In this VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, we discuss the incidence of bacterial infection before and after stent placement in dogs with tracheal collapse. Positive bacterial culture is common in dogs with tracheal collapse (TC), with Pseudomonas spp. most commonly isolated. The role of positive bacterial culture in the pathophysiology of TC is not clear, however, and cytology does not always support an overt infection. Bacterial infection and or pneumonia are known complications associated with tracheal stent placement in dogs. Mucus-filled gaps between tracheal stents and the tracheal mucosa are common. Whether the presence of bacteria impacts the ability of the trachea to fully integrate into the tracheal mucosa is unclear. So, Lesnikowski et al wanted to evaluate this in a study entitled "Bacterial infection before and after stent placement in dogs with tracheal collapse syndrome." The primary purpose of the study was to evaluate the frequency of bacterial infection in dogs with tracheal collapse both before and after stent placement, and whether this correlated to evidence of overt respiratory infection. The authors also hoped to identify risk factors for infection and further characterize the types of infections present. They hypothesized that placement of a tracheal stent would reduce the risk of infections in geriatric dogs and those with traditional-type tracheal collapse (TTC) while increasing this risk in young dogs and dogs with malformation-type tracheal collapse (MTC). TTC was defined as weakened cartilage with flattened lumen. MTC was defined as firm cartilage that is malformed.