I have a nearly 11 yr old choc lab and the vet has diagnosed laryngeal paralysis. We are having a heatwave in the UK at the moment. Her symptoms are horrendous at the moment and very distressing for us and her. I'm taking her to the vet on Friday. Does anyone have any tips to help the situation? We are not sure surgery is appropriate at this stage of her life, though will discuss it with the vet. Thanks for any help. I'm so upset. She is adorable and it's awful to watch /
Our first Lab, Ginger had Laryngeal Paralysis when she was 14. She had the surgery and lived until 16. The surgery was less traumatic than we expected and she recovered from it pretty quickly. Other than not being able to bark, it did not seem to bother her. FWIW, she was also diabetic from 12 on, but we kept her well regulated and it did not slow her down much at all. She still hiked and swam just like before.
I am so sorry to hear this. You must be desperately worried. It is always difficult to decide whether or not to put an older dog through major surgery, and it's good to hear the Ski Patroller's dog did well after their op. My own 11 year old girl has just had major surgery for a different condition, but has made a much faster recovery than I ever imagined. Even though immediately after the op I had huge misgivings about what I had put her through, I am now very glad I did. Every case is different of course and I do hope your trip to the vet on Friday is a helpful one.
