The larynx, which is the opening through which outside air flows into a dog’s lungs, allows for vocalization and prevents food inhalation (aspiration) — both of which are important functions. Paralysis of the larynx, otherwise known as laryngeal paralysis or “lar par” for short, means that either one or both of the vocal folds does not fully open during breathing. The condition can occur in cats but is more common in dogs, and specifically in large-breed dogs. It can be hereditary in Bouviers, Huskies, Bull Terriers, Dalmatians and Rotweillers and is also commonly seen (but not necessarily hereditary) in Labs, Goldens, St. Bernards and Newfoundlands.
The first thing you might notice if your dog is suffering from lar par is a change in his or her bark, which might sound more hoarse, because the vocal folds are not moving as they once did. Due to the importance of panting, which is essentially moving air through the larynx, as a cooling function in dogs, you might also find that your dog has exercise intolerance and/or might breathe very noisily or heavily in warm weather. As well, when paralyzed, the larynx might not be able to protect the lungs from aspiration, so your dog may experience coughing, gagging and/or retching. In extreme situations, you may even notice respiratory distress or heat stroke. The clinical signs usually correlate with the degree of paralysis.
To diagnose laryngeal paralysis, your veterinarian will need to do a sedated exam and watch the larynx move as your dog breathes. Because the larynx is so deep in the throat, it is not possible to get a good look at it without sedation. A workup for lar par might also include blood work on thyroid levels, since up to 10 percent of dogs with lar par also have concurrent low thyroid. Chest x-rays may also be taken if your vet suspects aspiration pneumonia, which commonly happens with laryngeal paralysis.
The only treatment for laryngeal paralysis is a surgical procedure to tie back the laryngeal folds. This procedure, actually quite common with race horses, is called a “tie back” and is usually performed by a surgery specialist — so your primary vet may refer you to a specialty practice. The surgery can only be performed on a stable patient, so If your dog has a lar par complication such as pneumonia, he or she will likely be hospitalized until stable enough for anesthesia and surgery. The major risk of the surgery is an increased likelihood of aspiration pneumonia, since the folds will no no longer able to completely close and protect the lungs.
Lar par is a disease that can range in seriousness from minimal clinical signs to severe respiratory distress and even death. If you notice any of the hallmark signs, such as a change in bark, increased respiratory noise, or exercise or heat intolerance, please bring this to the attention of your veterinarian. It is very important to note that dogs with this condition can overheat easily, so they should be kept in an air-conditioned environment and have limited exercise until they can be examined and/or have surgery. The good news is that after tie back surgery, dogs usually do quite well.
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Hello Dr. Stewart
I have read about a laser procedure being performed on LAR PAR patients. Do you know if there are complications with this procedure?
Thx,
Jamie Fisher
Good question. I dont know enough about it to comment. I would ask your local boarded surgeon. I have heard good things about LarPar surgical treatments, but I do not know all the details.
Will my dog be able to bark after lar-par surgery?
Usually it gets much higher and less loud. Yes but different.
I just returned from Emergency Vet to remove the IV needle that my vet forgot to remove earlier today. So flaky. At first she told me my dog has CHF. Then, after xrays she said, abnormal results. Echo today. Not helpful as he was breathing too hard. Lar Par was never mentioned. She suggested putting him down. He is 8 and until now doing well. I have been so sad and scared and now I have a glimmer of hope. My Ollie is a 145 pound Newf/Lab. Can you give me more info on surgery needed and prognosis for recovery? Thanks, Kelly Wilkinson Eugene, Oregon
LarPar is a pain but surgically often treatable. The diagnosis is based on pysical exam, history as well as a sedated laryngeal exam or scope. This is just sedation, no bid deal. The surgery is performed by a boarded surgeon and is a tie back of the laryngeal fold and is very successful with a few behavior changes and concerns about aspiration (this fold hold food back when you breath.) I would google the surgery: laryngeal tieback in dogs. The first step is making an appointment with a surgeon to discuss the diagnosis. Bring all your other vet paperwork. I have personally seen very good results from the surgery, but there are behavioral and life style changes needed. Weight loss and slight reduced exercise for sure……. hope this helps and you get to see a surgeon.
My dog had tie back surgery 2 months ago for lar par. He is breathing somewhat better but he is coughing, retching, gagging, every time he drinks water, and when he eats and sometimes just for no reason. I have gotten a special slow feed bowl and raised his food and water. The panting is still present and sometimes harsh, he does seem to have more energy. His overall health the vet said is good. Clear lungs, heart looks good, etc. I have read many blogs and I feel he is having excessive side effects to surgery and Im wondering if something did not heal correctly. Do you have any advise. Candy Thomas
Wow, seems like you are doing everything I would recommend. I would have a second opinion from another surgeon or have him re-checked at the surgeon who did the surgery. They can have failures or possibly have excessive swelling and scar that needs to be addressed. Both sides tied back? If only one side then the other might be a problem. I would certainly have him looked at by the original surgeon just to be safe. They usually like to follow up on their work anyway. Sorry I cant be more helpful, but you are already doing what I would recommend.
Hi
Can you also move over to raised drinking and feeding bowls at chest height?
Although I’ve heard conflicting reports back from ‘knowledgeable’ husky owners saying this can cause bloating, I have had no issues at all with my three HuskyxMals. In fact they eat pretty enthusiastically but are not ‘gulping’ up the food, and I notice little or no gagging or retching after.
A very well known vet in all fields , esp, dogs & horses (racecourse vet), livestock, designed this but never patented it – Bob Cook. His widow advised me and it certainly looks to be a better eating & drinking position.
Of course slow feeding bowls can be implemented to be used raised as well this avoid bloating/indigestion.
M xx
Check out stem cell treatment. Roscoe village animal hospital in Chicago did a treatment for my 12yr old lab that was successful. No tie back needed. Back to breathing normal.
Ryan, I am so hopeful after reading your post. How is your dog doing? Would you mind disclosing the cost of the procedure ? Our Maltese dog Zack is also 12 recently diagnosed with lar par, he has a sister we like to say they are twins. Thus far they both have enjoyed overall good health until Zack and an episode of seizure las September. We want to do everything possible and hopefully avoiding surgical procedures.
Hi Ryan, I dont live far from Chicago. I have never heard of this laser procedure. I am super excited they an option other than tie back. Could you share the Animals Hosp name and Vet? And were you happy with the outcome? Is you furbaby doing better since then? My guy is 11 yr old.
Did any of you end up doing the stem cell treatment? Hoping it could be an option for us, but would love to see an update.
We have a 14 year old Yellow Lab with Lar Par. We seem to have the breathing and anxiety part under control with 250 mg/day of Trazadone. But, his rear end is becoming more unstable. I’ve read about acupuncture and cold laser treatments and was hoping you could tell me if there was any data that supported trying either or both of these or if you could recommend any other treatments, medications or supplements we could try. He still loves going on walks, though they are much shorter than they used to be. Loves to ride in the car and is excited by his meals and treats. Thank you for your help. Scott Bittner
We are located in Newport News, Va.
I am an ER vet, so this is way out of my knowledge base. The research I have seen supports acupuncture, and some (mixed reviews) support cold laser. There are NO KNOWN side effects (except $$$) to either so there’s absolutely no reason not to try and see if there is improvement. There are plenty of good supplements like OMega 3, and glucosamine that can help with arthritis as well as good safe NSAIDs to help with the pain. I would try to discuss this with your local vet and see what is in the area. I have even heard of chiropractic and massage working wonders. VA is very advanced in veterinary medicine (we are in VA!) so your options are very broad and varied. I would give everything a try and see which helps the most, with NSAIDs as the last resort. Start the omega 3’s and glucosamine for sure with your vets supervision, but there are sometimes enough. Good luck.
Hello. My 11 year old pointer mix just recently had the issue with the barking and then an episode of gasping and breathing trouble. I rushed him to the animal ER but by the time we got there his breathing was as normal. Since this just started the vet opted to first treat with medication. The breathing issue happened right when we woke up this morning and I am terrified that it will happen again tomorrow morning. What do s the likelihood of this and can it be bad enough this soon that I won’t have time to get him to the ER? I was terrified when he struggled to breathe this morning.
Make sure to get some chest Xrays and film the event in the morning so you can show the vet next time. Also make sure they check his heart and throat. Otherwise it is very hard to assess and predict what will happen from afar. I would certainly film him doing this and get a bunch of xrays.
My lab had the lar par surgery he recovered then had to have another unrelated surgery now he is coughing and gagging constantly what can we do regarding the cough if anything. Thank you
Bring him to a vet to look at his chest and throat. Maybe the intubation of the second surgery broke the lar par scar or irritated his throat. Maybe he has aspiration pneumonia from the anesthesia…… might be unrelated. There is not enough info to diagnose. Bring him back for a recheck.
My cocker spaniel was diagnosed with Lar Par at 15. His larynx wasn’t strong enough for a tie back as sutures could tear through. We elected to have a partial laryngectomy . Our vet said it is not the prettiest surgery but it worked. He also got hyperbaric oxygen treatments to help with the swelling. It can be pricy. For us it was about 5k but my dog can breathe and is at home. Do you recommend continuous hyperbaric treatments for my dogs quality of life?
Wow, great care and thanks for the question. I hate to say, I really do not know. I would suspect that the most value for the hyperbaric treatment is immediately after surgery to assist with healing and scar tissue in sensitive areas. I do not know if it has anti-inflammatory effects on the specific tissue of the throat. My guess is that more treatments will not cause any harm (except cost) but they are probably not necessary or particularly valuable in the this specific condition. Home oxygen therapy (cheaper and easier) might be a better option. I would talk to the vet team (as that sounds like a big event) that first treated your dog, they seem to have done a great job.
Dr. Stewart
My service dog is scheduled for lar par surgery at the University of Georgia Veterinary hospital in a month. Recently I read an article that said after surgery a dog loses the ability to bark. Is that correct? As a service dog barking is part of his training so I better start training a corrective measure if it is true.
Thank you for your time,
Bob
Yes that can be a side effect depending on if it is unilateral or bilateral. Please ask the vets there as to the side effects of the surgery and the technique. You should certainly go ahead with the surgery as it can be life saving. Great question!
My Golden has Lar Par and is being treated at UGA Vet School as well. Please let us know how well the surgery went and prognosis going forward.
Hi! My cat needs the lar par surgery at UGA vet school as well. How did it go with your dog? and if you don’t mind saying, how much was the cost of surgery?
Our 10 1/2year old yellow lab who has been diabetic for 5 1/2 years. Our vet thinks he may have the beginning of Lar Par. He has had three very short seizures(30 seconds or less). Can these be caused by Larpar? Going to the vet Wednesday, just want any info. He comes out of the spell very quickly, pants a little while than seems himself. He takes rimadyl once a day for arthritis -he weighs 120 pounds -and is not overweight, he is just very big. Thank you
Jani
Diabetic, LarPar, seizures and arthritis…that is a shame. The seizures are not related to anything except maybe the diabetes. He needs a work up for seizures. Sorry.
My 12 year old Lab has been diagnosed with Lar Par. In addition to his heavy breathing and deepening bark, he has lost control of his bowels from time to time, to the extent that he dosen’t seem conscious.
Would this also be a side effect of Lar Par?
It could be if he passes out from lack of oxygen. He might also have another condition like seizures or incontinence. I would have him checked by your vet. If he does it while awake and you see him do it then that could be many other problems like UTI or GI disease….. if you dont see him then I would guess he is unconscious.
I have a 12 year old lab with lar par. We are giving her doxipin which has helped with her breathing. She is having sever walking problems and it seems painful for her. I was told this is simply the lar par spreading. What is so strange is she was fine and woke up the next day with back end weakness especially to be leg limping. I am told x rays show arthritis and again it’s lar par. Seems to fast to me question is can lar par hit this quickly with the back end legs.
I have never heard of LarPar effecting the back legs of a dog. Get a 2nd opinion. The LarPar can just make her weak, but should not effect the back legs.
I’m not a vet but I have read a good deal about LarPar effects on muscle weakness in dogs back lets. That is one of the symptoms my dog who was recently diagnosed is having.
As of this post in February of 2022, LARPAR has a new name GOLPP. Geriatric onset laryngeal paralysis polyneuropathy. This disease not only causes laryngeal paralysis, it also slowly progresses to hind-end weakness, and loss of muscle mass.
Yes, they change the name on these things…. thanks for the update. GOLPP (“Gulp”) seems too contrived for me but I guess we are going for it.
My cat was diagnosed with Lar Par 6 years ago after multiple trips to the ER needing an oxygen tent and gastric decompressions. Cpr frequently. Very scary. Tie back surgery was scheduled very rare in cats. Last resort while we waited until
Monday for the surgery prednisolone to get her thru the weekend. That was 6 years ago. Prednisolone daily forever and no ER visit since sept 25, 2013.
With Geriatric Onset Laryngeal Paralysis Polyneuropathy (GOLPP), there is Lar Par as well as polyneuropathy (losing function in hind legs as part of it).
Jane S. Is absolutely correct. Laryngeal Paralysis is often the first symptom/condition in a systemic disease called Polyneuropathy: the nerves responsible for laryngeal movement arise from the vagus nerve, one of the body’s major nerves. Clinical investigations have shown that other nerves are also affected, leading to clinical signs, such poor swallowing function, slowly progressing hind-end weakness, and loss of muscle mass.
Good afternoon Dan, Jane and everyone – Yes, the Polyneuropathy that affects the hind-end, more specifically the back legs can be rather dramatic ! We just lost out absolutely beautiful 13 + year old yellow lab to Lar Par. The breathing issue was something that I think we could have handled in some way or another besides the tie-back surgery ( our vet suggested not to, afraid of complications plus her age ) But she lost complete ability of her back legs – which totally through me for a loop ! There was such a dramatic and rapid decline in her mobility, it was staggering ! Her eating and drinking was fine, a bit of difficulty with breathing – but I thought we had time to develop a action plan – Nope, the mobility did us in and the vet felt it was time 🙁
Hi Eric….I am very sorry for your loss….We just lost our 12.5 (almost 13) year old yellow lab to Lar Par also. He was having symptoms of GOLPP as Jane S. described above. His breathing started to scare me….he was actually wheezing at times. We also would not have done the tie-back surgery due to his age and the fact that he has mast cell tumors (cancer). My dog would take a long time to calm his breathing down….he seemed like he was straining at times. He also was beginning to lose more and more muscle tone in his back legs which was affecting his mobility and balance. The prednisone he was on for the cancer also made his muscle tone weak. He was still eating and drinking fine which is why I was so torn. I am still struggling with our decision, but the vet also did think it was time. It’s so hard.
Sorry for your loss