Tracheal constriction in a growing dog

A six-month-old neutered male German shepherd dog/husky cross was presented for investigation of a progressive dyspnoea and regurgitation. A circumferential cervical wound had been identified and closed following debridement by the primary care veterinarian when the dog was three months old. There was an extraluminal tracheal compression on radiographs. Surgical exploration revealed a plastic band tied and embedded in the dorsal musculature of the neck. The band had been increasingly constricting the trachea and the oesophagus ventrally as the animal grew. Segmental tracheal resection and anastomosis and removal of the band and associated scar tissue resulted in sustained resolution of clinical signs.