Introduction
When a dog begins to go deaf the process is normally a gradual one. Dogs are gifted with the ability to easily rely on their other senses to make up for one that they lost, and you will probably not be able to tell that your dog is going deaf until they have lost most of their hearing. Most dog owners who discover that their dog has gone deaf have noticed for awhile that something about their pet seemed a little off, but they couldn’t quite put their finger on what it could be.
Symptoms of Deafness in Dogs
Many pet owners will recognize deafness in dogs before they recognize the condition in cats. Dogs show much more obvious symptoms of going deaf than cats. Dogs that are going deaf may slowly stop responding to commands. They may seem confused or unsure about what you are asking. Dogs that lose their hearing become easily startled if someone comes up behind them, and they may even accidentally snap at their owners if they are startled.
If your dog seems to be losing their hearing, schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. Hearing loss is not normally a serious condition, but it is a good idea to make sure that there are no underlying conditions which contributed to your pet’s loss of hearing.