Cat: loss of voice??

O
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Hi everyone, my cat has lost his voice... apart from that, he's eating normally, seems fine in himself, asking to go out as usual, etc...

He lost his voice a few times last year. The first time it happened, I went to the vet who told me 'everything's fine, he's in tip-top shape', and eventually his voice came back bit by bit. So the second time, I didn't bother with the vet and his voice returned after a week or two... and now here we go again! For the last 4 days he's been completely mute; he opens his mouth but nothing comes out, and when he tries to force it, you can only hear a tiny, raspy sound.

I should mention he's nearly 10 years old.

Has anyone else had this issue? What do you think? I'm baffled 🤪

Thanks.

Translated from French
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4 answers
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    • M
    Mothercat Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi there,

    My first cat, who passed away in 2015 at the age of 18 and a half, was put on treatment for hyperthyroidism for six months until he died (from uraemia). After two or three months of the treatment, his voice just faded away, so by the end of his life his meow was nothing more than a whisper... According to the vet, the loss of his voice wasn't caused by the hyperthyroidism or the hormone treatment...

    Regardless, from the moment he started the treatment, I watched his general health go downhill terribly, and losing his voice was one of the most heartbreaking parts of it all.

    I still miss his voice so much.

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    O
    Ode7 Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi, thanks for your reply @Howcat. I rang the vet last night and they’d actually prefer to just wait and see for the time being, though they’re leaning towards it being laryngitis... I gave a dose of anti-inflammatories (as the vet recommended) and things are looking much better this morning. The voice is still a bit croaky, but at least we can hear them now lol :) We'll have to see how it goes. Thanks again.
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    O
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    Hi Emeline, thanks so much for your reply. I haven't actually noticed any other symptoms apart from his voice, although every now and then he swallows three or four times in a row, so I’m guessing it must be bothering him... But there's no runny nose, no watery eyes, no sneezing, no lethargy... etc. At one point I even wondered if there were such things as fungal infections that could affect the vocal cords... What seems weird to me is that this is the third time in a year now... does that mean he’s catching a sore throat every time? He’d never had this in the nine years before... As for cat flu, he caught it about five years ago, but since he was vaccinated, it wasn't too bad and he was treated quickly... could this loss of voice be a little cat flu relapse? I'm going to book an appointment with the vet anyway if there's no improvement by this evening... Thanks again
    Translated from French
    ProvetoJuniorConseil
    Provetojuniorconseil Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi,

    There are several reasons why a cat might lose its voice.

    It’s actually quite common for a cat to struggle to meow because of something like a hairball stuck in their throat, for example.

    A sore throat, laryngitis, or pharyngitis can also cause a loss of voice.

    These seem like the most likely possibilities, especially if your pet isn't showing any other signs besides that.

    In these cases, the vocal cords become irritated, which stops them from vibrating properly and prevents any sound from forming.

    Just so you know, a cat can also sound hoarse due to an infectious disease like cat flu. In that case, you’d notice other symptoms too (runny eyes and nose, lethargy, etc.).

    Emeline

    Translated from French

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