Lar-Par…….

I had been suspicious for a couple of weeks. Our Tazzy seemed to tire a little more on his neighborhood patrols and his panting was, we thought, a little more frequent than normal. Last week, on his walks I began to notice a raspy pant as we walked and my suspicion grew. Sharon and I are experienced Lab owners and understand their inherent weaknesses as a breed and decided to take him to our Vet, just to be sure that we did not have a serious problem with Mr. Taz, who turns 12 in August. It turns out we do have a serious problem after all, an idiopathic malady known as laryngeal paralysis. We have been through this two times before and lost our Labs before we could respond. This malady, routinely referred to as Lar-Par, is a neurological problem that affects the larynx and usually the back legs of your dog (and sometimes cats). It is progressive and deadly, resulting in the suffocation of your dog, especially if they become agitated or overheated.

We did not get caught short this time. Our Vet quickly went to work, confirming the diagnosis via a laryngoscope examination. Both sides of Tazzy’s larynx are completely paralyzed and without intervention, he is very close to a catastrophic event that is life ending. Our job is to keep him calm, carefully monitor his feeding and get on MU’s vet school surgical list for what is called a tie back procedure. We have also scheduled a breathing and swallow test to insure he is a good candidate for this surgery, that is not without significant risk. Cup your hands, palm inward, and the opening resembles a dog’s larynx. Slightly open the space between your hands and you are looking at what happens when a dog breathes or swallows, The larynx is the gateway for all breathing, eating and drinking. In the procedure one side of the larynx is “tied back” with sutures thus guaranteeing a clear breathing opening.

Obviously, this solution presents a problem when the dog is eating or drinking, as food or water can be aspirated into the lungs, causing aspiration pneumonia, which can also be deadly. We will feed him a special diet and watch his drinking from a specially designed bowl that slows the drinking down. An additional heartbreak is this marks the end of his swimming, as he would drown quite easily when tied back.

Sharon and I are heart broken, to be expected when your dog is the center of your life, but we are going to fight like hell to improve the quality and longevity of Taz. The tie back enjoys a 85% success rate, IF you handle the pup postoperatively, as you should.

As a side note Lar-Par can be found in all breeds, however the large breeds predominate. Of all the cases, across all breeds, some 60% of cases are found in Labs. Wish us luck as we navigate these choppy waters…….Taz loves everybody and doesn’t know a stranger. Please Lord, give us a few more years.

SR