Health
Benson's Story
Benson was a rescued Afghan Hound who was found tied to a lamppost in Southampton, in a terrible state. At the time I was on good terms with the RSPCA, who phoned me and asked if I would take him home, it was the middle of December, they thought he was getting on in age, at least 8 or 9 years old.
It was about 18 months later he started the coughing and wheezing, I took him to the vet who referred him to a specialist in Winchester She listened to his breathing and diagnosed Laryngeal Paralysis and said it wasn’t bad enough to operate on yet, I had to ring her back when it got worse, which I did a few months later, and she listened to him over the phone and he was booked in for his laryngeal tie back procedure.
In the meantime if the breathing got bad we had to hold his head in the bottom of the fridge to cool him down. Eventually he had his operation done, there were no problems, except keeping him quiet and stop him eating anything he shouldn’t do.
We even did 'Discover Dogs' with him for a couple of years after his operation, so I had him nearly 7 years. Specialist said he must be at least 9, but he lived another 5 years, and died eventually of old age when everything else naturally gave up. We think he must have been at least 15. He had a lovely temperament.
Sylvia helped me a lot, sending me all the information on this condition, of which I had never heard of before.
Lyn Gray
July 2005
© Lyn Gray-2005 - all rights reserved