Elongated soft palate and everted laryngeal saccules in a Cocker Spaniel

Abstract

Caroline, a two-year-old female spayed Cocker Spaniel, presented to the Small Animal Internal Medicine Service at the Cornell University Hospital for Animals on August 22, 2005 with a history of respiratory noises and gagging. The noises had become progressively louder in the past year, increased with exercise and were associated with exercise intolerance, without cyanosis or collapse. In addition, Caroline had a productive cough for a few months prior to presentation. A physical exam disclosed respiratory sounds that were audible without a stethoscope, as well as a grade I-II/VI left sided heart murmur. Her problem list included dyspnea, exercise intolerance, productive cough, and heart murmur. The referring veterinarian had done a thyroid panel, which showed that Caroline was not hypothyroid. At Cornell, we performed an electrocardiogram, thoracic radiographs, complete blood count, and blood chemistry panel, all of which came back normal. A laryngeal examination was done under general anesthesia, and this proved that Caroline had an elongated soft palate and everted laryngeal saccules. The following morning, Caroline was taken to surgery. She had a soft palate resection and a laryngeal saccule ablation. The surgery was successful and recovery was uneventful. She did well following the surgery and was discharged the next day.