Laryngeal Paralysis - experience?

[Ivoryudx]

For those of you who are, or have been through this with your dog, can you please post what precautions you take now, or what every day life is like living with a dog with this?

SCNRescue has a boy who was just diagnosed with LP, along with thyroid. We've already started treatment for the thyroid, and he had a very serious LP episode last night and is still recovering. I need to know what to tell potential families and what will help his foster family, as we all come up to speed on helping this guy. Of course we're talking to the Vets so I'm looking for your everyday stuff that may seem like common sense, but something we need to make clear to people or something we need to ask the Vets, etc.

Thank You! Good thoughts for Gabe would be much appreciated, as he's really a sweet boy.

 

[DAWNMERIE]

Good thoughts and prayers for Gabe, and I think you may want to talk to Nessa.

 

[Leonard and his bud Snuffles]

Yep, I think Nessa is going to be our resident expert.

 

[wrknnwf]

Susan, talk to Nessa. She has experience with this.

 

[Lori]

There are several on here that have experience with LP. I believe Linda and Barry's Marcus has it also. My Chance had it too.

Sorry to hear Gabe has LP. Glad you got his thyroid checked, as a lot of dogs with LP have thyroid issues. I suspected Chance had LP a while before he was diagnosed. I had mentioned it to his regular vet but they didn't think he had it. It was his cardiologist that diagnosed him while he was getting his heart checked out. He was never scoped because of his heart, but the cardiologist felt he had it with all of his symptoms.

If you could, I would get Gabe's heart checked now also because the breathing issues stress the heart and if there is any existing problem it can be exacerbated by the LP.

Once he gets well from this episode, have they considered the tie back surgery? I've heard many dogs do well with it. There are two Yahoo groups for LP dogs, one is basically a surgical group and the other the Alternative group. The address for LP Alternatives is :

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/LPAlternatives/

There are a bunch of great people on both groups with a lot of support and information, just like NN.

 

[Erika]

no info just prayers and well wishes

 

[M & M's Mom Linda]

Marcus does have it. Diagnosed a few months after he 3rd birthday. We found a wonderful surgeon that specializes in the surgery and he scoped Marcus one year after his original diagnoses and the Lar Par had not progressed.

In his report he stated " The left arytenoid cartilage is positioned midline
and does not abduct with inhalation. The right side adequately abducts
during inhalation. He does have laryngeal paralysis however only on the
left side. Most cases with unilateral paralysis are subclinical therefore, I
do not recommend surgery at this time. I do think the condition will
progress and will eventually require surgery"

We will monitor him constantly and Dr. Glennon will check him often. We
know surgery is in his future and that neurological issues could also be down the road.

So at this point we are taking all the precautions. Bought a wonderful 21,000
BTU AC unit for the kit/family room, have fans going everywhere, have chill
beds and coats. We have seen a chiropractor and used acupuncture which has helped.

The humidity is worse than the heat. Misting Marcus and then running fans on him seems to be the most effective. We keep antibiotics in the house so that we can quickly treat any signs of aspiration Pneumonia (occasionally seen before surgery and about 30% after surgery) as well as tranquilizers to calm him down if he starts an attack. So far, thank goodness we have used neither.

Marcus has had a good summer...even training for his Water Dog title.

I would not hesitate to get the tie-back surgery done if a dog is actively having esposodes...Marcus has never had a full blown Lar Par attack...just the very heavy breathing, less energy and his occasionally "roar".

I belong to both the LP groups...lots of info especially helpful when choosing a surgeon.

Hope all goes well for Gabe...keep us posted.

I would not hesitate getting

 

[aona]

Linda-

Can you tell me the link to the LP group? My 12 year old labrador has LP and wanted to know if there are any other options I should know about. In Reno, there is only one surgeon that does the tie back surgery and his cost is $3500-$4500... ouch!

Thanks!

 

[M & M's Mom Linda]

Alternatives http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/LPAlternatives/

Surgery http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/LP/

 

[Ivoryudx]

Thank you Linda & Lori, I appreciate your input! I'll be sure and send this on to his foster parents, and we'll put our heads together along with the rest of the Rescue Team, and see where this leads. I think we are needing to wait to see if it progresses and not make any sudden decisions about his care. We also need to get through our next Vet consult as we gather more information about his particular prognosis. He needs time for the thyroid med to take effect, and get it leveled out as well as recover from this particular LP episode.

Thanks for all the suggestions of contacting Nessa, I've already read the other threads, including hers, but I know she is a little busy lately, so don't want to intrude. I welcome her input here if she happens by.

 

[AngusMcDubhsMom]

Maneen had it for a year and half before he died. He also had huge heart problems, so he was checked often, but as Linda said, humidity with the heat was his worst times. He was most comfortable in front of the AC, no strenuous exercise (altho the cardiologist said Maneen would "self monitor" and if he was worn or stressed out, he'd stop what he was doing...and he did. ) SO we kept him cool and calm primarily.with heart meds to regulate his heart beat, valve dysfunction, and so on. Sadly the heat wave of last summer was the last straw and we put him down at 10 1/2 when he was collapsing from it all.

 

[Bailey Boy]

Our lab Tootsie has LP, she is a puppy mill survivor having had her vocal cords cut. There is a lot of scar tissue involved with her. We were told by the rescue we adopted her from when she was around 3 yrs to always us a harness, she wears a collar but that is for holding her id only. We were also told to keep her as stress free as possible, cool in the summer and warm in the winter and watch her weight. She will be 12 yrs in October and so far so good. Her food dish is also elevated.

We did some research into the tie back surgery but the risk for her was a little too high for me at the time.