Papa from Christchurch Bull Breed Rescue

Gemma was lucky enough to be approached by Abbey Van Der Plas – the founder of Christchurch Bull Breed Rescue for her own dog Papa – the original ‘Ambassadog’ for the charity. Papa was suffering with a condition known as ‘Geriatric Onset Laryngeal Paralysis and Polyneuropathy’ or GOLPP. Dogs affected by GOLPP are usually older or geriatric and progressively lose nerve function to various parts of the body including the larynx and other muscles. GOLPP is characterized by three main conditions: laryngeal paralysis, mega-oesophagus, and weakness in the back legs. Laryngeal paralysis is often the most obvious condition and can be life-threatening as it causes upper airway obstruction and difficulty breathing.

The video below shows how we diagnosed Papa’s laryngeal paralysis under a light general anaesthesia. The laryngeal muscles are paralysed so the vocal folds no longer open out during inspiration but are instead sucked inwards, causing airway obstruction and difficulty breathing.

We called in the expertise of Dr Helen Milner to help us perform the corrective “Tie-Back” surgery to alleviate Papa’s breathing difficulties.

This was Papa before his surgery.

Here he is over a year later doing great! He still has some conditions which need managing with medications, like his megaoesophagus, but as you can see, he takes it all in his stride!