In the face of any unusual behavior in our pets, the most appropriate thing is to be an observer and take it to any medical professional if necessary to obtain a timely diagnosis, and although many of the diseases that people suffer are typical of dogs, it is likely that some diseases that they suffer are the product of some mutation of a combated disease (from humans to animals or vice versa) and therefore, these evils can be in a certain way identifiable and treatable.
There are also other cases where it is simply a question physical disability of our pets, as it may well be an anomaly in their way of barking.
Reasons why our dog cannot bark
For inexplicable reasons, if our dog has difficulties when barking or simply emits an unusual barking sound, then it is best for our companion to meet with an anatomical problem, so below we will tell you a little about what to do in this case.
A barking problem can be summed up in the larynx, specifically the vocal cords, and given how thick they are the vocal cords of dogs, they can bark with considerable force.
Your larynx houses ligaments attached to cartilage, parts that with the proper flow of air and pressure can produce a fairly powerful sound.
One of the simplest explanations for a cough in a dog is that a certain amount of mucus remains on the vocal cords and causes a cough reflex to occur when speaking and making sounds. Throat conditions They are caused by problems of this nature since they are the ones that, on a larger scale, can cause hoarseness or little intensity of barking.
Diseases suffered by dogs in the voice
While it is true that there are diseases that affect certain organs and functions of a dog's anatomy, there are also diseases for conditions of the larynx.
These can be problems of an infectious nature that disturb the functioning of the dog soundboard causing a loss in the ability to bark; with the presence of fungus, nausea and cough (usually when the dog eats or drinks).
That is why a harness can significantly reduce these attacks on the larynx of the animal and thus avoid that this subject his throat to a considerable tension.
Laryngitis
It is not more than all an inflammation of the resonance system, something that causes hoarseness, inability to bark and even aphorism and its origin may be due to excessive coughing or barking. The origin of this continuous cough may be due to other causes that do not necessarily have to be related to an infection but that could also lead to one.
Tumors, tonsil inflammation and kennel cough
This cough can occur as a result of tonsil infections or any other area of the throat, tumors or kennel cough. Therefore, for its cure it is necessary to treat the primary cause and the veterinarian will be in charge of diagnosing it and arranging the appropriate treatment.
Laryngeal paralysis
In the most extreme cases where the dog has never had a prolonged episode of barking or coughing, but in the same way it has lost the bark, then there is a case of larynx paralysis.
Although this case is only seen more present in large dog breeds such as the Labrador, the Golden Retriever, the Irish Setter or the Saint Bernard, in breeds such as the Siberian Husky or the English Bull Terrier, this paralysis is a hereditary defect.
Some of the symptoms of this condition are the roaring sound when you breathe in during and after exercise, which ends up also occurring during rest and in more extreme cases the barking simply weakens until it becomes completely inaudible and this is where a much more delicate intervention is required to address the problem.
Other causes that make your dog not bark
In addition to the diseases that we have seen, and that can explain the reason why your dog stops barking, there are other causes that can cause this behavior. It is convenient that you know to have all the possible information.
In this way, if you notice strange behavior in your pet, you will know how to anticipate problems, and with it, try to solve them in a more appropriate way. Among these causes, you have the following:
Vocal cord removal
Put like that, it sounds pretty cruel. And it is. Just like that trend of several years ago in which it was common to cut the tails and ears of certain breeds of dogs, many are now subjected to the removal of vocal cords.
As its name suggests, It is an operation to remove the strings from the dog. This way, it won't bark anymore. In fact, it is something they do to many puppies in order to sell them better, but it is still cruel to them.
Keep in mind that barking, as well as the sounds they can make, are part of their communication, and you deprive them of it.
Abuse trauma
Another cause that makes your dog not bark is due to trauma. This is more common in dogs that are adopted, because they may have had a bad experience with their previous owner, for example, who used methods that have made the animal always afraid of making noise, punishments, or even the typical anti-bark collars.
Sometimes, with patience, love, and a little help from experts, you can eliminate this behavior, but it is quite difficult and they have a hard time forgetting those moments that they have lived through. The same can happen if there is a trauma in the family where he lives, since he relates it to the barking itself.
Deafness
Deafness is also a barking-related problem. And it is that, if you do not hear the barking of others, you will not bark. And by not listening to his own, he doesn't really know if he is barking or not, which is why many dogs stop because they are not listening to themselves.
In this case, deafness may have a solution, but there are situations in which, either because of the ailment that he has, or because of his age ... they do not leave much room for maneuver for veterinarians.
Dog breed that does not bark
Finally, we want to talk to you about the dog breeds that do not bark. This can also be a reason why your dog does not do it, and many of us forget that each breed of dog has particular characteristics that can be reflected in your dog.
It's not really that they don't bark, but they don't bark often, and sometimes it can give the impression that they never have. For example, you have the labrador retriever, a very playful and affectionate dog, but one that does not bark excessively. In fact, it only does so when there really is a danger; or the Newfoundland dog, which are very large and attract attention, but do not bark often (like the Saint Bernard). Other breeds can be the Great Dane, which is very large, but also silent; or the Siberian Husky, a dog that very rarely barks, and when it does it seems more like a howl than a real bark.
Of a small breed, there are also some who bark very little, or perhaps not at all, like the bulldog or the pugs.
In this case, it cannot be asked to bark a lot if it is already a breed that does not.
What to do to make my dog bark again?
Now that you have seen the diseases and the causes that can make your dog stop barking, you surely want to know what to do to get it back to its normal state. The truth is Any aspect that has changed in your dog requires a visit to the vet.
First of all, the expert will assess your pet, in addition to listening to what you say about the change in behavior, if something has happened to justify this silence, etc. Once everything has been assessed, you can put it through some tests. They are essential to be able to give a diagnosis as accurate as possible, therefore, do not be afraid of the bill; although if you have a tight budget, you should notify it.
Once everything is done, will give you a resultEither due to an illness, trauma, or ailment ... In the case of being a characteristic of the breed, it is possible that nothing will be done, but will ask you to observe it to see if it does not bark, or they do so little you do not remember.
With illnesses, many can be solved using a medication-based treatment specific to the ailment you have. But there are some that are irreversible, and that the animal must adapt to living with them.
Finally, another option you can take is go to an expert in animal behavior. These are like "psychologists" of the dogs, and help them to change their attitude and return to what they were before. In fact, it is one of the best solutions when the dog has suffered a trauma because it helps them get through that moment and regain their self-esteem and joy.
As a suggestion, also to help your dog to bark again, You can consider taking him out for a walk to socialize with other dogs. Not only that, but also play and communicate with them. This is important because it helps them see that this behavior (barking) is not a bad thing, but is part of themselves.
In case the disease is of the vocal cords, but reversible, you can also use home remedies, such as infusions for the throat, in order to soften it and make it not sore. The objective is to recover as soon as possible to bark again.
Even if their illness causes them to lose their voice, they have more ways of communicating with dogs or peopleThey should not be discarded for that reason or think that they are no longer useful for anything.
My dog makes a sound like he can't bark from his throat, we haven't got him to live with more dogs, what can it be?
how dangerous these conditions could be or what greater effects could they reflect. I have a chihuahua that has stopped barking about 5 days ago. but he eats well and drinks water and is active but not long ago another bigger dog died
A few weeks ago my dog decreased the barking, it was d to bark a lot if someone rang the bell ... which now barely gives a bark.
My dog stopped barking but if he eats his food ... but now he does not drink much water ... he pretends to vomit ... what can I do or give him something