{"id":541,"date":"2016-03-17T07:39:35","date_gmt":"2016-03-17T11:39:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/?p=541"},"modified":"2022-07-08T15:13:38","modified_gmt":"2022-07-08T19:13:38","slug":"matches-cocker-laryngeal-paralysis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/matches-cocker-laryngeal-paralysis\/","title":{"rendered":"Fix your dog’s laryngeal paralysis with tie back surgery"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"PrincessMatches is a 13 year old female Cocker Spaniel who, as you can see, rules the home from her royal couch.<\/p>\n

She previously had to have her left eye removed because of glaucoma<\/a>, but she was referred to me because she had difficulty breathing. Her family vet diagnosed her with an unusual condition in a Cocker: laryngeal paralysis, or lar par.<\/p>\n

This was very surprising. It’s a common condition in Labradors, but rare in other breeds such as Cockers.<\/p>\n

Lar par is a stressful ailment where the two\u00a0folds of the larynx (or voice box) do not open and close as the patient breathes in and out. The folds remain closed \u2013 paralyzed – and the patient\u00a0literally\u00a0suffocates. This can be fixed with “tie back” surgery, which involves placing 2 strands of heavy nylon to open the left side of the larynx.<\/p>\n

It’s a delicate surgery, but typically successful as it opens the airway so that the patient can breathe. Matches recovered very nicely and quickly from surgery at Blairstown Animal Hospital in New Jersey. So far, she is doing great.<\/p>\n

Below, you can see a preop and postop video of the larynx.<\/p>\n