Laryngeal paralysis and vomiting.

Dr. Marie replied:

Hmmm...interesting. Laryngeal Paralysis can certainly cause coughing and gagging, but I can't directly tie it into eating grass and vomiting. If I had to make up a connection, here's a possibility: It's possible that the laryngeal paralysis has caused him to gulp at air (because he has to put so much extra effort into getting air into his lungs.) Dogs that gulp air can get a belly full of air and that can feel quite uncomfortable. As a result of the belly discomfort, they can want to vomit. Most dogs know that if they eat grass (or stuff like grass) then they may vomit and subsequently feel better.

Laryngeal paralysis is a tough condition to treat. The symptoms get very gradually worse and worse. We have some medicines that may help temporarily, but unfortunately don't cure the problem.

There is a surgery that can often fix laryngeal paralysis, but usually it needs to be done by a specialist and can be very expensive and have some risks as well.

Hopefully this answers your question. But, let me know if you have more concerns.

Dr. Marie.

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Dr. Marie replied:

Yes, I would say that the majority of dogs that I have seen with laryngeal paralysis did have panting. But, it's possible that early in the disease, panting is not an issue. I have had some dogs with LP that are panting like crazy in my office, but the owners say that they don't pant at home. Or, some of these dogs only pant when they get very excited.

Did your vet do an exam where they give your dog a light anesthetic and then look at the larynx to see how well it is moving? It is usually relatively easy to diagnose laryngeal paralysis when this is done.

We usually can't diagnose LP by looking at xrays. However, if the vet feels that the xrays look unusual, another option you have is to ask your vet to send them to a radiologist to read. Chest xrays are often very difficult to accurately interpret.

Dr. Marie replied:

This definitely sounds like laryngeal paralysis. Again, it may be in early stages at this point. If it is LP, then the symptoms will likely eventually get worse. It can be very gradual though. I have some patients who had LP for 1-2 years before it became very serious.