A Nottingham dog owner feared her pet would drop dead in front of her after developing a rare condition. Laura Dennis said she was left anxious and upset when her beloved 12-year-old pet Tucker found himself battling to breathe after being struck by laryngeal paralysis.
After seeking urgent help, Ms Dennis' canine was eventually treated at Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service in Solihull. “I was very concerned that Tucker could have a breathing crisis and collapse and suffocate in front of me, just because he was excited to see me or had got too warm on a walk," recalled Ms Dennis.
“His quality of life was being greatly impacted by his condition, so I searched his symptoms and did lots of research online, including specialist vets who could give him the very best care. I was pleased when my local vet suggested referring Tucker to Willows as my own research, mostly through a Facebook group and talking to other owners and vets, was showing the vets there had good experience.”
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Will Robinson, a specialist in small animal surgery at Willows described Tucker's condition as unusual. “Laryngeal paralysis is a rare condition where the nerve supply to the larynx (voice box) is affected," he explained.
“This unusual condition reduced Tucker’s ability to open his vocal cords when breathing in, resulting in exercise intolerance. It often occurs in older dogs such as Tucker and, as the changes are usually subtle and slowly get worse, signs are often mistakenly confused with old age.
“In Tucker’s case, we quickly confirmed he was suffering from paralysis and, unfortunately for him, both sides of the larynx were affected so the decision was made to proceed with surgery. This involved permanently tying one side of Tucker’s larynx open via a delicate procedure through the side of his neck.
“Tucker then recovered in our intensive care unit under the supervision of our team of emergency and critical care specialists and was able to go home the following day."
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