Do you have a dog who just won’t stop barking? Perhaps you’re an annoyed neighbor who has simply had enough of a local mutt constantly barking and keeping you awake at night.
Either way, I am sure the thought has crossed your mind whether it’s possible for a dog to get a sore throat from barking or damage their vocal cords. If dogs do get sore throats, it could mean you will get some respite from the noise at some point.
This very same question came up last week in a social media conversation, so I decided to investigate whether dogs can get sore throats, and if barking too much is a factor.
Do dogs get sore throats from barking? Dogs can get sore throats from barking too much. Excessive barking over a prolonged period of time can result in damage to the dog’s vocal cords, resulting in laryngitis where the larynx inflames and becomes sore, plus a hoarse bark.
So, there you have it; dogs can damage their vocal cords by barking excessively, which they will often do to communicate with each other.
Why is my dogs bark so hoarse?
The reason a dog’s bark is so hoarse can be due to excessive barking. It could alternatively be down to a wide range of reasons including distemper, tonsillitis, irritations, and more sore throat reasons.
You can see them all listed below.
Can dogs get sore throats for other reasons?
But, if you do believe that your dog does have sore throat from barking too much, don’t assume that’s why they are in discomfort. Dogs can have sore throats for a wide range of reasons, some more serious than others.
For example, a dog can get a sore throat due to:
- Barking too much: as previously discussed, a dog that barks too much can hurt their throat, making it red and sore.
- Canine distemper: this bacterial respiratory infection will often be accompanied with pharyngitis, where the walls of the dog’s throat become inflamed.
- Canine tonsillitis: Symptoms of tonsillitis in dogs will include red and swollen tonsils, which you should see at the back of the throat.
- Cut, abrasion, or irritation: anything that irritates your dog’s vocal cords or throat can lead to soreness. This can include hairs, dust, smoke, or even a small graze.
- Foreign object lodged:
- Herpes virus: according to com, the herpes virus replicates in the mucosa of the oral cavity and throat and then enters the dog’s bloodstream to make them sick.
- Laryngitis: can be caused by an upper respiratory tract infection or by something in the throat that irritates, including the dog barking too much.
- Parvovirus: this disease starts when the virus by attacks the tonsils or lymph nodes of the dog’s throat, making it sore. It’s one of the first symptoms of canine parvo.
- Strep throat: similar to tonsillitis, dogs can also suffer with strep throat like us humans do if the bacteria gets into their system.
- Throat cancer: this is the most serious possibility for a dog’s sore throat, with life expectancy ranging from 2 to 12 months upon diagnosis and treatment.
It’s important that you talk with your vet to rule out a more serious reason for your dog’s sore throat. It might not be just down to excessive barking and damaged vocal cords.
You might actually not realize your dog has a sore throat, whether through excessive barking or another reason. There are some symptoms and signs you can look for though, listed below.
Dog sore throat symptoms
If you are now wondered how you can tell if your dog has a sore throat or damaged vocal cords, then there are some classic symptoms to look out for.
- Swallowing motions.
- Hoarse sounding bark.
- Coughing or hacking up.
- Gagging.
- Fever-like symptoms.
- Licking of lips.
- Excessive drooling.
- Swollen and red tonsils.
- Crying when they yawn or open mouth.
- Not eating and / or not drinking.
- Appearing to be lethargic, tired, and listless.
To find out more about these signs, check out this post dedicated to dog sore throat symptoms.
Can dogs get sore throats from humans?
I had to include this too, as I found it so interesting and you might too. It is possible for dogs to get sore throats from humans. Dogs can become infected with the human strep throat bacteria, which then gives them an infection.
Do dogs get tired of barking?
If the dog you want to stop barking happens to develop a sore throat because of the incessant noise, then you should hopefully get some respite. Barking will hurt the dog, so he or she will need to stop it until the throat recovers – or until the law catches up with you and the dog gets taken away!
But, what if instead, the dog keeps barking and never happens to get a sore throat? Will it get tired of barking? Here’s what I found out online:
- Dogs don’t necessarily get tired out from barking, but instead will start to bark less.
- Most dogs of average medium size will stop barking after 60 to 90 minutes.
- Some dogs will continue to bark even if they are tired and hoarse if they are under psychological stress.
Handy Hint: I’ve previously written a guide which explains why a dog might have suddenly started barking for no reason and what you can do about it.
Conclusion
To conclude, it’s certainly possible that a dog can get a sore throat from barking too much. Whether that means the dog will stop or not, is a completely different matter!
Dogs will continue to bark for hours if they are stressed, in pain, or have separation anxiety; it’s not like they get bored of it, just possibly a little bit tired.
You might also like…
If you enjoyed this investigation into doggy behavior, you might also enjoy the following reads I’ve put together:
- This is how many times a male dog can manage to mate in a day!
- How much a Great Dane dog needs to be fed each day
- Will a fox attack and kill a dog?
Image in header via https://pixabay.com/photos/doodle-barking-dog-woof-brown-dog-2965983/