# 10 yr old making deep throaty sound???



## momtoMax (Apr 21, 2009)

My Willow girl is older than your Goldie and makes sounds like that after eating or drinking sometimes. It seems to me that she's clearing her throat. I think it has something to do with old age - kind of like the lip smacking thing she has going on sometimes too.


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## C's Mom (Dec 7, 2009)

I wonder if older dogs should get minced (or wet dog food) just as some seniors do? Its got to be easier on their throats. 
I had a look at your Goldie and Zoee - very cute. Are the great pals?


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## paula bedard (Feb 5, 2008)

I think you should have your Vet check her, it could be that she has Laryngeal Paralysis. My Sam was diagnosed with this condition when he turned 11. Initially I thought he had a cold, but when he started the deep cough after eating and would bring up a piece or two of his food, I realized it was something more. 
It can be scary, but there are things you can do to help a dog with this condition. Using a harness rather than a collar to walk the dog takes pressure off the throat. Feeding elevated meals, keeping the dog from over exerting itself, etc. 

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/laryngeal_paralysis.html

My Sam did develop a Mega Esophagus and had the other neuro symptoms that are in the link above, though he did not have thyroid issues. He lived with LP for about a year and a half when he developed aspiration pneumonia. Xrays were done, the ME was discovered, but they also found a very large tumor in his chest....Sadly, the time had come...we had to say Good bye to my best friend...

I hope your girl does not have LP, but if she does, you will need to know how to care for her...she can still have a very good life, Sam did.


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

I agree with Paula. Have your vet check he rout. if you don't trust your vet, maybe read a s much as you can so you can treat her as Paula said so she has greater quality of life.


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## barksin (Aug 28, 2010)

thank you all so much for your replies...........
i do hope it is old age and nothing else...

i am giving her almost mashed food and no bones....easy to swallow

@paula....she is not 'coughing' after her meals...just like a very large and loud belching...as though she is clearing her throat.....and she doesnt throw up any food
we live in an apartment so she is collar free the whole day expcept when going out......

very sorry about sam.......we are so worried about goldie..now that she is old we dont want her to suffer ...we got her soon after we got married so she is like our first child...

thank you c's mom...zoee and goldie are very good friends...initially gold didnt accept her and almost bit her too....very surprising ....but now they are best friends...and it is a good thing she has a liitle playful pup around her as she used to sleep most of the day.....now she is much more active.....thanks to zoee

will ask vet to see her though...for what its worth...


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## Claire's Friend (Feb 26, 2007)

Our old RB girl Bae Lee did this when she got older. Sounds kind of like they are trying to cough up a hair ball. She would do it while she was in bed with me and it scared me so bad the first couple of times. You should probably mention it to her vet, but I think it is just an old age thing.


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## gold'nchocolate (May 31, 2005)

barksin said:


> @paula....she is not 'coughing' after her meals...just like a very large and loud belching...as though she is clearing her throat.....and she doesnt throw up any food


My 10 yr old golden did this type of noise, for months, before she started to actually throw the food back up. Have your vet check her for Megaesophagus (can be seen on an x-ray). They don't actually "throw up"....instead they regurgitate their food because the esophagus is no longer doing it's job of bringing the food to the stomach. The esophagus muscle is flaccid and the food just never moves along so it just comes back up and out.

She also had a tumor on her thymus gland and this in turn caused the megaesophagus. These are the symptoms of Myasthenia Gravis. Good luck in your search.


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## Bob Dylan (Mar 31, 2009)

I took Dylan to the vet 8/10 for the same problem.
He was Dx with LP, and my vet said not to worry at this point. She did a senior blood panel and took a urine sample, the blood came back fine but he had a UTI so he was put on antibiotics. I will have that rechecked in about a week.
He only has a problem during the day and so far never in the evening.

As C's Mom said I do moisten his food for at least 1 hr before he eats and it has helped.

I would take Goldie to the vet for a check up, it is scary when they get older and these little things start to happen.


June


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## CarolinaCasey (Jun 1, 2007)

This is something that Casey, my parent's 12 year golden does. It lead to his diagnosis of megaesophagus. Get her to the vet, that is what I would recommend. In the meantime, see if holding her up in a sit, with her feet held up in a 'shake' position helps the situation. Do this for 15 minutes post feeding, each feeding. See if that helps the situation at all. This feeding position couldn't hurt her.


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