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Over the years I have written a number of articles
and several regional breed clubs, including the AHA, Southern Afghan,
East/England Club & the NEAHS have given space in their annual magazines to
Geoff Lane's original paper on Laryngeal Paralysis. This condition
continues to raise inquiries and it would appear, from my OUR DOGS Breed
Notes "Post Bag", that there remains much confusion and misunderstanding of
the condition, commonly presenting in our aged, and some not so aged,
hounds.
I continue to receive inquiries from as far away as
New Zealand, Australia, mainland Europe and of course here within the UK Our
breed continues to attract new enthusiasts, many of whom will have little
awareness or background information on this condition (although I was very
pleased when Lynda Race included the condition in the Health Section
of her new book on the Breed) It is apparent that a good many hounds have
benefited from information available to their owners resulting in
appropriate treatments, long may this continue but....
Time does indeed "March On", I will not be active in
the breed forever to continue to respond to referred inquiries from anxious
owners, so I have taken up Pam's suggestion for this subject to be
included within the HEALTH pages and to UPDATE and give this very
significant & treatable disorder , further coverage.
I first approached Geoff Lane at Bristol Veterinary
College for detailed information on this condition within our breed around
the mid- 80's.At that time this establishment held excellent BRISTOL
BREEDER's WEEKENDS, at their main campus at Langford. Armed with the
relevant information received, which I took back to the Breed Council, we
were then able to disseminate this through the regional club membership and
a much greater awareness was made of the condition and the successful
surgical correction treatments possible. Jim Huckbody, then the Council's
Chairman, had a bitch at that time who his own vet was treating for a
suspected cardiac disorder, due to her reluctance to exercise, albeit that
she was not an OLD animal. Neither Jim ( a Medical Practitioner) or the Vet
himself were too confident of the diagnosis! She was immediately referred
to Geoff at Bristol where the condition was diagnosed and she subsequently
enjoyed a much more ACTIVE life for her remaining year (S) following
treatment! My own SOAMES (ALEXEIEV FROM AMSHURA): MAX (AMSHURA BRIGADIER
GERARD) and indeed MANY other hounds, subsequently have proven how valuable
this SHARING INFORMATION "Exercise" was!
Duncan Lascelles MRCVS who operated on MAX at
Cambridge Vet School (himself a Bristol graduate) kindly re-read an article
that I originally wrote for the Eastern Expression magazine in 1997 and
up-dated one or two significant points particularly....
1. HARSH, RASP-LIKE breathing, sounds , a
whistling/weezy sound, especially on INSPIRATION.
2. PNEUMONIA, a further complication that MAY
preclude a positive diagnosis (If you are lucky enough to find a vet who
will recognise or suspect the significance of the underlying condition
behind the presenting acute pneumonia symptoms!)
Those who know me are all too aware how strongly I
feel about the need to SHARE any relevant information and experience in
animal husbandry and the disease(s) process that may effect our breed.
At times there appears to be a reluctance of attitude on such subject matter
by some breeders/owners to participate.
The continuing advances in veterinary science and
education provide further scope for the future health and well being of all
our animals and we must ALL play a part in this .
"MAX" of the 1997 article, reprinted here, of course
is no longer with me. For the record he lived for a further 12 months
following his "tie back" surgery and the remainder of his "Autumn Days"
were enjoyed to the full with him taking on a new lease of activity,
enjoying regular exercise and generally having a quality life style until he
finally succumbed to the inevitability of the ageing process at turned 13
years of age.
LARYNGEAL PARALYSIS...... MAX's STORY
I make NO EXCUSE for highlighting this subject once
again, as it would appear, from phone calls and letters I continue to
receive , that this condition still continues to cause concern, may go
unrecognised by both owners and some vets in general practice, with the
older dog frequently being treated, mistakenly, for a cardiac disorder. In
other instances, IF the condition is diagnosed, owners may then be told
that this condition is a terminal disorder, and their hound is too old,
and too great the risk factor associated with a surgical procedure.
Many of you will be aware of "SOAMES STORY" and his
legacy to our breed in highlighting the condition following his own "tie
back" surgery at Bristol. In 1989. SOAMES (ALEXEIEV FROM AMSHURA) was
11 years of age at the time of his surgery and went on to live a further 18
months post surgery thanks to Geoff Lane & his excellent Bristol team.
MAX (BRIGADIER GERARD) later had his surgery
performed at The Cambridge Veterinary School in June at turned 12 years and
this resulted in a significant improvement in his breathing and life
style.
Max's condition was apparent to me long before surgery
became necessary. Once you have lived with a dog with LP you instinctively
come to recognise that harsh rasp like breathing noise, even when the dog is
at rest. I have recognised the sound in friend's dogs& have rarely been
wrong! I always remember one of my vets at the practice, herself a Bristol
graduate, telling me that she was always aware when SOAMES was in the
waiting room by the NOISE of his BREATHING! she could hear & recognise
through closed doors!...yet at that stage he was still fairly active for an
older animal and continued to enjoyed his exercise...His nephew, MAX had
become very ill in the January of 1995, with an aspiration pneumonia, a
complication of LP. Many owners may not realise that a failure in the valve
mechanism of the larynx can predispose to pneumonia. Sometimes the
pneumonia is of most concern, and usually this will be treated BEFORE
subjecting the dog to the stress of anaesthesia and surgery, which in itself
could make the pneumonia worse and put the dog into a life threatening
situation.
A brief word here must be mentioned on OESOPHAGEAL
DYSFUNCTION, which can also be associated with this condition which is a
contraindication for surgery.
A full veterinary examination is a good idea as soon
as you suspect that your dog may be suffering from LP. I am now only too
aware that when I lost MAX's dam, KALINKA, (coincidently SOAME's litter
sister), some years previously, with pneumonia, that her pneumonia resulted
from an UNDIAGNOSED paralysis of her larynx. Several years on and armed
with the wisdom of hindsight, I was able to be one step ahead with her
son and of course I am very fortunate to have the expertise of CAMBRIDGE
so close to my home here in Essex, who treated MAX's acute pneumonia
condition and also confirmed the diagnosis of the underlying Laryngeal
Paralysis which had caused the pneumonia, the primary consideration to be
treated and any surgery postponed until he was fit enough to withstand the
stress of general anaesthesia and tie-back surgery. I was told at the time
that he was "PADDLING" and I would KNOW when he started getting into "DEEP
WATERs" and would require tie-back corrective surgery.
Although we managed to get him through a
subsequently very hot summer of '95, felt that he may not continue to
cope so well, in a stressful situation and with the first hot & humid spell
of June '96 it became all too apparent that he required update assessment
with the specialists at Cambridge Veterinary School.
Whilst I am always reluctant to subject any AGED dog
to any unnecessary surgical procedure, I knew we were now at a "Crossroads,"
With his increasing respiratory difficulties, which were becoming more
pronounced at stress and any mild exertions, EUTHANASIA, ASPHYXIA, OR
SURGICAL INTERVENTION...For me there could be only one option. I once
again, reiterate the benefits here and would urge any one who thinks that
their dog may have LP, to seek out SPECIALIST advice. Please let the
EXPERTS tell YOU if your dog is a suitable candidate for surgical treatment.
Surgery for Laryngeal Paralysis within our breed is
NOT new, I believe that one of the first Afghan Hounds that had corrective
surgery performed by Geoff Lane was sometime in the mid 1970's.The advances
in anaesthetic procedures over ensuing years have assisted in the many
successful outcomes.
I will quote here the following from Geoff Lane at
Bristol, in answer to my original inquiries made, which I took up
following an article in a Southern Club magazine, on a male Afghan Hound
that had been put to sleep at just 8 years, resulting from an increasing
obstructive airway disorder.
QUOTE
1. Laryngeal Paralysis is a disease for
which there is a specific surgical remedy.
2. There is absolutely NO need for ANY
dog to be put to sleep because the condition is DIAGNOSED or SUSPECTED.
3. ADVANCED cases are suitable for surgery,
indeed the surgical technique may be more simple than in EARLY diagnosis.
4. The AGE of the patient referred should be NO
deterrent.
In a series of over 200 dogs that were treated at
BRISTOL (1987/1989) not one died during, or as a result of the ANAESTHETIC;
the eldest was 17 and over 160 dogs (including AFGHAN HOUNDs) have been
over 10 years of age at the time of their surgery.........UNQUOTE:
Whilst there now may be many vets in general practice
who will confidently perform the operation, I would suggest, from my own
experience, that if you have an AGED dog, the specialist veterinary
colleges, certainly here within the UK, may offer a greater variety in
experience in anaesthesia in the OLDER animal, especially the HOUND, which
may alleviate some of your anxieties.
I had NO post-anaesthetic problems with either SOAMES
or MAX; both were detained in the hospital for under 36 hours, MAX, being
older, just a little longer ,pre-surgery so that he could have a variety of
tests to ensure that he received the appropriate pre-and post anaesthetic
fluids to prevent any kidney or liver stress associated with surgery in
the older animal.
Surgery will have been performed through a wound on the
underside of the neck. The area is likely to remain swollen for a couple of
weeks post-operation. Sutures are removed after about 10 days. Although an
immediate improvement of the respiratory distress and obstruction of the
airway may be evident, the full benefit of surgery may not become apparent
for a further few weeks when the internal swelling subsides. Most dogs cough
to clear their throats to begin with after the surgery, this may become
more noticeable, particularly after eating/drinking but the cough does
subside thereafter, although some dogs do continue to cough intermittently.
Post-op Pneumonia may also be an associated risk
factor but sensible post-op care, additional post-surgery antibiotics,
supervised feeding of a soft diet greatly reduces the risk. The dog should
ALWAYS be fed from a HEIGHT, viz: placing the bowl of food on a stool or
chair and the meals should be small and spaced out at 3/4 times daily, again
this will reduce stress to the liver of an older dog. Diet is modified
during the first 6 weeks post surgery ,the consistency of the food is more
important than what it actually contains, not too hard or too soft and NOT
flaky A gradual return to normal can be made after this convalescent period.
The overall improvement in the quality of life, living
out the remainder of their days with a greater degree of dignity, cannot be
over emphasized and from my experiences I would suggest it is worth
considering if you do think that your older canine friend and perhaps
some not so old, (I know of two litter brothers who had successful surgery
at Edinburgh Vet College, that were only just 7 years) is developing the
condition. The operation may be costly (pet insurance does help!) but just
think of the COSTs involved in doing just a FEW shows of the circuit in
a year!
This will be money WELL SPENT!!
I will leave you with some additional comments in a
letter sent to me by Geoff Lane, following my SOAMES death.....
"Laryngeal tie back surgery continues to be performed
regularly on elderly dogs and AFGHAN HOUNDS are well represented. I am
pleased to say that the results of surgery are consistently encouraging.
Current research is being directed toward the nerve damage which seems to
cause the paralysis in the first place, thus I was interested to note that
SOAMES was beginning to show the hind leg weakness which may well be a
related neurological disorder in the breed."
I do urge you once again, if you think that you may
have this condition in any of your dogs, to seek professional advice, take
along this paper, written by Geoff Lane that is reproduced here, show it to
your vet and seek a specialist referral if necessary. Likewise if I can be
of assistance at anytime, please do feel that you can continue to contact
me.
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