How to Care for and Cope with a Deaf Dog

Each year, the last week in September is designated as National Deaf Dog Awareness Week. It may seen like a big deal to set aside an entire week to focus on a fringe group like deaf dogs, until you realize that its estimated that up to 10% of all dogs in our country are deaf. Based on 2023 statistics, ten percent of all dogs would be between nine and ten MILLION dogs without hearing. The idea of bringing awareness to a group that large makes sense, considering the training and changes pet parents have to make to incorporate a deaf dog into the family.

Why do Dogs Go Deaf?

This may surprise you, but all puppies are born deaf, its natural. The sense of hearing is the last thing to develop in a puppy, and that happens around three weeks old. However, once the hearing kicks in, a dog (puppy included) can hear about four times better than a human. Most puppies develop that sense of hearing at week 3 of life and never have a problem.  Some dogs have a total deafness, which means they’ve never heard or lose their hearing completely during life. Others have a hearing impairment, a milder condition that limits their ability to hear but allows them to hear some tones, sounds, or noises. Deafness in dogs can also be genetic and/or hereditary, as certain breeds or even fur colors are more predisposed to deafness.

  • Hereditary Deafness in Dogs – In simpler terms, Hereditary Deafness means the dog inherited a defect or genetic mutation that renders them deaf. They didn’t do anything to cause it, it wasn’t a random accident, it is just a part of their genes gone slightly wrong. Dogs with Hereditary Deafness are normally born that way, their sense of hearing isn’t able to develop at week 3 of life, and never does. Oddly enough, a dogs coat and skin color can be linked to their lack of hearing. This is called Cochleosaccular deafness and is more likely to be seen with dogs that have white pigment in their coats and/or blue eyes. Another type of hereditary deafness is called neuropithelial deafness, which is caused when the animal is born without or loses the cochlear hair cells in their ears. Signs of these hereditary defects would start to show in the animal between week 1 and 3 of life.

  • Acquired Deafness in Dogs – Some dogs lose their hearing well after week 3 of life. In fact, as a dog enters their senior years, the chances they will lose some of all of their hearing increases yearly. Senior dogs will likely start to lose sections of tones or frequencies in their hearing. That will begin with mid-level to high-level frequencies and eventually advance to all tones. Oddly enough, the human voice is more likely to register on the high to medium frequency range. So, one of the first sounds to fade out in a senior dog will be the voice of their pet parents.

Other reasons for a dog with sound hearing to either gradually, or suddenly, go deaf are numerous and varied. Here are some examples to consider…

  • Chronic or Severe Ear Infections – A whopping 20% of dogs easily contract ear infections. If left untreated, they can lead to hearing loss.  Ear infections are are caused by a variety of reasons, but the most common are bacteria or yeast in the ear canal (or both of these things working together). Ear mites are also a major source of infection, but mainly in puppies and very young dogs.

    Other contributing factors to your dogs ear infections could be;

    • Moisture: a dogs ear can hold moisture for a few reasons such as, the ear canal being covered by the ear flap of some dogs, the shape of the ear canal in canines if “L-Shaped” which is perfect to hold water, being the most common.
    • Allergies: about 50% of all dogs with skin disease and up to 80% of dogs with food allergies or sensitivities are prone to ear infections.
    • Thyroid Disease: Most dogs diagnosed with a thyroid condition also have severe and repeated ear infections.
    • Wax Buildup: like humans, way build up in the inner ear and visible folds in the ear of a dog.
    • Injury to the Ear Canal: caused by many factor like aggressive scratching, rough housing, and fighting can lead to infection in the ear.
    • Excessive or Over Cleaning: Over cleaning a dogs ears can also lead to ear infections

If your dog is shaking their head constantly, scratching their ears or rubbing the side of their head against solid objects, if they pull away from contact in the ear area, if they seem to show signs of pain, if their ear canal is red or swollen, if you can smell infection in their ear, if there is a noticeable discharge in the outer ear or on the fur around the ear, you should take your dog to your trusted veterinarian for an exam. If an infection is found, they will prescribe treatment to rid the dog of the issue. DO NOT try to self diagnose ear infections, there are too many kinds of infection and too many treatments to choose from. You could do more harm than good by attempting to cure it yourself.

  • Loud Noises – Much like human mom & dad your dog can go deaf from loud noises, both sudden or constant. Since a dogs sense of hearing is 4 times better than a humans things like loud music, fireworks, traffic, even yelling in close proximity to the animal, can lead to deafness.

  • Toxic or Incorrect Drugs – This is an important warning, DO NOT give your dog human drugs. Do not give your dog another dogs medication. Do Not give your dog over the counter pet medication without consulting your veterinarian. Some drugs will damage hearing as a side effect, others are toxic to an animal. Better safe and healing, than take a chance on a quick fix and be sorry when you damage your best friend in some way.

  • Brain Tumors – sudden loss of hearing in a dog could be associate with a brain lesion or tumor. If your dog goes deaf “overnight” its important that a veterinarian sees him immediately. Be sure to record behavior of the dog over the period before and just after they lose their hearing. This could help the veterinarian target the cause of the hearing loss.

  • Birth Defects – A dog can be outside the genetic predisposition of hearing loss, but still have a birth defect that renders them without hearing immediately. These dogs will never be able to hear.

How Can I Tell if My Dog is DEAF and Not Just Stubborn?

It’s true, some dog breeds can be stubborn and are even known as being “standoffish” or “indifferent” in attitude. They can seem to not hear you speaking, when they are just ignoring you purposely. So how can you tell if your dog is a Thespian in waiting, or is actually going or has gone deaf?

  • They Aren’t Waiting for You When You Come Home: If your dog is surprised to see you when you come in the door, if they don’t rush the kitchen at the sound of a can opener or pans rattling… there is something wrong. That “4 times more powerful” hearing allows them to hear almost anything happening in their immediate world.

  • They are Hard to Wake Up or You Startle them Awake: Once again, your dog normally can hear you pushing up and out of your easy chair and will awake from a dead sleep to check out what is happening and where you’re going. If your dog sleeps through a ruckus, or stops tailing you from room to room in your home, there is an issue.

  • They Do NOT React to Other Dogs Barking or Whining: Regardless if it’s in the home, outside on the sidewalk, walking in a park, or on TV, a dog will normally react to another dogs sounds. If they are normally part of a “bark chain” and suddenly seem to ignore the barking around them, you need to have them examined for hearing loss. The same would be true for “no response” to squeaky toys, doorbells, a voice outside the home, a sudden noise in the night… activity and response from a canine is part of the reason they are like a 24/7 non-paid alarm system. If you see that they stop freaking out at every knock, bump, voice, or squeak, then they need to be seen by a professional.

  • They Bark LOUDLY and CONSTANTLY: This is a normal reaction for some dogs, but if your fur friend begins to bark loudly, almost uncontrollably, its because there is some realization from them that they are not hearing anything. The fear of not hearing you, their normal noises, or even their own voice, can drive them to have a doggy version of a panic attack and they will bark louder and longer.

  • They Stop Responding to Their Name or Normal Commands: If your dog suddenly doesn’t look over when you call them one of their 75 nicknames, if they don’t react to commands like “outside” “go pee” “dinner” or “walk” then there is an issue. A dog can learn and recognize up to 150 words or small phrases. If your dog just stops responding, they could be rebelling like a toddler… but if it lasts more than a few hours or a day, then they might have hearing issues.

Let us stress again, that any signs that a dog might have some level of hearing loss should lead you to seeing your veterinarian as soon as possible. The faster a diagnosis is made, the more clear the next steps become. It could be nothing but an ear infection that need treatment… but it could be a hearing loss issue, a brain tumor, or some completely unrelated health issue. Regardless of the diagnosis, your fur child is going through SOMETHING and you need to react so you can help them get through it.

Okay, My Dog is Deaf… now What?

The good news is, most dogs cope with and adjust to hearing issues, even total hearing loss. With their other senses being so advances, sight/smell/touch all pickup the pace and help the dog to overcome the loss of hearing. Also, dogs are trainable… so you can setup new routines, create new expectations, help them to navigate a soundless world, even make their world more “deaf dog” friendly.

  • Gesture of Physical Cues and Commands: Hopefully you’re training your dog with key phrases and words from a young age. If you are, take the time to match a physical action to the verbal command. Since your dog can’t read lips, and can no longer hear your voice, having the matching gestures will make commands stick and put the dog at ease with a connection to their normal world.

  • Assure they Are Tagged, Bagged, and Collared: ID Tags that include the information that the dog is deaf, along with contact information for mom & dad, are not a maybe… they are a necessity. Making sure they have a microchip AND that the national microchip database is up to date with your current phone number, and a secondary phone number of a friend (or your primary care veterinarian) is listed. This way if you can’t be reached, there is someone that can find you to let you know that your fur baby is being held for pickup.

  • No More Leash Free Walks: A deaf dog cannot hear a car coming, respond to horn or someone shouting at them, they can’t hear a predator in their area. Its up to the parents to leash them up and assure they are secure. This would include weekly perimeter walks around their yard and enclosure. Fix issues immediately and don’t let your deaf dog be outside alone for any time longer than it would take them to make a jailbreak through a breech in the fencing.

  • Remove hazards from the Dogs Home Roaming Areas:  You’ll have to “deaf proof” your home from chemicals, step and fall hazards, or other things that your dog is prone to get into. Remember, they won’t hear you yelling “NO” or “STOP THAT”, so you need to fail safe the home and assure there is nothing they can get into that might hurt them.

  • Don’t OVER React: Stop freaking out… as we’ve mentioned before, the dog still have all their other senses, they can still feel your emotions, they can still sense vibrations of you tapping the floor, they will still feel your gentle touch, they can still smell your hand or dinner. They will react to their normal comfort items, take solace in familiar things, and appreciate your attention and love as they always have. Keep in mind that they can’t hear you coming at them, so you must inform guest that the dog is deaf and not to suddenly touch them. Your normally peaceful puppy could react with aggression if they feel like they are being ambushed. Do the thing you normally do, but do them with a lot of verbal, facial, and physical keys. Over a very short time the dog will read and react to this “new normal”.

The #1 thing to remember is that, even though they can’t hear, this is still your good old best friend. Treat them as you normally would, with adjustments made to make their loss of hearing seem normal or something they can overcome. Love them, cuddle them, interact with them, and help them cope. The worst thing that could happen is that, along with their hearing, they lose that special connection with their favorite people. The loss of hearing in the dog simply can’t be a bigger deal to you than it is to them. Treat them with dignity, respect, and all the special way you always have.  As a plus… you can talk crap about them and they will have no idea it’s even happening!!

That’s our overview of the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and coping with a deaf dog. Keep in mind, quite a few deaf animals are dropped off at animal shelters because they are “defective”. If you have a soft spot in your heart for a reclamation case that needs special care and a new chance at a “forever” home, contact your local shelter to see if they have any deaf dogs waiting for a new family. Imagine the gratitude and devotion of a deaf dog who you rescue off the scrap heap of life. Deaf dogs aren’t bad, they aren’t defective, they aren’t a problem… they are special and take a little bit more time and effort. We don’t discard humans who are deaf, we help them to overcome and rise above. Dogs deserve the same treatment, and love… lots of love.

September is ending soon and we will be creeping into HOWL-O-WEEN in October. Be sure to join us at Freddie’s Fun Place for our “31 Days and Nights of Pet Frights” where we feature the scary side of dogs and cats all month long.

Hopefully we’ll see you back next week for another installment of our Dog Blog. You can count of your intrepid Canine Correspondent to bring you special segments on the world of pets that can be read in less than 5 minutes time. Remember that we have a deep library of our FreddieSez content that you can rummage through at www.freddiesanimalhosptial.com/freddiesez. Till we meet again, we hope that you have a lovely transition to fall, that you and your dog play catch with a ball, that your life sees no trouble at all, that your cat has no hairballs, that nothing happens to you that is off-the-wall… and that you don’t ever stall when it comes to being Pet Friendly! #FreddieSez

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