It was not a good feeling dropping off Patriot for a procedure Tuesday. Wyatt and Patriot are the first dogs I have ever owned and I am starting to see them age (as well as myself!) Worst case thoughts crossed my mind of cancer or problems with the anesthesia. I made it out with a tight throat but was hoping for the best for his throat exam. Well, it turned out he has laryngeal paralysis. It can be quite serious but my sense from the vet is that it is not in his case, at least for now. Dr Dwight said he would test Patriot’s thyroid levels because low thyroid can cause LP. This would actually be good because otherwise, there is no treatment barring surgery with lots of possible complications.
Thinking back, a lot of things clicked: not wanted to be active in the heat, lots of panting in heat compared to Wyatt, reverse sneezing, gagging at the end of lure coursing runs (which can also be a symptom of heart murmurs, which he also has), and trouble swallowing. Even though we have just noticed the voice changes this year, I believe he has had symptoms for a while. So I kind of resigned myself to stopping him in agility, at least in the summer.
Well, I got call from Dr Dwight that his thyroid levels are, in fact, low (.7). That also causes low energy levels. This I know from my wife, who has low thyroid levels and who takes supplements. Anyway, looks like Patriot will also be getting supplements. Hopefully, it will help his LP and his energy levels. Who knows? He could be better than ever in agility with thyroid supplements. It’s funny that we always considered many of these symptoms (for 10 years!) part of his personality!
Wow! I hope supplementing his thyroid has a big impact. It is very hard to see our dogs age.
I’m right there with you. My older girl was diagnosed with LP this winter, but in thinking back she’s had symptoms of it since early last year…blood test didn’t reveal anything back then, nor do they now. Hopefully treating Patriot’s thyroid will benefit him. We put my girl on Temaril-P for the summer to keep control of any inflammation and irritation in her throat due to the hot dry weather. A low dose is working well…her sneezing, throat clearing, and coughing have reduced significantly. I wish Patriot well…the diagnosis is a hard one to hear, but at least it will help you work on managing his symptoms better.
Thanks, Kim and Julie. And Kim, thanks for the specific info on your dog. I have found it helpful to read what others have done.