ZoomDoggy Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 My Chancy has probable LP (did xrays and flouroscope, but haven't done the endoscope yet), and I've noticed in the last month or so, her swallowing noise is a definite "Gulp" sound that wasn't there before. The gulping is not connected with any particular breathing crisis, she just gulps loudly every time she swallows. She eats & drinks just fine. I just wondered if anyone else has noticed "gulping" in their LP dogs, or if that might be something else entirely... We're going to the vet today to see what he thinks of her worsening breathing. Last time he saw Chancy, he felt that her LP was too mild to consider surgery. That may not be the case now... I still balk at the idea of surgery due to the risks I've read about, and also because Chancy's liver values are elevated, making anesthesia even more risky. I'm hoping my vet can help me make the best decision for my sweet stripey tigerdog. Quote ~Aimee, with Flower, Alan, Queenie, & Spodee Odee! And forever in my heart: Tipper, Sissy, Chancy, Marla, Dazzle, Alimony, and Boo. This list is too damned long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madeara Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 I never notice the gulping sound when Darius developed LP. I only noticed that before the surgery he had a hard time breathing especially in humid weather. He also had some difficulty swallowing food before the surgery. Best thing I ever did was to give him the tieback so he could breath again. He eats fine now, he is happy. He is 14 1/2. Do not be to afraid of the tieback. If you have a board certified surgeon do it he should be fine barring no other health issues he has. I have no regrets. Quote "To err is human, to forgive, canine" Audrey, Nova, Cosmo and Holden in NY - Darius and Asia you are both irreplaceable and will be forever in my heart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoomDoggy Posted July 3, 2007 Author Share Posted July 3, 2007 I wonder if the gulping might indicate something other than LP... I s'pose it's dumb to try and guess... I just didn't want to do the endoscopy until/unless I was fully prepared to do a tieback. I don't want her to go under anesthesia twice if we can help it. By the way, I did join that LP Yahoo group. Thanks for the link. Quote ~Aimee, with Flower, Alan, Queenie, & Spodee Odee! And forever in my heart: Tipper, Sissy, Chancy, Marla, Dazzle, Alimony, and Boo. This list is too damned long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmswartzfager Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 No gulping here. Quote Deanna with galgo Willow, greyhound Finn, and DH BrianRemembering Marcus (11/16/93 - 11/16/05), Tyler (2/3/01 - 11/6/06), Frazzle (7/2/94 - 7/23/07), Carrie (5/8/96 - 2/24/09), Blitz (3/28/97 - 6/10/11), Symbra (12/30/02 - 7/16/13), Scarlett (10/10/02 - 08/31/13), Wren (5/25/01 - 5/19/14), Rooster (3/7/07 - 8/28/18), Q (2008 - 8/31/19), and Momma Mia (2002 - 12/9/19). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MP_the4pack Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 My Onyx seemed to gulp before she had LP. Still does after the tieback. But her breathing is much improved. She had it done in Jan and she'll be 12 in Sept. I'm glad I did it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoomDoggy Posted July 3, 2007 Author Share Posted July 3, 2007 So those of you who've already done the tieback, can you please tell me how long the recovery was? We have a roadtrip planned for late July (Grapehounds), and I REALLY want to bring Chancy along, but not if it's dangerous for her... Quote ~Aimee, with Flower, Alan, Queenie, & Spodee Odee! And forever in my heart: Tipper, Sissy, Chancy, Marla, Dazzle, Alimony, and Boo. This list is too damned long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MP_the4pack Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 (edited) It was very quick. THe stitches were out in 2 weeks (they tie the larynx back by going in through the side of the neck, not down the throat). She finished her antibiotic in that time too. But she pretty much was eating the next day. She didn't have a sore throat, just a sore neck. The biggest issue is that she can't eat anything dry and crumbly. But I've never given her just dry kibble. It's always been mixed with canned. The only big change is that I don't give her the big milkbones anymore. She still gets people cookies, but I get them soggy (yuck). But I would have a surgeon do it, not the GP. I went to a surgeon at a specialty clinic in Pa. Edited July 3, 2007 by MP_the4pack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madeara Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 (edited) Don't count on getting a tie back done and then going to Grapehounds. Do it after and if he has labored breathing now be careful what and how much you do. You do not want to push it. One day Darius was boarderline and the next was complete failure on one side. I brought him back for his THIRD scope and they did it then. Again if there are no other issues with your dogs health and you are with a board certified hospital there is nothing to worry about putting them under anethesia. On theLP bard you will read more problems than good. Same with GT you will hear more problems on this board also good. But on the LP when everything is done and it is a success the people have no need to stay on it. Few do, sometimes I go back to tell the success of Darius's surgery. Not being able to breath is terrible, I wanted the best for my boy and that is why I did it. I had a wonderful surgeon too! Darius was home in 2 days and was eating and drinking fine. Here is Darius before and after the tieback http://pets.webshots.com/album/523574743SZyMWH Edited July 3, 2007 by Madeara Quote "To err is human, to forgive, canine" Audrey, Nova, Cosmo and Holden in NY - Darius and Asia you are both irreplaceable and will be forever in my heart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoomDoggy Posted July 3, 2007 Author Share Posted July 3, 2007 (edited) A couple months ago I was looking to have a surgeon at the U of M do the procedure, but it seems that there's no way I can "interview" them beforehand. What I don't like about the U is that the last time I had Chancy there, the vet we saw had no idea that greys have different blood values than other dogs. And they use greyhound blood donors all the time! I lost a bit of confidence at that point... The other problem is that the U vets wanted to figure out what was going on with her liver before considering the tieback (abdominal ultrasound, biopsies, etc). I can't help but feel that the breathing is a more immediate concern. Not to downplay liver problems by any means, as I know that a compromised liver can badly affect anesthesia recovery. It's just that I feel she might suffocate from laryngeal collapse before her liver can kill her. And really, I can only afford to address one thing at a time... Did I mention I'm in a quandary? Edited July 3, 2007 by ZoomDoggy Quote ~Aimee, with Flower, Alan, Queenie, & Spodee Odee! And forever in my heart: Tipper, Sissy, Chancy, Marla, Dazzle, Alimony, and Boo. This list is too damned long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Naty Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 No gulping before surgery, just labored breathing. Some gulping after. Troy's LP developed fast within a couple of months , from borderline to near distress after a walk around the block in the middle of winter. I'm glad I did my research early so we had all facts and list of surgeons that helped us make our informed decision when the time called for it. Scary to make the decision at first but it was scarier to watch him struggle for breath with his temperature shooting up to 104 because his breathing can't cool him down. That was in the middle of winter and we live in New England. We kept him quiet after surgery for about a month - no stairs, no visitors, no long walks. There was substantial improvement after 2 weeks but the scarring doesn't really hold until after about 3 weeks according to our surgeon. A few weeks ago, 3 months after surgery, we took him for a hike with Greyhound Adventures in Easton, MA. Temperature was close to 80. I'm proud to say he finished the hike comfortably. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madeara Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 (edited) Check the LP board for the surgeons listed. The University is stringing you along it sounds like. For us it was 1st blood work then another appt or 2 or 3 for a scope, 3rd times a charm boom done! I knew it collapsed. Edited July 3, 2007 by Madeara Quote "To err is human, to forgive, canine" Audrey, Nova, Cosmo and Holden in NY - Darius and Asia you are both irreplaceable and will be forever in my heart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madeara Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 found this: Murphy, Scott Inver Grove Heights (Twin Cities) MN Veterinary Surgical Specialists yes Caper, Labrador, 11 years, 3 months unilateral laryngeal tieback/ $1200.00 07/2002 Quote "To err is human, to forgive, canine" Audrey, Nova, Cosmo and Holden in NY - Darius and Asia you are both irreplaceable and will be forever in my heart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grey14me Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 Aimee, why don't you go ahead and start giving her some milk thistle to address her liver issues...then, by the time you get the surgery, it might not even be a concern Quote Michelle...forever missing her girls, Holly 5/22/99-9/13/10 and Bailey 8/1/93-7/11/05 Religion is the smile on a dog...Edie Brickell Wag more, bark less :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madeara Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 What did the blood work show? did you do a complete wellness work up? Quote "To err is human, to forgive, canine" Audrey, Nova, Cosmo and Holden in NY - Darius and Asia you are both irreplaceable and will be forever in my heart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoomDoggy Posted July 3, 2007 Author Share Posted July 3, 2007 I've been giving her Milk Thistle for a few months now. I don't have the blood values in front of me-- will get back to that later. Gotta go to the vet now. In the storms. Quote ~Aimee, with Flower, Alan, Queenie, & Spodee Odee! And forever in my heart: Tipper, Sissy, Chancy, Marla, Dazzle, Alimony, and Boo. This list is too damned long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MP_the4pack Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 (edited) My sister's lab had LP, and she opted not to do the surgery. I watched that poor dog labor for the rest of her life. After that I didn't hesitate with Onyx (who was older than the lab when the symptoms emerged). I'm glad I did it. By the way, how do you get on the LP list? Edited July 3, 2007 by MP_the4pack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Naty Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 (edited) It's unfortunate that the surgeon you had in mind does not offer consult before surgery - seems odd anyway. A board certified surgeon will be able to discuss the risks better with you than a GP. How I found my surgeon in addition to checking that LP group was through a friend in the rescue group who's pup went through TB. Any rescue group in your area that you can reach out to? That may help alleviate your qualms if you're able to talk to someone who had first hand experience with the surgeon you may be considering. BTW, MP - here's the link. You need to register to post but you can peruse some pages http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/lp/ Edited July 3, 2007 by Naty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoomDoggy Posted July 4, 2007 Author Share Posted July 4, 2007 Back from the vet. He still stands by his position that the tieback surgery is (from his personal observations) far too risky unless Chancy is in a much more serious crisis than she currently is. FWIW, I very much trust this vet's opinions. He's popularly considered the premier grey-vet in the Twin Cities metro. Her liver values are still increasing, slowly but surely. The vet said they were certainly elevated, but not at a point where he'd go for aggressive diagnostics yet. He did say he thought Chancy looked in great shape for her age. I just wish her breathing were easier. The vet did say that if I decide to go forward with the surgery, he'd help me find the best possible surgeon to perform it at his office, so he could oversee the anesthesia. This was a great comfort to me, especially since I've lost some faith in the U of M vets... Any rescue group in your area that you can reach out to? That may help alleviate your qualms if you're able to talk to someone who had first hand experience with the surgeon you may be considering. I'm an active volunteer with my group, but I don't know of anyone who's gone through this. Quote ~Aimee, with Flower, Alan, Queenie, & Spodee Odee! And forever in my heart: Tipper, Sissy, Chancy, Marla, Dazzle, Alimony, and Boo. This list is too damned long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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