach the tissue. It will cost thousands, but your mini will be much more comfortable.

MinisOutWest · Jul 7, 2009

you hit the nail on the head Carin !!!

~Lisa~ · Jul 7, 2009

Hate to be the one to say this and once again hoping I will be wrong however surgery on a dwarf is pretty risky they do not do well under anesthia. Another issue is truly being able to get in there and do what needs to be done. That is what we were told although that was a few years ago perhaps advances have been made.

I would have to say I have not seen a horse go a long life with this simply due to the fact that what is partially covering today will eventually fully cover or almost fully cover as she grows and matures which is why many do not live long with this condition it does tend to get worse with age and yes any upper respitory illness will only make it worse.

With our girl it was not that the soft palate was elongated it was at the time but it was the growth pattern in her actual skull and jaw that was the issue and it would not have been a one time surgery in the surgeons opinion

I do not know if regular minis can get this I do know I was told it was due to the shape fo the head and the jaw. If there is a local equine hosptial in your area I would start there and see what they can tell you. It will not be cheap but I know with our little dwarf we were very lucky and many fo the vets and surgeons donated a lot of their time to help her of course we still had close to 10,000 in vet bills with her by the time all was said and done

your doing the right thing looking and researching I know it is hard when you are dealing with something not particularly common in horses

txminipinto · Jul 7, 2009

One of the reasons I recommended a teaching hospital as they have anesthesiologists on staff. The issue with dwarves (as a former anesthesia technician - actually co-authored a text book chapter on mini horse anesthesia) is capturing an airway. They can have tracheal issues that make intubation difficult. It is possible they may have to do a tracheotomy (cut into the trachea through the neck) and intubate in that fashion. Sounds and looks horrible, but actually heals very fast. Regardless, if you go to a specialist, they have all the toys and whistles (as well as knowledgable staff and faculty) to ensure a safe anesthetic experience.