A quick entry today – many of you know I’ve been extra busy this year with both my own dogs (the Very Old Boys) presenting some challenges (Daniel is 14 and four months, Zeke fifteen and a half, both large breed)…so my “extra” time has been either tending to them or sleeping! 🙂 Lest I sound like I’m complaining – this is tough, but my partner and I remain grateful for every single hour. We both feel so blessed to have this Christmas, as it is very likely to be our last with these two beautiful souls we’ve walked such a long way with, whom we love as family. I plan to write on Danny’s condition – GOLPP (Geriatric Onset Laryngeal Paralysis and Polyneuropathy) in future entries, as it is misdiagnosed a lot and some of the treatments we are using are not as well known as I wish they were.
Here are a couple of links on GOLPP:
https://cvm.msu.edu/scs/research-initiatives/golpp/living-with-golpp
Michigan State University overview
https://www.purinaproclub.com/resources/dog-articles/health/laryngeal-paralysis-is-first-sign-of-general-neurological-paralysis
More info, well written article
On that note – while GOLPP is not as immediately responsive to herbs and nutrition as the more common conditions I work with, I do feel optimizing diet is useful (and in the case of several nutrients, using at higher than normal levels) and herbs can play a BIG role in keeping dogs calm, in maintaining healthy digestion, supporting the nervous system and much more. The problem with administering herbs to a dog with LarPar (Laryngeal Paralysis, which can happen at any age) or GOLPP, is some herbs can upset the tummy or aggravate acid reflux, so we need to be clever about how to administer them, and we need to be mindful about getting as close as possible to balanced diet into them, when feeding less overall or feeding bland diets to manage the gut. I set up a Facebook group and will post information on this there as well as here, for anyone with a senior dog, or who has had a diagnosis of LarPar /GOLPP. Please drop by, it’s a free service I will lend as much time as I can to.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/caninelaparandgolppnutrition
I often see guardians of GOLPP dogs feeding bland diets that lack numerous essentials, or giving up on herbs after slippery elm failed to resolve reflux. I’m here to tell you there are myriad way to improve diet and work with herbs, even if we are just getting closer to nutrient goals, that will be a step in the right direction. In the next installment I’ll talk about using, but not being too hung up on the NRC Guidelines with your GOLPP dog. A perfect recipe is no use if your dog won’t eat it.
And many blessings to all of you dealing with this condition. Its a toughie for sure.