hamboney (07-04-2014)
I need some opinions and help. Our love buster is 13 and has this disease. His breathing is horrible and if he has this surgery (very costly) he still may end up with pneumonia by inhaling water. Has anyone experienced this with their lab?
hamboney (07-04-2014)
Hudler's been dealing with it 2 years. We have no plans to do surgery on him. We just manage from day to day.
Jen
Hidden Content
tennysonlab (06-25-2014)
My Buddy has it, will be 13 in a few months.
Vet says hind end weakness is part of it which Bud has.
recently went on two meds that have helped tremendously,
not just with his symptoms but also with his confidence.
However, it does not help with the breathing issues, just
keeping him cool and calm.........
Are you on FB ?
tennysonlab (06-25-2014)
Jolie had this to an extent, but for her, the hind-end weakness was worse than the breathing; she never got to the point where we needed to consider surgery - keeping her cool and walking her on a harness was enough.
There is a Yahoo group for owners of dogs with lar par that is very active. Many people on there have successfully had the surgery on older dogs, though some have had to deal with complications such as aspiration pneumonia. In many cases, that was also successfully treated, though not always.
Having done the research that I did, if the dog was otherwise in decent shape for their age, and the alternative was to put them down, I would try the surgery, but that is just my opinion.
tennysonlab (06-25-2014)
Thanks, he is in great health, the weakness is starting in hind legs as well. I am worried about the aspiration pneumonia because he drinks a LOT of water. Just getting to the vet is so stressful for him which upsets him and makes his breathing even worse. I just dont know what to do. I really appreciate everyone's experiences and help!!
tennysonlab (06-25-2014)
I hear you about the old dogs getting upset going to the vet. With the two dogs who had it in old age, I started cooking for them more, as kibble seemed to make it worse, even if dampened. I made a rice cereal gruel, not too thick, to coat the kibble at first, since they were also starting into kidney issues. Scrambled eggs were great for both conditions, and I also used the cartons of pasteurized egg whites next to the eggs in the dairy case: they were easy to digest protein and also made the food slippery. For busy days, some kibble with baby rice cereal. mashed sweet potatoes and egg whites.
Co enzyme Q10 also seemed to help them with heat endurance. They got joint nutraceuticals: fish oils and Flex A Min or Cosamin until they couldn't tolerate those anymore. I also used digestive enzymes, Prozyme, to help them get the most out of their food.
I admit to feeding Dream by holding her bowl to raise it, as she did better lying down with the food up a little after she got to be 15 years old. The previous boy did fine with raised food bowl holders.
tennysonlab (06-25-2014)
Marley, our 13.5 year old chocolate just had LP surgery on Tuesday. He started developing breathing issues several months ago which became significantly worse when the weather started getting hot. The surgery went well and Marley is back home and breathing much easier. The LP surgery has been a pretty scarey ordeal for us. We are hand feeding him meatball sized soft canned food and elevating his water bowl as recommended. He is on anti-inflamatory and pain medication for about a week. The incision on the lower left side of his neck is about 4 inches long. So far he is doing very well and seems happy to be able to catch his breath and for the extra attention he is getting. Best wishes for you boy Buster.
Last edited by MisterMarley; 06-06-2014 at 01:22 PM.
tennysonlab (06-25-2014)
Jake passed from LP and Hannah has it. I can't push Doxepin enough for LP. Jake had Valley Fever which masked his symptoms and did not know he had LP. It was to close to the end by the time he was diagnosed. But, Hannah's was caught early enough and my vet put her on 50MG of Doxepin. Between Jake and Hannah, she is doing a lot better and I give the credit to Doxepin.
tennysonlab (06-25-2014)
Sorry to hear about your boy's condition and the distress it is causing you both. Can't offer any advice as have not had to deal with this condition, but keeping you both in my thoughts and sending Buster lots of positive thoughts and healing vibes and hope he gets some relief soon.
Not a Member of the Labrador Retriever Chat Forums Yet? | |
|
|