Signs of Hearing Loss in Dogs
- There are signs to look for to determine if your dog is hearing impaired.small dog, big ears image by Lars Christensen from Fotolia.com
A number of things can cause hearing loss in dogs, some of them temporary, others permanent. Identifying hearing loss in dogs as quickly as possible may help prevent permanent damage. That said, hearing loss in animals can be difficult to detect. Fortunately, the symptoms of hearing impairment in dogs are slightly more obvious than other domestic pets. If you see any signs of deafness in your dog, you should take him to a veterinarian for evaluation. - When a dog is suffering from hearing loss, he may not respond to commands. He may initially be delayed when you give him a command, because he is trying to look for visual cues. Additionally, he may look confused when you give him a command that he knows well.
- A dog with hearing loss may become easily startled. If he cannot see you, he may not hear you approaching, which may cause him to startle more easily than normal. This may cause him to snap, even if he is an otherwise docile dog.
- A puppy that is deaf may be more aggressive than other puppies during play. He may bite the other puppies harder, because he does not hear the yelp response when he hurts them. Likewise, an adult dog that is deaf may play a little too rough when he cannot hear the audible signs of pain.
- Quite possibly the most visible sign of hearing loss in dogs is the lack of acknowledgment of certain sounds. For instance, if your dog normally barks when someone knocks on the door but stops doing that, he may have hearing loss. He may not come for a meal when he hears the normal sounds of meal preparation; instead, he may come when he smells the food. You can also test your dog's hearing by making a sound he would normally respond to out of his line of sight. You want to be far enough away that he does not feel vibration or air disturbances from the sound. You can try turning the vacuum on in another room, jingling keys or coins behind him, or squeaking a toy he likes out of his sight.
