Can Dogs Lose Their Voice

It is great to be welcomed by your dog’s loud barks as you get home from work. But you have noticed that your dog’s barking is not as loud as normal over the past few days. This can leave you puzzled, but can dogs lose their voice?

Just like humans, dogs can lose their voice. This can be caused by excessive barking, collapsing trachea, hereditary paralysis, or acute polyradiculoneuritis. Some other causes include kennel cough, upper respiratory infection, and a consequence of surgery.

Causes of Voice Loss in Dogs

1.Too Much Barking

Dogs communicate through barking, but excessive barking might signify danger. Dogs may bark for long when faced with danger, stress, or anxiety. They damage their vocal cords by continually barking for an extended time.

2. Collapsing Trachea

Dogs with short faces, such as Boston Terriers and English Bulldogs, commonly experience laryngeal collapses. As a result, the voice box becomes less stiff and cannot support the larynx in such circumstances impacting Sound production.

Besides hurting your pet’s voice, a laryngeal collapse can be fatal. It may restrict breathing, resulting in respiratory and cardiovascular issues. In these situations, it’s critical that the animal receives immediate veterinary care. In addition, surgical procedures, such as a tracheotomy, may be required.

3. Hereditary paralysis

 Breed-specific birth defects in the laryngeal nerves affect young puppies of some breeds. For example, Dalmatians, Bouvier des Flandres, Rottweilers, and white-coated German shepherd puppies are prone to laryngeal paralysis at various infancy stages.

 4. Acute Polyradiculoneuritis

 Acute Polyradiculoneuritis (AP) is a rare disease that can affect your dog’s voice. Unfortunately, the disease is yet to be properly understood and has limited treatment options.

The signs and symptoms of this disease are muscle weakness, slow reflexes, and reduced barking ability. The vets mostly end up referring to it as “coonhound paralysis.”

5. Obstruction in the Throat

Your dog may not be vocalizing in some circumstances due to a blockage in its throat. It can be a growth, enlarged tonsils, or a bone stuck in the larynx. First, inspect the dog’s mouth to see if there are any obvious obstructions. If removing the impediment with a pry bar is possible without endangering the dog, go ahead. However, if the obstruction necessitates medical treatment or surgery, as in tumors, we recommend you visit a vet.

6. Kennel Cough

Kennel cough is an infectious type of bronchitis. Its main symptom is prolonged coughs that appear to be straining the dog’s lungs. Although the voice does not disappear due to kennel cough, the constant coughing might strain the vocal cords, impacting your dog’s bark.  

7. Upper Respiratory Infection

Dogs can get an upper respiratory infection which can result in laryngitis, which makes them lose their bark or sound hoarse. Loss of appetite, ear redness, and laryngitis are typical signs of the infection. Your veterinarian will likely advise just keeping a watch on your dog if he shows these signs and is eating and behaving normally. However, y our veterinarian might suggest antibiotics or other drugs if your dog stops eating or shows a lack of appetite.

8. Consequence of surgery

The issue with your dog could be a result of previous surgery. Your dog’s voice might sound different if he underwent throat surgery.

This is due to the fact that all of the tissues require recovery time after surgery and may not function as well as they once did. Your dog’s voice may change or even vanish beyond this point.

My Dog Lost His Voice, What Can I Do?

1.Identify the cause of excessive barking.

The primary cause is excessive barking, but you can easily stop it. First, find out what is making your dog bark excessively, whether it is boredom or separation anxiety, and take steps to address it. Your dog’s voice will gradually return if you give it a few days to heal.

2. Purchase antibiotics for infections

With the help of a vet, you can treat the infection with some prescribed medicine. There is no need to rush to the vet every time because some common diseases can be treated at home.

3. Give plenty of water

A dry throat sometimes causes vocal cord tension and excessive barking. Give your dog enough water to keep his throat hydrated. 

4.Prevent potential Allergen Exposure

The breed of your dog will determine how sensitive they are to allergens. Some dogs respond negatively to environmental allergens, resulting in watery eyes and itchy throats. You should look for the cause if your dog’s voice goes away each time they are exposed to the allergen.

5. Visit A Vet

Surgery can be painful, but it’s the only option in certain cases. Visit the vet immediately if your dog is showing tumor development or laryngeal paralysis. Then, when the problem is fixed, your dog may unwind and vocalize properly without interruptions.

Conclusion

You should seek help soon as possible if your dog has lost his voice. Sometimes it might be caused by a minor problem like barking excessively, but it can also indicate a serious underlying problem.