Pax has a habit of introducing me to some very interesting people.
Last year, I was walking Pax at Letna Park in my hometown of Prague. On this walk, we ran into a lovely woman, a dog lover, with a beautiful Rhodesian Ridgeback.
As we chatted, the woman told me her dog was 11 years old.
"Wow", I said. "Your dog looks great, and she is moving really well!"
After hearing this compliment, the owner suddenly looked sad and worried.
"Thank you," she replied. "But he's actually scheduled for surgery."
No wonder she looked worried!
I know how nerve-wracking it can be for you when your dogs are scheduled for surgery.
As we continued chatting, she shared with me that her dog was scheduled for surgery for laryngeal paralysis.
You may already know that laryngeal paralysis is a condition that can affect dogs of every age, size, and breed.
It is presented by a lack of laryngeal muscle tone (muscles located in our dogs' neck and throat regions) and the collapse of laryngeal cartilage in the throat.
Common symptoms are loud and raspy breathing and difficulty breathing. In more advanced cases, respiratory distress and coughing can seriously affect a dog's quality of life...
Conventional medicine usually considers laryngeal paralysis congenital or idiopathic (of unknown origin), and surgery is often recommended.
But as I listened to this owner and observed her dog, I knew there was a good chance this problem could be solved without surgery.
Don't get me wrong, I am not always against surgery, but in cases of laryngeal paralysis, I've seen other, less invasive and risky approaches often yield great results.
In this case, I chose the route of least regret and gently shared some suggestions on how to help this lovely Rhodesian Ridgeback without surgery.
A few weeks after our initial encounter, I ran into my newly found friends again.
She was all smiles.
Why?
You'll have to watch the video to find out!
I hope you will like it and share it with others you care about.
