Laryngeal paralysis...

I have written before re my 4 year old boxer. sorry for this long post but please bear with me as I really need your help, experience and advice...

Thor has been poorly now for about 11 months. We now have some diagnoses for the majority of symptoms but have had to go to vets this am as he has been coughing...

He has a neurological movement disorder (diagnosed by neurologist along with mri scan of brain)..he is on vivitonin for this which helps oxygen get to the brain. After an "episode" he is noise sensitive and sensitive around his head and neck. Vet put him on selgian which helps calm him down and also enhances the vivitonin effects.

He has copd/asthma in his airways with major lung thickening in both lungs. He is on Bricanyl for this which opens up his airways.

He is hypothyroid...has regular thyroid blood tests. Last test showed meds needed upping but vet very reluctant to tamper with his drug regieme as all has been well.

He is only able to tolerate a 10-15 min walk a day or else he is unable to breathe properly. He sleeps for very long periods. Have been having a lot of 1-2-1 time with him.

The very hot weather on Monday didnt agree with him and I almost took him to vets as thought he was having heat stroke. Thankfully, I was able to cool him down. He then started coughing-mainly in the morning. Freya my cocker spaniel pup hs k.cough at the mo and I thought it was this so after seeing a different vet to usual I came out of vets in tears.

Vet saw that Thors nostrils collapse inwards and he thinks this is due to facial nerve paralysis caused by his neurological probs. He said the rasping noise and snoring is 99% likely due to a laryngeal problem and he thinks Thors larynx will go in to paralysis. Had a quick google and now Im really worried re collapse and emergency surgery (my vet wont GA him or sedate him due to his neurological probs-obviously in an emergency this theory goes out the window!!)...

so..has anyone any advice or experience of this in their or anyones elses dogs...at the moment I cant look at him without crying

I have had no luck with any of my boxers healthwise and the fact that he is 4 years old and should be in the prime of his life just makes me so very upset. He acts like a 12 year old woof....

please can someone wave a magic wand for my boy??

I am afraid I cannot, but I wish you luck, you must feel absolutely helpless at the moment.

My 18month old great dane has been diagnosed with partial laryngeal paralysis (only one side of his larynx is opening correctly)about 8 weeks ago. he has also had all the neurological tests but so far he isnt affected altho they think it will be effected as time goes on so they are monitoring him. he also has oesophagitis which they think irritates his larynx even more.
he hasnt had the operation for the paralysis as they feel as its only one side thats paralysed there isnt need for the operation as they causes more problems after as they are more prone to pneumonia and other problems.

things we have been told to do to help him are to soak his dried food so it is soft and easier to swallow, keep him as cool as possible in the hot weather and not to walk him when it is hot unless its either early morning or late evening when it is cooler. we were told not to walk him on his collar and lead as if he was to pull it could also cause more damage.

I am sorry no magic wand I am afraid.

Ollie had 3 diseases one of which was a polyneuropathy and we now feel along with the neurolgist that treated him this was the cause of the muscle atrophy in his face and head and it can also cause a problem with the larynx. His bark had started to change. Becoming high pitched.

If I remember with all my research Myasthenia Gravis can also cause the larynx problems.

Ducks advice sounds about right.

Keeping everything crossed they can find a solution for him and you.

Laryngeal paralysis can only be diagnosed by a specialist. It cannot be operated on until the disease is at a very progressed stage. The operation is called "tie back" and is usually successful.

Thank you for your thoughts-tis much appreciated...


Im sorry to hear your great dane has this at such a young age too. Thankfully, I already soak his dry kibble, Thor is walked early am (when he is at his best) and we walk him on a harness...not that he pulls but it doesnt restrict his airway...

Thanks Lynn for your reply...I was sorry to read about Ollie, must be so hard for you,esp with posts like mine which bring back sad memories...

Thanks for your post. My vet has put Thor on steroids as he thinks the larynx is "water-logged" and inflammed...my vet said he has done the "tie-back" op quite a few times with a good success. No mention was made as to when the op may be needed so your advice is very helpful to me. I was worried it would be something needing doing soon...


My next question is how slow or rapid is this disease progression?? or is it on an individual basis?? Thanks xx

I was told with my boy it was hard to tell he may stay as he is for a while or it may get worse quickly its different for each dog.

I have PM'd you

I'm sorry to hear about Thor. Although nobody has a magic wand, the body itself can do miraculous things when the right conditions for healing are put in place.

My dog was coughing a couple years ago and rather than having it diagnosed I decided I'd experiment with his diet. This seemed to be a very harmless, conservative approach. If it didn't work, I reckoned, there was always time to go the other route. I had to do some major reworking of the foods I was feeding him but the result was he stopped coughing. I was already home-feeding (raw) but I started feeding less meat, adding more fasting days (water only) and alternated meat days with fruit or veggie (only cooked yams or sweet potatoes) days. He's now 18 and although his eyesight seems to be fading fast, he's not decrepit and has no symptoms other than that.

Diet may seem unrelated to a problem like Thor's, but when you consider that every cell in a dog's body is constructed from what he eats, it becomes apparent how important it is to feed the right foods. It may be true that some breeds are more disposed to certain problems than others, but this does not cause the disease, it only determines where in the body disease will strike if the causes (generally, waste and internal pollution) are there.

Vets have partnered with the pet food industry so they don't generally share the truth about the harm commercial foods do. You really have to strike out on your own, like I did, in order to discover how much potential healing your dog could do if he was fed properly. It's not complicated or mysterious or even expensive, if it's done right. I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have (here or privately) if you'd like to give it a try.

Best wishes,
Nora

My heart goes out to you ... My Leo had Diagnosed LP and its a distressing condition, this time of year is horrendous for them and the only way I could reduce the knock on affects was to keep a cool damp towel on him, a fan on in the house and ice cubes in his water, I was told the cold ice would help open the air ways .... the best advice is that from the specialist who has diagnosed your boy .... I was very lucky to have a very understanding & helpful team involved with my boy .... have to say even through the winter I had to have fans on and windows open for him

As for progression its generally down to each individual dog and I too worried about its progression and kept a constant close eye on him for the tiniest of changes but was told he could/should only have a 'tie back' in an emergency situation