LARYNGEAL paralysis is a particularly nasty condition for any dog to suffer through. It is quite common in older dogs of the larger breeds such as Labrador and golden retrievers, greyhounds, Afghans, Siberian huskies and St Bernards, but any breed may be affected. The function of the larynx is to shut when food is being swallowed, and to open when air is taken into the lungs.
When laryngeal paralysis occurs the larynx can not open enough to allow sufficient air to be taken into the lungs, resulting in the dog panting for air, coughing and choking, losing its voice altogether, wheezing loudly, and as the illness progresses the dog may develop blue or grey gums (cyanosis) from lack of oxygen, inability to exercise, and may collapse or die from oxygen deprivation. A complication that can make the situation worse happens when the dog pants and struggles harder to get enough air - this causes the throat to become irritated and swell, which leaves even less room for the air to pass.
Without initiation of action from the relevant nerves, the muscles in the throat simply cease to function. There are many conditions that may cause the laryngeal nerves to cease functioning efficiently, including thyroid problems or tumours, but usually the cause is never found.
A second form of laryngeal paralysis is genetic - dogs affected by the inherited form of the condition are usually showing signs before they are six months old. Breeds affected by this form are the dalmatian, Siberian husky, Bouvier des Flandres and the English bull terrier. In the dalmation, and possibly the bull terrier, the mode of inheritance is autosomal recessive, and in the husky and bouvier it is autosomal dominant. It is safest not to breed from any litter or parent that is associated with affected puppies, as there has not been a great amount of research done on this condition and veterinary assumptions on genetic inheritance may possibly prove incorrect.
Treatment of the condition is the same whether the form is inherited or age-related. Basically it means simply treating the symptoms as they arise, such as with mild sedatives to keep the dog calm, steroids to reduce swelling in the throat and oxygen to help when the dog is affected by lack of air.
Ultimately the condition will progress to the stage where surgery is required to tie or fold back one side of the larynx to clear the way for adequate oxygen. Unfortunately this also means that the larynx cannot close when the dog swallows, and often the dog will later die of pneumonia because of breathing in its water or food. Having only one side of the larynx tied back makes aspiration of food particles less likely, but only slightly less than when both sides are tied back.
After such an operation the dog will need very small meals and often, to lessen the possibility of aspiration, until it gets used to the new way to eat and drink. However, in up to 30 percent of dogs who have had the procedure there is a constant possibility of pneumonia from aspirated particles of food for the rest of the dog's life. - EP
