Respiratory problems

Continued

Vocal cord paralysis (VCP)

Last week I said that vocal cords are situated in the larynx (voice box). The function of these vocal cords can be compromised as the dog gets older and reaches middle age or old age. This seems to occur especially in large breeds of dogs. (If my memory serves me well, the Siberian Husky is one of the very specific breeds that often experiences this problem; fortunately, we do not see many exemplars of this breed in Guyana).

The condition can be recognized by a characteristic croupy noise as the dog breathes in (this noise is sometimes call ‘roaring’). It comes on