Hi Colleen,

This is really a tough one.

I have never seen a cat with congenital laryngeal paralysis even though I am a vet tech, but I did some research this afternoon. I am so sorry for all you are going through with Milagro.

You said in your post that the surgery wasn't successful. Does this mean that the "tie-back" didn't hold or that it held but didn't help Milagro at all. Do you know if one side was tied-back or if both sides were done? Perhaps if one side was done (which seems to be most common) the other side can be done to create a larger opening. I read about other surgical options for laryngeal paralysis, but you would probably have to take Milagro to a vet school to have them done. I know in dogs that the "debarking" surgery can be helpful with laryngeal paralysis and wonder if the same, or a similar, procedure can be done in cats.

It seems that steroids can be very helpful for cats with Milagro's condition. Has he ever been on steroids? I would think that a long-acting steroid injection (such as Depo Medrol) would work best. Please ask your vet about this. Also, I wonder if a very mild anti-anxiety medication might help at all.

This is such a difficult decision you are facing and I really feel for you. If this were one of my babies I don't know what I would do either. Perhaps I would try steroids first, rather than looking into another surgery. I don't blame you for not wanting a permanent tracheostomy to be done. I wouldn't want this either.

Take care, and I'm sending GLOW to you and Milagro.

Regards,
PHKitkat

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