Sadie's voice has changed

[Nichole]

This is a weird one and I don't know what to make of it. Here is a video from a month ago. These videos are on facebook so hopefully you guys can see them.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150824292738195

And here is a video I took today. I've noticed she seemed a little warble-y with some mild voice changes over the last few days but then today BOOM. Much deeper.

https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150906704058195

Even her chatter, chortles, and squeals are different. Much deeper. Sadie's voice has always been very feminine and rather shrill. My ear drums are kinda thankful but really, this is just so sudden. Is it weird that my dog went into puberty and got a deeper voice so suddenly at 3 1/2 yrs of age? Is this something that needs to be looked at?

[Nichole]

We also hear some hoarseness in her voice. She hasn't done anything unusual with her voice. I do not think the hoarseness is the cause of the voice drop. The voice dropped deeper, and is now going hoarse. I think she needs to go to the vet.

[Curly_07]

Not sure if this is relative, but Curly will be 5 this fall and just in the last 6 months has actually got a deep bark and deeper sounding chatter/talk/cry thingy she does. It's always, and I mean since she was 3 months up until 4 yrs of age, been a high pitch screamer/whine/cry and didn't know how to really bark. They would come out like a yelp. It has been weird watching her voices change so drastically after 4 yrs of it not.

Sent from my HTC using Tapatalk

[Nichole]

Did this change happen drastically? Like, normal when you went to bed and woke up with another dog's voice?

[Curly_07]

Pretty much. She was screaming at squirrels one day, then the next evening she let out a bark. She scared herself actually and went and hid in her crate for a few mins. Then the day after that I noticed deeper screams and whines.

Sent from my HTC using Tapatalk

[Nichole]

Someone asked for a non-facebook video so I figured I'd share that one, too.

[HappyPuppy]

Wow - you're right...she's turned into a seal!?! That is defo a drastic change and worth a throat inspection! (have to say that the new voice is a bit easier on the ears, tho!!! )

[Nichole]

Yeah, I admit it is easier on the ears. I would miss her unique shrill chatter through, oddly enough. I have an appt on Wednesday to make sure something bad isn't going on with her vocal cords.

[pblove]

I hope there is nothing wrong with that beautiful girl.
p.s. Pearl respondss to her shrill voice, not the new voice.

[PBF lurker]

So how did the appointment go?

[Nichole]

It went fine, thanks for asking.

I showed the vet the video I made and she agreed, it's a bit of a difference. Lymph nodes feel fine, and Sadie's anatomy makes evaluating the larynx impossible. She sent us home with some anti-inflammatories. We're working with the assumption that she probably has laryngitis. This is day 3 of meds and I don't notice a huge difference - a minor improvement maybe. I'm not chomping on the bit to try antibiotics so we'll call the vet and give an update after the meds are done and if there isn't any change I'll do whatever the vet feels is appropriate - be it antibiotics or just accepting Sadie's "new normal"