Disease Description: Laryngeal paralysis in dogs is a condition in which the nerves that control the larynx, or voice box, don't work properly. Laryngeal paralysis can cause changes in the voice and trouble with eating and breathing.

Inherit Mode: In the Bouvier and the Siberian husky, inheritance is autosomal dominant. In the Dalmatian it is autosomal recessive.

Disease Symptom: Signs of this disorder are usually seen by 2 to 6 months of age and are often first noticed, or become worse, in hot weather. Affected dogs have difficulty breathing, and may collapse, especially with exercise. Your dog's breathing will be noisy, with coughing or gagging when eating, and you may notice that the gums are greyish rather than pink. As part of the laryngeal paralysis-polyneuropathy complex, affected Dalmatians commonly havemegaesophagus,which is a chronic dilation (expansion) of the esophagus that occurs due to loss of normal muscle tone and function, so that swallowing can not occur normally. Affected dogs regurgitate undigested food after meals, and may develop aspiration pneumonia due to inhalation of food particles or other foreign matter.

Disease Cause: -

Disease Diagnose: Your veterinarian will suspect a problem of airway obstruction based on what you describe and on your dog's breathing pattern. Laryngoscopy (looking down your dog's throat with a light) will confirm laryngeal paralysis as the cause.

Treat Method: Initial treatment is aimed at calming your dog and lessoning repiratory distress. Depending on the severity of the obstruction, this may require mild sedation, administration of oxygen, and low doses of corticosteroids to reduce swelling. Rarely, with very severe breathing problems, a veterinarian may need to put a tube into a dog's trachea (an emergency tracheostomy). Once your veterinarian has assessed your dog, s/he will discuss with you management of this condition. In mild cases, all that may be required is avoidance of stress, especially associated with exercise and heat, and occasional medical treatment as above for episodes of respiratory distress. Where the condition is more severe, your veterinarian may suggest surgery to tie back the muscles and enlarge the opening of the larnyx. Unfortunately the outlook is guarded to poor for Dalmatians with laryngeal paralysis-polyneuropathy complex. Most die or are euthanized within a few months of diagnosis, due to aspiration pneumonia.

Breeder Advice: Affected dogs should not be bred. In the Bouvier and husky, where inheritance is autosomal dominant, close relatives should be carefully evaluated for signs of this problem before being used for breeding. Due to the autosomal recessive mode of inheritance in the Dalmatian and possibly the bull terrier, breeding of the parents (carriers of the disorder) and siblings (suspect carriers) should be avoided.

Disease Description Source: Link