My dog's laryngeal paralysis surgery failed. Should I try again?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Is gunner better with just one side being done? If he is then leave him be and see how he does. I think that you did the best thing for him that you could. Your Vet wouldn't have done the procedure if they didn't think it was the right thing to do. Even if his breathing is noisy as long as he isn't over heating you probably did improve his quality of life. Just be careful on hot humid days, he shouldn't be outside long. If he starts getting noisy and distressed looking hose him down with cool water, bring him indoors and put a box fan on him. You can also ask your vet for sedatives to keep him calm during events that make him anxious so he won't go in to respiratory distress. I hope this helps and I wish you and Gunner the very best!

Hello, sorry to hear about Blue. Laryngeal paralysis is a disease in which the arterytinoid cartilages of the larynx have a decreased function or completely stop moving. These cartilages are moved via contraction of the muscles that are innarvated by the recurrent laryngeal nerve. Several reasons may cause this nerve to stop working and thus lead to laryngeal paralysis. Causes include trauma, a neck mass, hypothyroidism, or most commonly we cannot determine a cause and it’s termed idiopathic. Complications from having laryngeal paralysis include coughing, voice tone changes, and respiratory obstruction that could lead to death. The tie back procedure permanently tacks one of these aretynoid cartilages in an open position. The surgery relieve respiratory distress and most often decreases or stops the coughing all together. The surgery itself is very successful, however you pet permanently had an increased risk of aspiration pneumonia. Any signs of coughing warrant an evaluation by a veterinarian and chest x-rays. Your dog will not be allowed to swim and should be kept in a low stress, low exercise environment to avoid him getting worked up or inhaling water while swimming as his air way will be permanently partially open. Hope this helps and I wish Blue a speedy recovery

Laryngeal paralysis can only be addressed surgically. There are no medications that can treat this disease. I suspect that the Previcox and food prescribed were for arthritis and joint pain. I am not sure what the follow up visit would entail. Speak with your veterinarian to determine exactly what he intends to do as part of the follow up visit and to assess if his recommendations can be postponed.

I am not sure of your location, but also make sure to check Dexter thoroughly for the presence of ticks. Tick paralysis can present in a similar fashion and is typically non-painful. Removal of the tick and supportive care results in a full recovery majority of the time. Another potential is coondog paralysis if Dexter has had any contact with a raccoon recently. As everyone else has stated, there is always the potential for an infectious or inflammatory CNS disease, trauma, or a congenital abnormality. He may need more advanced diagnostic imaging (CT scan, MRI) and CSF tap to obtain a definitive diagnosis. Most of these diagnostics are performed by board-certified veterinary neurologists.

Swimming is not recommended after arytenoid lateralization surgery to treat (I'm assuming) Buddy's laryngeal paralysis. With this surgical procedure, dogs are unable to fully protect their airway, so if water is inhaled inadvertently during swimming, there is a strong likelihood that aspiration pneumonia could develop. Drowning is unlikely to occur while swimming, but it is the after effects that are most concerning. I hope this helps and that all goes well for Buddy!

If you think your dog is suffering from laryngeal paralysis you need to take him to your veterinarian for an exam. There are quite a few diseases that can mimic laryngeal paralysis and before treatment can begin you need a proper diagnosis and also hopefully an underlying cause. This could also be caused by a tumor, abscess or infection. Please do not give your dog any medication without a verified diagnosis made by your veterinarian.

Oh my! How scary! I don't blame you for being worried about her going back under anesthesia. I would definitely have a cardiologist look at her. Of course surgery is the best option for her back, but it may not be worth it if she can't tolerate anesthesia. I would talk to the surgeon or neurologist about other options like high doses of steroids to see if this would help. Also, acupuncture and chiropractics have helps in some cases along with steroids. Unfortunately, this is a difficult decision because neither option is guaranteed to cure her paralysis. It is all about this risks versus benefit. I think you first have to see what the cardiologist says and see if a certified anesthesiologist would be present for surgery and whether they all feel the risk of Mia going back under anesthesia is worth the possible benefits of surgery. I hope this helps!