Deafness in Dogs
Deafness in Dogs Guide: Here you'll find in-depth information on deafness in dogs including its causes, symptoms, and treatments.
Read More >
Deafness is defined as the lack or loss, complete or partial, of the sense of hearing. Deafness is often difficult to assess accurately, because dogs obviously cannot tell us when they have trouble hearing. Deafness in only one ear (unilateral deafness) is particularly difficult to detect. Usually, owners first suspect that their dog may have a hearing problem when it fails to obey normal commands or respond to familiar noises. Compared to humans, dogs have
Dogs are gifted with the ability to easily rely on their other senses to make up for one that they have either lost or never had in the first place. Dogs with total congenital deafness are born deaf and never experience the sensation of sound. They do not know that they are deaf or that they are any different from other dogs. Most astute and reputable breeders will recognize a deaf puppy well before the
Deafness in dogs can be one of two kinds: conductive or sensorineural.If sounds cannot travel properly in the external or middle ear (i.e. sound does not conduct properly), the problem is said to be conductive. This can occur when there is an ear infection, a ruptured eardrum, blocked ear canals or fluid in the ear. Usually in these patients, hearing loss is only partial and treatment involves medical or surgical correction. If this is the
Congenital hearing loss results from abnormal or incomplete development of the structures responsible for sensation and interpretation of sound and is present at birth. Acquired hearing loss usually results from damage to or disease of one or more of the ear components, including the eardrum, middle or inner ear structures or nerves. It can also be a consequence of old age or administration of drugs that are toxic to hearing (ototoxic). Deafness is difficult to
There really is no way to “treat” deafness in dogs. The therapeutic goals are basically to prevent deafness from developing in the first place (don’t breed dogs with hereditary deafness; try to prevent acquired deafness) and to improve an affected dog’s hearing ability if at all possible. The best way to deal with canine deafness is with kind, careful and consistent training, management and care of affected animals.There is no realistic treatment for congenital deafness