Greetings,

Any dog owners, especially Labrador owners, have any experience with this condition and/or treatment?

How did it go?
An less invasive options?
How was the companion's quality of life?

Thanks in advance.

Boss

My German Shorthair pointer collapsed while on a long walk with extreme breathing difficulty. I carried him home and rushed him to the local vet which referred us to a 24 hour clinic where they had a surgeon specializing in laryngeal tiebacks on call. He met us at 2am, and immediately took the dog into surgery.
Without the tieback, my GSP would certainly have died at 12 years old. He lived happily another 5 years until other causes took him.
Though he lost the ability to bark, he remained very active and content. The greatest fear is aspiration pneumonia which can be caused by inhaling anything from a chunk of food to grass. So, I needed to monitor him much more closely and watch for any wheezing or signs of pneumonia.
Recovery was not real quick as it is a major operation, and he lost considerable weight and muscle mass.
I don't believe there are any options to the surgery.
It was expensive and required a lot of patience, but that boy had given me so much, the decision was easy. I would do it again in similar circumstances.
I don't know your location, but my Specialist was Guy Dinardo who works out of Quakertown Vet Hospital in Bucks County Pennsylvania. There were no complications.
I think for a referral you might call a high quality school of veterinary medicine like U Penn, Cornell.

Hoping for the best outcome for your pal!

chp37,

Thanks so much for the input, very much appreciated. Good to hear you got so many extra years out of your companion after the procedure.

Did your GSP have any previous symptoms or history? Or was this a sudden onset episode?

Thanks again.

Boss

There were no warnings, symptoms like cough, heavy breathing or tiredness with exercise. He was a healthy, very active GSP at ~ 65 pounds right up until the episode. We spent a lot of time hiking, swimming, and walking cornfields to chase birds and he loved every minute. He was never chained or tied, which can weaken the larynx/trachea structure. I joined a forum after the surgery, and it seems like Dalmations especially, and the hunting breeds in general have a high incidence.
I just checked and that forum appears to have dissolved, but there is one- a closed group on Facebook named canine laryngeal paralysis support that you might want to take a look at. The group I found provided much helpful information, from post-op care to diet changes and exercise limits and aspiration pneumonia prevention.
One thing to consider right now is ditching any neck collar and getting a good harness to avoid any stress on the neck.

Best wishes to you both!

Thanks again. Interesting your case was so acute/sudden...still learning about this condition...but it seems there is normally progressive symptoms that develop.

And our dog doesn't wear a collar unless we go off property like to the vet or a short walk, wear we use a harness.

I don't do Book of the Face, but know someone who does, so will see if we can track it down.

Thanks again!

Anyone else have some experience?

Cheers,
Boss