We've had our little portie for just under 10 years now. He's a huge part of the family, and if I may be so bold, he is the heart and soul of our home. There is nothing that we would not do for him. Just seeing his smile and his wagging tail, have kept us sane over this pandemic.
We take him to the vet regularly, we give him his heartworm and flea medication, and we brush his teeth every single night. He gets walked a minimum of 3 times a day, and is at his ideal weight. He is always brushed and groomed, and we constantly play with him. This is why it came as a shock to us back in September, to learn that he had developed a mass on his gums, and that it would be a good idea to have it removed and perform a biopsy on it. We did not hesitate. At the time of the procedure, we were also told that it would be a good idea to clean his teeth as well just in case he had tartar build up. We said, "go for it"
Two weeks later he had his appointment. It was October. He went under general anesthesia. When we picked him up that night, he was really stoned. He could barely move. He just stared at the wall for hours. The vet told us to look out for bleeding and vomiting, and that he would also have a coughing noise for the next few days. This would be due to the intubation tube. It irritates their throat. We were prepared. We had the antibiotics ready, and we also kept an eye on him that night.
He did cough. He coughed a lot. In fact, the coughing got worse and worse as the days went on. Hubby and I figured we'd wait until the medication was over and see how it went. Doggie started to sound like he had emphysema. The coughing was awful. We took him back to the vet. They gave him a steroid. I did mention on more than one occasion, to the vet, that he only started coughing after the intubation. They disagreed with me and told me it had nothing to do with it.
We started the steroid. The coughing was worse. I called the vet. They told me to finish the prescription first. The coughing started to change into wheezing. I was very nervous for my doggie. In the meantime, he had also developed an ear and eye infection. So, along with the steroid, we were giving him eye drops and ear drops. We couldn't figure out how he got these infections. Considering he had been on antibiotics after his procedure, wouldn't they have taken care of any other infections before they started?
We took him back to the vet. They suggested an x-ray just in case his lungs weren't clear. They said they'd call us if they found anything. This would be the second time since October that he would be put under.
They did call us back that afternoon and told us that his lungs were clear, but, that they suspected that there might be something wrong with his vocal cords. They asked permission to perform a procedure whereby they sedate the doggie and try to stimulate his vocal cords. Hubby and I figured, "we might as well. He's already at the vet and he's already sedated"
They called us that night with the "devastating" news. The vet told us that our doggie had bilateral laryngeal paralysis. Hubby and I stared at the phone for 5 minutes in a stunned silence, the vet went on and on about all our options. Our brains were reeling. At one point I had to shout at her to tell her to just stop talking for one second so that we could process what she was saying to us. It was so surreal. The day before this diagnosis, hubby and I had taken doggie for a 1 hour walk. He ran, jumped, played. Now we were told that he had a terminal illness. It was crazy. When we picked him up, we asked the vet how this was possible for a dog so full of life. She didn't really have an answer for us, besides the fact that dogs are just happy in general.
I did some research on the condition. Articles pointed out that bilateral laryngeal paralysis was not necessarily a death sentence. And, since it usually happened to senior dogs, they could in fact live out the rest of their lives. However, we had to use a harness instead of a collar, not take him out when it was too hot, and not exercise him too much.
This became a real problem. Our doggie is used to a lot of exercise and activity. We had drastically reduced it...and he started to get bored and antsy. He started chasing his tail like a puppy....eating toilet paper...knocking over our waste paper baskets...etc.
I figured I had to do something. Hubby and I decided to visit with a surgeon and get a consultation. We had nothing to lose. Just wanted to know what our options were. And now, since it had been 2 weeks since we got the news, we also had clearer heads.
We called our vet. She made the appointment for us with the surgeon. The morning of his consultation, as we were driving our doggie to the clinic, the ride was in silence. We were terrified with what we were going to find out.
We got to the clinic. Due to Covid-19 procedures, we were not allowed in with our dog. Hubby and I waited in the car. The surgeon would call us within 30 minutes with his diagnosis.
About 4 minutes later, our cell phone rang. It was the surgeon. He had a Parisian accent. "Why eez theese dawg heere? E does not neeed serjerie. E iz normale. Why did you make theese appointment?" Hubby and I were stunned. We told the surgeon that we didn't make the appointment. It was our vet that had suggested it. He thought we were crazy. Although our doggie made a lot of noise when he breathed, the last thing he had was bilateral laryngeal paralysis! The surgeon suggested our doggie see the doctor of internal medicine, who, happened to be free at the time. So, we continued waiting in the car for a phone call. About 20 minutes later, the internal medicine doctor called us. She said his throat and chest were clear, but it would be a good idea to do a CT scan. Just in case there was something in his head. We asked, "how could this happen? How could an entire staff at the vet's office see paralysis when there was none?" She explained that in many instances, when you sedate a dog, his larynx also relaxes so much, then it looks like a false positive.
So, 2 weeks later, we took the dog to the clinic to get a CT scan. It should also be noted that during the 2 weeks between the surgeon's visit and the scan, we exercised our dog a lot. We were making up for lost time. Our doggie loved it! He started behaving again, and became calm again. Also, once again, it should be noted that his breathing was always incredibly loud and it sounded laboured.
So, back at the clinic for the CT Scan. Third time he would go under anesthesia in the space of 2 months. A few days later, we got the results. Nothing wrong with his head. The final step, we were told, was to stick a camera up his nasal passages to see if there was a foreign body in there. I looked it up. Apparently, even a small blade of grass can cause quite the problem. The tiniest foreign matter can create a blockage, and thus, an infection. We waited until after Christmas to do the nasal endoscopy.
So back to the clinic. Back to sedating our doggie. Four times now within four months. Once again, we dropped him off and waited for news. This time, we went home as the procedure would take hours. We got a call late in the evening. There was no foreign body up his nose. They asked permission to put balloons up his nasal cavity to inflate the passage. That way they could really see what's going on. They had to use 3 balloons of different sizes. They found a lot of stuff up his nose...a lot. What was it? Mucous!!! So much of it, that they were emptying his nose for 30 minutes. The doctor explained it to me. She said, in most dogs, when they are intubated, they get acid reflux. In some cases, however, the pharynx gets completely clogged up and it is very difficult to drain it all. Worst case scenario, although they drained it, it may fill up again. If it ever gets so bad that he cannot breathe, we have to think about putting in a stent to widen the passageway. In the meantime, the doctor suggested I use Salinex and a nasal aspirator on him. I tried to do it a few times. There is not a chance my doggie is letting me anywhere near him with those things. I resorted to keeping him with me in the bathroom when I shower. Hoping the steam will open up his clogged nose.
Doggie was on antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and painkillers for over 2 weeks. He also developed gastro from all the medication. Now, over a month since the last procedure, he's finally off all the meds. My day to day now includes keeping several Kleenexes on me to wipe away the discharge. (and let me tell you, there is so much of it). But, at least I know he's ok. Somedays I don't hear him breathing at all, and other days he sounds like he's growling. His discharge also seems to be abating. Hopefully as the months get warmer, it will dry up all together.
So what have learned over these last four horrific months?
1-Vets can get it wrong. And when they do, it is a nightmare trying to find out what the problem is
2-Trust your gut. Although, the vet initially said that the intubation had nothing to do with his problem, it was very clear in the end that the intubation was exactly what caused the problem in the first place
3-Despite all the pushback you will get from friends and family, buy insurance for your pet. We did get insurance the day we brought him home as a puppy. It has really come in handy.
4-There will always be unforeseeable events. We spent close to $7,000 during a pandemic year where hubby retired and I only received between 60%-75% of my salary. (Hence, the insurance). As cliché as it may sound, you have to plan for your pet's future
5-Listen to your pet. He will let you know when he is bored, antsy, or in distress
and finally,
6-love your pet like there is no tomorrow. We were lucky. But had the first vet been right, I would be writing a completely different story.
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