My dog's bark is a whisper and she struggles to breathe. What's wrong?

This could be due to a degeneration of the laryngeal nerve that is innervating the larynx being in charge of its movement (vocal chords included). Inflammation of this nerve and upper respiratory airways infection is possible as well. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Hi there! I would recommend having this checked out by your vet when you're able to. A wheezing sound in the throat, hoarseness, and/or a raspy quality to her panting or breathing are all concerning for something interfering with normal air flow in the back of her throat. This could be due to laryngeal paralysis, a growth or tumor, a foreign body, or something simple like a respiratory infection causing some swelling or inflammation in this area. Your vet can do a complete oral exam under sedation if needed to get a better look at her throat, and may also recommend x-rays or other testing to help check for abnormalities.

It is hard to say the exact cause of her breathing. I would be concerned about a possible upper respiratory infection, pneumonia, heart disease, heartworm disease or pain. I would recommend taking her to a veterinarian for a good listen to her chest and possible chest x-rays.

Sorry to hear that Bruno's lost his bark. A change in barking sound or a loss of bark can be associated with a few different conditions. While a collapsing trachea or an upper respiratory infection are certain possibilities, they are not the most common cause for this symptom. There is a condition known as laryngeal paralysis that is known to cause this symptom quite frequently. Regardless of what the cause is, it is unlikely to resolve on its own without some treatment. You should take Bruno into the vet for a physical exam and some diagnostic imaging. They will be able to tell you whether or not one of the above mentioned conditions is causing Bruno's current issues. Hope this helps!

This could have various causes, the most common one would be an infection with kennel cough which can cause excessive coughing which in turn can make the dog hoarse and so diminish her bark. There are more serious causes such as laryngeal paralysis, a vocal chord swelling or tumor and other conditions that make it hard for the vocal chords to vibrate and make the correct sound. mechanical interference such as an ingested and stuck foxtail, piece of bone , etc. which can cause an abscess in that region. Trauma and nerve damage, hypothyroidism and autoimmune conditions can also change the bark. So, you can see that this is a complicated subject. Your vet is trained to properly examine your dog and diagnose your dog's condition. Depending on the cause, medications may be indicated, rest, or surgery (in case of a tumor or abscess). An appointment with your vet will be the best.

A sudden bark change is definitely something to go see your vet about. What you describe makes me think Zeus has laryngeal paralysis (“lar par”). Other possibilities are a mass or abscess in the throat or potentially an infection like kennel cough. However, rest assured that your choke collar did not cause this (unless it somehow caused a puncture wound to the throat).

It's hard to say, but if there is concern about something being stuck in the throat, I would have Bruno examined by a vet ASAP. Sometimes infections that cause kennel cough can cause these symptoms, but it is safer to rule out a possible foreign body or blockage first.