Laryngeal paralysis

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Does any one have experiences of this condition, and if so what treatment has been followed?
My 12 yr old setter x has started to make wheezing noises when excited eg at excercise and feed times, and his bark has become hoarse. He has had a intermittent cough over the last few months, which the vets have treated with antibiotics, but it has come back again, and am very doubtful it is kennel cough as he has not been exposed to that sort of environment.
He is booked in at the vets to investigate further, but in the mean time any advice greatly appreciated!
Thanks.
 
Hi sorry to hear that your dog may have developed this condition. My old Lab was diagnosed with Laryngeal Paralysis when he was 12 and the symptoms you describe do seem very similar to those he had though he also sounded like a steam train when he ran about. He was sedated and examined to confirm the diagnosis. A type of tie back operation was a possibility but there was no way I would put an elderly dog through a major op. We just led a quieter life and he was happy enough pottering around and walking a bit less far and fast than before. He was sadly PTS at 13 as he was having increasingly frequent episodes when he had great difficulty breathing and was getting very anxious and upset (as was I).
Good luck with the investigations.
 
Thanks for your reply and I totally agree with not operating on an aged dog. He is not making noises when excercised yet, but have noticed the wheezing getting worse when he gets excited.
Did your lab have any medication, or was it just changes in lifestyle? Fortunately my lad is slim which I know is to his advantage if he is suffering from this condition.
Will see what the vet says on Monday......
 
I have my deehound in at work tonight to be looked at in the morning, as I suspect something similar, he is 13, so very good age for his breed and he is not overly bad with the symptoms but im getting him checked early, will let you know the outcome if my boss thinks the same.
 
All his in house bloods came back good, he has been diagnosed with a heart murmur (no meds required) so good there, and also early onset of LP, he is a very fit 13 but OH (its his dog really) is certain he does not want an operation if it comes to that, he is not over weight, infact he is under at the moment (hence my concern) with the train like breathing and coughing, (not terribly often) certainly not cotinuous, apparently over weight dogs are much more at risk with the breathing issues, so at least he is nice and trim.
So for now its to monitor him until we see any changes. i.e worsens at all.
 
Thanks for letting me know the outcome - will post our result on Mon after his appt, but suspect if he has got LP, we will be in the same position as you ie monitoring.
Give the deerhound a hug from me!
 
we had an old Lab with it - same symptoms and again we did nothing as she was slowing up due to arthritis and the risk of GA was not worth the benefit.....

Incidentally, my mum also had a Manchester terrier who had a heart murmur and then developed Left Ventricular failure. She was used as a case study/guniea pig at Bristol vet school and medicated as a human with heart failure would be - it gave her an extra 2 years and a new lease of life :)
 
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