Paralysed Larynx

[Luxgood]

Hi
Does anyone have any experience with a horse with paralysed larynx in old age.

 

[Gingerwitch]

Really sorry to read your post, I can't help sorry but wanted to bump your post. X

 

[poiuytrewq]

What are the symptoms/problem?
Just a random throwing it out there because so far your not getting much info, this may be totally irrelevant.
My elderly dog has something do do with her larynx that makes it vibrate, almost sounds growly.
The cause, and don’t quote this line for line is probably some kind of arthritis or disc degeneration in her neck compressing a nerve ?‍
Very vague, sorry I had no intentions of doing anything about it and she had other issues i didn’t take it all in.
However, I’m wondering if some kind of similar neck arthritis type problem, which would be common in old horses might be the reason for your horses problem? ......

I’ll go shut up now! ?‍

 

[millikins]

Not sure if this is useful but there is a thread on here currently about returning a horse to a dealer because it has a paralysed larynx.

 

[ycbm]

Not in old age, but in two younger horses. One was tied back, one not. This kind of nerve damage can happen at any age, I think.

Is it one side only? If so this is common and if the horse is old I would not do anything but restrict it to exercise it can cope with.

If it's both sides, then there is a thread from a few years back where someone had a horse with this. I think it was given a permanent tracheostomy, which used to be common with race horses before they started doing tiebacks.

What has your vet said?
.

 

[Luxgood]

Really sorry to read your post, I can't help sorry but wanted to bump your post. X

Thanks so much

 

[SEL]

If it's both sides, then there is a thread from a few years back where someone had a horse with this. I think it was given a permanent tracheostomy, which used to be common with race horses before they started doing tiebacks.

What has your vet said?
.

You're right there is a post and the poster was incredibly helpful when it looked like my little native would need a tracheostomy. OP I would suggest using the search function for tracheostomy and seeing if what comes up sounds like what you are dealing with.

Mine was partially sorted with a hobday procedure but hers wasn't totally paralysed. I would have been happy for a tracheostomy and tbh I actually think in hindsight that might have been the better option.

 

[PurBee]

Here’s a good vet article on disorders of the larynx:


https://www.vetequine.theclinics.com/article/S0749-0739(02)00072-X/fulltext

From the article, the causes are varied for paralysis of the larynx, depending on which side it’s on:

“In most cases, the etiology of left laryngeal hemiplegia is idiopathic, resulting from progressive loss of myelinated nerve fibers in the left recurrent laryngeal nerve. This is generally not the case for right laryngeal hemiplegia, which is rare in horses. Therefore, evaluation of a horse suffering from right laryngeal hemiplegia should include a comprehensive examination, looking for the cause of the hemiplegia. Other causes of damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve include perivascular jugular vein injection, guttural pouch mycosis, trauma from injuries or surgical procedures of the head and neck, strangles abscessation of the head and neck, and impingement by neoplasms in the head and neck [
[4]]. In addition, organophosphate toxicity, plant poisoning, lead toxicity, and central nervous system diseases can occasionally cause laryngeal hemiplegia”

 

[lannerch]

Yes my retired aged ex eventer had a Hobday and tie back at the age of 5 so not aged at the time .

Totally solved the problem , he no longer made a noise and never ran out of breath. After the operation the wounds looked a bit gross but soon healed , the only way you can tell he’s had the operation is he cannot neigh properly it sounds very hoarse .
He’s 18 now .

 

[Luxgood]

What are the symptoms/problem?
Just a random throwing it out there because so far your not getting much info, this may be totally irrelevant.
My elderly dog has something do do with her larynx that makes it vibrate, almost sounds growly.
The cause, and don’t quote this line for line is probably some kind of arthritis or disc degeneration in her neck compressing a nerve ?‍
Very vague, sorry I had no intentions of doing anything about it and she had other issues i didn’t take it all in.
However, I’m wondering if some kind of similar neck arthritis type problem, which would be common in old horses might be the reason for your horses problem? ......

I’ll go shut up now! ?‍

Not in old age, but in two younger horses. One was tied back, one not. This kind of nerve damage can happen at any age, I think.

Is it one side only? If so this is common and if the horse is old I would not do anything but restrict it to exercise it can cope with.

If it's both sides, then there is a thread from a few years back where someone had a horse with this. I think it was given a permanent tracheostomy, which used to be common with race horses before they started doing tiebacks.

What has your vet said?
.

Not sure if this is useful but there is a thread on here currently about returning a horse to a dealer because it has a paralysed larynx.

Thanks,
I have him a year and breathing is getting worse. I was

Yes my retired aged ex eventer had a Hobday and tie back at the age of 5 so not aged at the time .

Totally solved the problem , he no longer made a noise and never ran out of breath. After the operation the wounds looked a bit gross but soon healed , the only way you can tell he’s had the operation is he cannot neigh properly it sounds very hoarse .
He’s 18 now .

That’s great, thanks very much this lad is 21 this year and would be reluctant to operate on him at this stage.
Sounds like yours was a great success. Mine does not neigh properly either.

 

[Luxgood]

Not in old age, but in two younger horses. One was tied back, one not. This kind of nerve damage can happen at any age, I think.

Is it one side only? If so this is common and if the horse is old I would not do anything but restrict it to exercise it can cope with.

If it's both sides, then there is a thread from a few years back where someone had a horse with this. I think it was given a permanent tracheostomy, which used to be common with race horses before they started doing tiebacks.

What has your vet said?
.

Thanks for your reply. Vet not keen on doing anything with him. it’s just one side. He seems to be getting a bit worse with the noise.

 

[M1lbie]

I have a 28 year old who was diagnosed 7 or 8 years ago, he was still in work at the time and breathing gradually got worse. It is what used to be called a ‘Roarer’. Vet at the time said it was ok to carry on riding him but that he may become limited in what he could do, possibly ok to do a low level dressage test and light hacking but to allow him to slow down as he felt he needed to. In view of his age we were happy to take things quietly until he retired to the field 5 years ago. Vet said no point doing a tie back at his age as it wouldn’t have lasted as the cartilage was too brittle. He has happily retired and still canters round the field with no issues, just pulls up when he wants to and obviously still makes a noise.

 

[Luxgood]

That’s brilliant. Thanks very much. He is a great age.

 

[ihatework]

Thanks for your reply. Vet not keen on doing anything with him. it’s just one side. He seems to be getting a bit worse with the noise.

Im presuming you have had a dynamic scope so you can assess the degree of paralysis and potential impact on breathing?

Do you have this horses medical history - has he had wind procedures before? How big is the horse and what breeding?

What sort of work would you ideally be doing with him and how is he currently tolerating exercise?

These are all factors to consider when deciding how to proceed.

The noise, whilst a bit off putting, does not always correlate exactly to function. So if the horse is getting sufficient air and tolerating the level of exercise you do, then I agree there may be no immediate need to do anything.

However if the horse is in distress you either need to reduce work to a level he can cope with or operate.

Hobdays and tie-backs (or both) are the main procedures for paralysis, assuming no palate issues. The tie back is the bigger more expensive op and I wouldn’t be rushing into it on a 21yo. You can hobday a horse cheaply and easily under standing sedation - I had one done for around £600 and the recovery period is quick and easy. So I wouldn’t discount that.

 

[ycbm]

Thanks for your reply. Vet not keen on doing anything with him. it’s just one side. He seems to be getting a bit worse with the noise.

Left side laryngeal hemiplegia is very common in big horses. It's a design flaw in the length and routing of the nerve to that side.

The noise is pretty irrelevant, really, I hunted one that made a hell of a noise and sometimes he was competing against another one for who could sound most like a steam train pulling a full load up a steep incline ?.

Does he seem happy enough in himself? Is it only the noise that's worrying you?

 

[blitznbobs]

I had one.fairly young .. he was tied back and went on to compete foR years at GP dressage... superb horse - over at the knee, parrot mouthed and the most amazing horse I’ve ever met... did a canter pirouette for a 9 every time and an occasional 10.

 

[Luxgood]

Left side laryngeal hemiplegia is very common in big horses. It's a design flaw in the length and routing of the nerve to that side.

The noise is pretty irrelevant, really, I hunted one that made a hell of a noise and sometimes he was competing against another one for who could sound most like a steam train pulling a full load up a steep incline ?.

Does he seem happy enough in himself? Is it only the noise that's worrying you?

That’s brilliant information, he is a big horse all right.
The noise bothers me and i was worrying about the condition being progressive and how it would effect him later on.
Otherwise he is in great form.
I really appreciate your reply and thanks very much.

 

[Luxgood]

I had one.fairly young .. he was tied back and went on to compete foR years at GP dressage... superb horse - over at the knee, parrot mouthed and the most amazing horse I’ve ever met... did a canter pirouette for a 9 every time and an occasional 10.

Thanks well done.
Sounds like a super horse. I am a good bit away from that level?

 

[ycbm]

That’s brilliant information, he is a big horse all right.
The noise bothers me and i was worrying about the condition being progressive and how it would effect him later on.
Otherwise he is in great form.
I really appreciate your reply and thanks very much.

It can be progressive but the fix is the same no matter how far it's gone, so you can wait until he doesn't cope with the work you want him to do without causing any damage. The noise is just a noise.
.

 

[Luxgood]

Thanks
He’s isn’t under any pressure as it is.
I use him for very light work. Hopefully he should be ok.

 

[Luxgood]

I have a 28 year old who was diagnosed 7 or 8 years ago, he was still in work at the time and breathing gradually got worse. It is what used to be called a ‘Roarer’. Vet at the time said it was ok to carry on riding him but that he may become limited in what he could do, possibly ok to do a low level dressage test and light hacking but to allow him to slow down as he felt he needed to. In view of his age we were happy to take things quietly until he retired to the field 5 years ago. Vet said no point doing a tie back at his age as it wouldn’t have lasted as the cartilage was too brittle. He has happily retired and still canters round the field with no issues, just pulls up when he wants to and obviously still makes a noise.

Thanks very much
28 is a great age.