Abstract

Background:
Laryngeal paralysis is a major cause of dyspnoea in dogs and can be related to several conditions, including trauma; however, it has never been described as a consequence of an oesophageal foreign body.

Case description:
A 14-year-old spayed female mixed-breed dog was presented for acute dyspnoea and a bony foreign body in the proximal oesophageal sphincter detected on cervical radiographic survey. After foreign body retrieval, the clinical signs persisted, and bilateral laryngeal paralysis was observed endoscopically. A left arytenoid lateralization was performed. Clinical signs promptly resolved without complications, and the dog remained asymptomatic 18 months postoperatively.

Conclusion:
Although other aetiologies were considered in this dog, inflammation and damage caused by the oesophageal foreign body to the laryngeal structures and innervation were considered the most probable cause of the laryngeal paralysis described in this case. Oesophageal foreign bodies should therefore be considered a possible contributing cause of laryngeal paralysis in dogs.

Key words: Dog; Foreign body; Laryngeal paralysis.