I just spent half the morning at the Vet with my dog. She is a 13 1/2 year old Irish/English Setter mix. She has had Laryngeal Paralysis for several months now. It was originally being treated as anxiety and congestive heart failure, but that was not accurate. I am supposed to leave tomorrow to hopefully complete the last 660 miles of the AT. I was told at her age there is really nothing that can be done. I have to make the dreaded decision tonight. I feel like I would be killing her just so I could go hiking, but I know that really isn't the case. The heat and humidity and the stress of my being gone would probably kill her. I don't want her to suffer and my husband said if anything happened while I was gone he would not be able to have her put to sleep. I'm considering just cancelling my trip, but I know that won't help her health wise. The Vet would not commit one way or the other, but he did share that he would be concerned with her heightened anxiety in my absence. When you Google Laryngeal Paralysis in dogs it is horrible to read. I just don't want to be hiking feeling like I killed my dog so I could finish the trail. Sorry for the negative post. I just needed to get it off my chest to my fellow hikers.