Doxepin For Laryngeal Paralysis

[Guest KennelMom]

Shortly before Granpda passed, our vet started him on doxepin for his laryngeal paralysis. He'd read some recent research that showed promising results in helping dogs with LP (no tie-back surgery) breathe easier. I have to say, we did see a pretty serious improvement in Grandpa's breathing. What was a very raspy, loud breath turned into a breath that was still audible, but sounded like air flowing unobstructed. I am certain without this drug we would have lost him weeks ago. I wish we would have known about it when he was diagnosed a year ago.

 

He was taking 100 mg twice a day. I wouldn't say it took away all his symptoms, but helped lessen the severity of his symptoms and restore a bit of quality of life.

 

Anyway, just wanted to post this "for the record" in case someone is living with an LP dog now or for future searches. I think it's worth a try if your vet will go for it.

[2hounds]

Thank you Heather, I have printed this out and will take it to my vet at Iceman's appt next week.

 

[Guest GreysAndMoreGreys]

Glad you posted this info

 

It was something totally new to me to hear about this drug and I think it just might help many other hounds.

 

so THANKS!!

[Guest KennelMom]

Thank you Heather, I have printed this out and will take it to my vet at Iceman's appt next week.

 

 

Alisha...

 

You may want to print this out too....it's really the only reference on the web I can find that talks about using doxepin for LP:

 

http://askapetpro.blogspot.com/2008/06/10-...nting-need.html (the second response to the question):

 

Laryngeal paralysis sounds likely from your description but can only be confirmed under anesthesia. Standard treatments have been surgical to either tie back the vocal folds or remove parts of them to provide a better airway, but there is always the risk of inhalation of fluids and foods into the lungs with the original problem and also with either surgical procedure, which may require antibiotics and other medications for aspiration pneumonia, and the problem often worsens and may need additional surgery. My own dog had the surgical resection many years ago and did well for about 9 months afterward.

 

Currently there is anecdotal evidence that a drug called Doxepin may help some dogs with laryngeal paralysis, although the mechanism of action isn't fully understood. Doxepin is a human antidepressant that has some antihistamine effects and is useful in some dogs with chronic skin problems from allergies. In the course of using it for that purpose, some veterinarians are reporting that dogs with laryngeal paralysis seem to be well-controlled in their breathing problems while on it.

 

To my knowledge, there have been no studies using Doxepin for this purpose, so it is off-label, and your veterinarian may not be aware of this drug or this use of it. If your veterinarian has access to the Veterinary Information Network (VIN) he/she can do a quick search on it.

 

Keep in mind it may or may not help your dog but may be worth a trial as a possible simple solution. I have personally tried it in 3 patients so far for this purpose and all 3 improved greatly, and one owner even called specifically to tell me the drug had given her "a new dog" just when she was considering euthanasia. That dog relapsed when she failed to renew the prescription, but is well-controlled again so long as she gets the drug.

 

Melinda R. Burgwardt, DVM

Melinda R. Burgwardt, DVM

Lancaster, NY

 

It's not an expensive drug....I can't recall if it's on any of the $4 drug lists, but a 90 day supply was only $20 at Target, IIRC. If you decide to try it for Iceman, let me know b/c we still have a lot of it and I hate for it go to waste.

[silverfish]

Thanks, Heather! I've made a note for future reference. My Jack sounds a bit noisy now when he gets excited, so I'm keeping an eye on him - and my fingers crossed!

[sweetdogs]

Thanks for posting this. Good to know there is an non-surgical option like this out there.

[judybd5]

I would like to talk to someone who has used doxipen for l.p....in re to side effects etc. Is anyone open to that?

[macoduck]

47 minutes ago, judybd5 said:

I would like to talk to someone who has used doxipen for l.p....in re to side effects etc. Is anyone open to that?

Doxipen was a big help for my greyhound. He was 11 years old when diagnosed. This medication when it is started as soon as possible once diagnosed. Each pill lasted 12 hours and I could tell when it was wearing off. He experienced no side effects and we were able to avoid the Lar-Par surgery.

[judybd5]

I was wondering about the dosage. My dog is 50 pounds, the dr said he should take 50 mg twice a day... Also he is on thyroid meds and I read that those can 

cause a problem with the Doxipen. I am so stressed about the side effects. His breathing has been improving with taking Lung Gold by Petwellness, but I am concerned that he will need

more than this. I notice that his most problem time is when he is lying down. Not always, but at times..... This whole thing has me so worried and stressed. He is eating well, walking well, and acts alert. 

 

[moosh]

Hi, my german shepherd was diagnosed with LP. Im starting her off with 25mg 2/3 times a day of Doxepin (after asking my vet to prescribe as I've seen such great reviews about this med) how long did it take for you to see the difference in your pet? also did you notice any side effect? lastly, I'm also giving her pure cod - no thc and turmeric curcumin.. did anything else hep you dog that you could share?

[macoduck]

9 hours ago, moosh said:

Hi, my german shepherd was diagnosed with LP. Im starting her off with 25mg 2/3 times a day of Doxepin (after asking my vet to prescribe as I've seen such great reviews about this med) how long did it take for you to see the difference in your pet? also did you notice any side effect? lastly, I'm also giving her pure cod - no thc and turmeric curcumin.. did anything else hep you dog that you could share?

I saw improvement within hours for my senior greyhound. It also has a better effective if your dog has started on it in the early stages of LP. Doxepin should be given every 8 hours. I could definitely tell when it was wearing off.

I got the vet prescription filled at Walmart and the price was very reasonable.

[Mariavegan]

My greyhound also has signs of LP and we saw a vet but she is reluctant to prescribe me doxepin to help her out. She says there are not enough studies out there to prove its efficacy. Yet, I went online and found these two articles which both show evidence by vets that it can be useful. 

https://dogshealthproblems.com/doxepin-for-dog-laryngeal-paralysis/

https://petmaven.io/whydodogs/health/ask-the-vet-doxepin-for-canine-laryngeal-paralysis-LWubsNGOXESsgISGiE6q7w

I printed these out and showed them to my vet but she won't change her mind. Wondering if others here have struggled as well and what I can do to convince her. I am almost tempted to purchase from online pharmacies but they look non reliable and afraid they would just take my money and not send the medication. Lately I saw a person on a forum who had a dog with LP who passed away and he was willing to ship them to me.

But is it so risky to give these pills a try? I hear it only may cause a bit of a sedative effect. Go figure why my vet is so stubborn! I feel like switching vet just for this, but she has been great over the years other than this really.

[macoduck]

My vet has a strong pharmacology background and she highly recommended the Doxepin. She also did not require an inspection of the throat under anesthesia prior to writing the prescription.

My boy never acted sedated by it. It was wonderful that he no longer struggled to breathe.

You won't be able to get this without a prescription from your vet. Try the free pills being offered, but check the dose and check the identity of the pill (online search).

You might also want to post on the Facebook page called Greyhound Health and Medical and ask for reference sites to help convince your vet to try Doxepin.

[macoduck]

Mariavegan, this is the dose that my boy was on, as suggested by a very greyhound savvy vet:

Typically recommended starting dose for a large dog is 50 mg twice daily, and it can be increased to 100 mg twice daily.