Hearing Loss in Dogs

Deafness is the temporary, partial, or total loss of hearing in one or both ears. Causes of deafness in dogs include birth defects, infection, trauma, obstructions, and old age. Certain breeds and white or merle-coated animals are more likely to be born deaf.

Sadly, hearing loss due to genetics, old age, and trauma is often permanent and untreatable. However, acquired deafness (due to an infection or blocked ear canal) is usually temporary with veterinary care. 

If you suspect your pet may have lost their hearing, see a vet ASAP. A veterinarian can examine your dog’s ear canal for excess wax, infections, injury, polyps or tumors, foreign objects, and other obstructions. Generally, the sooner you seek treatment, the better the dog’s odds that hearing can be restored.

Symptoms of deafness include little or no response to sounds like:

• Squeaky toys
• Clapping
• Snapping fingers behind the head
• Doorbells
• Calling their name
  
• Other dogs barking

Dogs with hearing loss may also be:

• Difficult to wake
• Startled easily
• Inclined to bark excessively

Types of Hearing Loss in Dogs

Congenital deafness occurs when a pup is deaf at birth due to genetics or birth defects that affect the development of the ears or nervous system.

Acquired deafness occurs when a dog is born with normal hearing and loses their hearing due to trauma, infection, blockage of the ear canal or geriatric nerve degeneration.

Conductive hearing loss occurs when there's an issue with sounds being conducted from the outside to the nerves in the inner ear.

Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when nerve receptors are unable to transmit signals from the ear to the brain centers responsible for hearing, preventing them from receiving and interpreting auditory data.

The cause of hearing loss will vary depending on the type of deafness.

Causes of Congenital Deafness

Birth defects of the ear or nervous system may result from bad genes or abnormal development.

Certain dog breeds and coat colors are also at higher risk for hereditary deafness. White fur on the head and ears, as well as merle patterns, are associated with deafness.

Causes of Acquired Deafness

• Old age (geriatric nerve degeneration)
• Being around loud noises (gunfire, stereo equipment)
• Blockages (from wax buildup, ear hair, grass, fluids, or foreign objects)
• Injury (includes trauma to the ear canal, ear drum, or brain)
• Ear infections (bacterial or yeast infections)
• Inflammation of the ear or Eustachian tube
• Tumors of the ear or Eustachian tube
• Heavy metals (especially exposure to mercury, arsenic, or lead)
• Drug toxicity (certain drugs can lead to deafness, including furosemide, cisplatin, chlorhexidine, erythromycin, and others)
  

If you suspect your dog is experiencing hearing loss, you can test their hearing by clapping or making other loud noises and watching for their reaction.

Partial or unilateral hearing loss may be tricky to catch. Here's how to test for it:

1. Try exposing your dog to softer sounds, focusing on one ear at a time.
   
2. Snap your fingers close to one ear and then the other, and note their response.
   
3. If they respond on one side but not on the other, they might have hearing loss on one side. 

To diagnose hearing loss, your vet will first conduct a hearing test and physical exam to determine possible causes. During the exam, your vet will also check your dog's ears for wax or hair buildup, foreign objects, and other obstructions or injuries.

If your vet suspects an ear infection, they may swab and culture the ear to confirm the type of infection and the best treatment for it.

The vet may also order a brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER) test to measure the brain’s response to auditory stimuli. Radiographs may also be necessary to find the cause of hearing loss.

So can anything be done for hearing loss in dogs to prevent its progression? What about the damage that is already done? Can you reverse hearing loss in dogs? 

The answer to all the above is: it depends. Whether hearing loss is treatable hinges on the cause and severity of the hearing loss and if there are underlying conditions at play.

Treatment Options for Permanent Deafness

Sadly, there’s little vets can do to reverse congenital and geriatric deafness. They may attempt to correct hearing with surgery if the defect is in the middle or outer ear or involves inner ear inflammation.

However, most congenital defects involve delicate inner ear mechanics or nervous system defects. Likewise, hearing loss due to drug toxicity, heavy metal exposure, and loud noises is often permanent.

Hearing Aids

Hearing aids and cochlear implants are becoming available for dogs; however; they're currently still costly and somewhat impractical. The devices work in a similar way to human devices, but pets typically don't respond well to the device’s presence on the body and may not tolerate it.

Foreign Body Removal

In the case of a foreign body, treatment may involve removing the obstruction, cleaning excess wax, or plucking overgrown hair. The veterinarian will also examine the ear canal for injury and clean the ears thoroughly.

Treatment for Infection

Your vet may prescribe a regimen of ear flushes, drops, oral antibiotics, and/or anti-inflammatories, depending on severity.  A longer-acting, wax-based antibiotic medication may be inserted into the ears at the clinic if daily ear washing at home isn't feasible.

Tumors of the Ear

Vets may opt to perform surgery on tumors inside the ear to allow for better sound conduction.

Deaf animals (whether the hearing loss is permanent or temporary) require special care. It is essential to carefully monitor deaf pets to avoid injury. Never let deaf pets outdoors without a fence or leash.

Recovering from Surgery

In cases of medical or surgical treatments, most dogs will need weekly follow-up appointments to monitor their recovery. Ear infections should clear within 2–3 weeks of treatment, but recovery time can be longer or shorter, depending on the severity. 

Training and Interacting with Your Deaf Dog

Train your pet to understand touch or hand signals rather than verbal commands. Instead of calling, stomp on the ground to get a hearing impaired pet’s attention.

Avoid startling your dog by letting know when you’re around with a pat on the head. Deaf pets are prone to getting lost, so microchipping and collars with ID tags are a good idea. Make sure to keep their tags updated with your most recent contact info, and include on the tag that your dog is deaf. 

Hearing loss can be expensive to treat. If you suspect your dog is at risk of hearing loss, start searching for pet insurance today. Wag!’s pet insurance comparison tool lets you compare plans from leading companies like PetPlan and Embrace. Find the “pawfect” plan for your pet in just a few clicks!