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Does anyone have experience with Laryngeal Paralysis?

post #1 of 8
4/7/10 at 8:09am
Thread Starter 
Hi, I'm new to group and a mom of 4 furbabies. I am not asking for advice, but am asking if anyone has experience with this issue.

I have a sweet little girl that will be needing surgery for bilateral laryngeal paralysis. She's is currently being treated medically, but I fear that the time is coming that we will need to proceed with this surgery soon. The only information so far that I have been able to get is what the surgery is and how it's performed by my vet. I was also given information about statistics on it and such, but they are old and go back like 10 years. I've also done online searches and come up with pretty much the same clincal information.

My husband and I have been apprehensive about doing the surgery only because of the problems that may arrive after the surgery. After the surgery there can be issues with (2 of my biggest fears) aspiration pneumonia and choking resulting in death and of course the normal complications with surgery.

I've known one person who had the procedure done on a black lab, but no one who has had it performed on a cat. I would just like to find out if there is someone out there who has had this done that would be able to give me some after the surgery "what to expect" kind of information.
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post #2 of 8
4/7/10 at 8:14am
I didn't know cats could be 'roarers', but it is common in horses. I would hazard a guess that the problems of tie-back surgery would be similar - added risk of choking, food/water coming back through the nose?? Curiosity as to symptoms of 'roaring' in cats compelled me to take a bad stab at an answer - what symptoms present?
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post #3 of 8
4/7/10 at 8:34am
Thread Starter 
It's common in certain dog breeds and horses and rare in cats. She wheezes and squeeks when she breathes (quiet when she sleeps), coughing, gasps for air while eating, which up until now have only been mild. She also sounds like a pigeon when she purrs, which I will miss after the surgery. She may have obtained this problem from a trauma of some kind as she has an abnormal gait with her 2 front legs and shoulders.

She was a stray that showed up emaciated and near death on our doorstep a little over 2 years. She was originally thought to have URI, or a virus and just general lack of nutrition. After many months of tests, treatments and a second opinion, she underwent a endoscopy and was found to have bilateral laryngeal paralysis. She is on a small amount of prednisone which did quiet her symptoms. Unfortunately it seems like that that is no longer working and we are meeting with the vet tomorrow night to re-discuss the surgery. I would just like to gather as much information as I can.

The surgery is expensive and we are not quite sure how old she is (the vet estimates 8 - 10 years old), but she is one of the sweetest little things I have ever known and even with all of the money I have already spent on her, we feel she deserves a chance. We just want to make sure we are choosing the right one.
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post #4 of 8
4/7/10 at 8:43am
WOW!!! I didn't know that...learn something new every day. I have one that makes some rather odd noises too, but never had him scoped. He is otherwise normal, just noisy breathing and that sorta pigeon noise when he purrs. He DID have a URI as an 'old' kitten (probably 8 mo) but he made odd sounds before...all the treating for the URI did was make him into a pest who follows me around the yard . If the symptoms get worse, I will take him in to be scoped.
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post #5 of 8
4/7/10 at 8:53am
Thread Starter 
Well, let me tell you....it wasn't the way I wanted to find out about it...lol!
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post #6 of 8
4/7/10 at 8:56am
Thread Starter 
also after the surgery, supposidly they don't purr or meow anymore either.

Actually, right now she has a loud, deep meow kinda mixed in with a smoker's cough. Never heard anything like it and it's cute because it's coming out of this tiny little petite thing.
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post #7 of 8
4/7/10 at 8:59am
FWIW, horses that have had the surgery don't whinney either, and the few that do, well, it is a strange sound.

All Streak is is LOUD, he talks all the time and it is mixed with this strange cooing sound, and a few gurgles and wheezes. He was vet checked and the sound is not coming from lungs or head, but somewhere between...as per vet, but he hadn't a clue what it was.
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post #8 of 8
4/7/10 at 12:51pm
Thread Starter 
Gee...almost sounds the same, except much more mild. My Shrimp has bilateral laryngeal paralysis. They are also known to have unilateral and most cats that have that can be treated medically. I guess what happens is the same with dogs and it gets worse over time and eventually they have a lot of trouble breathing and taking deep breaths, which is where we seem to be.
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