Dyna has brought so much joy to our lives in the four years since she adopted us. This year she turned 13 making her officially an "elder." We've been fortunate to have her this long as we stumbled upon a life-threatening condition when we first got her.
Thanks to better healthcare than I get and a skilled surgeon, her life was saved. A side effect of that surgery was a condition called laryngeal paralysis. The nerve controlling her airway was damaged making it not open properly when she breathes. It has been a slow progressive condition that has required us to keep an ever more vigilant eye on our stubborn girl who wants to run and swim and be a part of everything.
There is a surgery that can fix the condition but she could never swim again. And those of you that have followed this blog know about Dyna and swimming.
This summer Dyna's breathing became more difficult as age was catching up with her. But we adjusted, going out when the weather was cool and driving her down to the town dock for her daily audience.
But during the past few weeks back on the boat, the southern humidity has taken its toll. So yesterday we called back to Maine to talk to Chris at Lucern Veterinary Clinic for advice. As always she was wonderful.
Tomorrow we drive to Richmond, VA, 1 hour 37 minutes drive according to Tom-Tom, for a consultation and if all goes well, surgery. She may be released the same day or they may want to keep her overnight, so we're bringing an overnight bag for us and for Dylan. There are two Red Roof Inns in Richmond.
As with any surgery there are potential complications during and after, but the benefits appear to outweigh the risks at this point. We hope to give our precious Dyna a few more happy years, both for her and for us. We will keep you posted.
6 comments:
Dyna, Dylan and the both of you will be in our thoughts tomorrow. It makes me so happy to know that those dogs are so loved and cared for. I for one am hoping for many, many more years of her healthy companionship for you. The love and adventure you have shared with her has been so beautiful and I thank you for sharing with us via "TakingPaws".
Sincerely,
Wade & Susan (Biddeford Pool, ME)
You and your family will be in my thoughts. Best wishes for successful surgery and a speedy recovery for your senior girl.
Prayers for a successful surgery.
Dyna is certainly in our prayers...yes, Charlie prays too. Waiting anxiously to hear her progress.
As a veterinarian who raised labs for 30+ years I can tell you that Dyna's breathing problem,laryngeal hemiplegia, is a not uncommon problem in older labs and ost cases are totally unrelated to a previous surgery. It sounds like you have had a good consultation on the ups and downs of surgery for this condition and I wish you and Dyna many more years on and in the water.
Larry - thanks for your comment.
You're right. Her LP could be unrelated. But it was a thymectomy that supposedly involved the nerve in question. There's no other LP in Dyna's line although that doesn't necessary mean anything either.
I think us patients are always looking for "reasons" but sometimes there just isn't one.
If you're a boater, we'd love some guest-blogging about a vet's view of dogs on boats especially with regard to medical emergencies. We're both licensed EMT's and dog-CPR trained but don't know near enough about canine medicine.
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