Diagnosis
Your vet can initially examine your dog's ear canal for wax accumulation, infections, inflammation, injury or foreign object. For more serious cases, one common procedure is BAER (Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response). During the procedure, small electrodes are placed under the skin of a dog's scalp to measure (visibly on a computer screen) his auditory response to outside stimuli.
Causes
There are over 80 breeds where congenital Hearing Impairment is considered common. The highest incidence of this is in breeds such as Australian Cattle Dogs, Australian Shepherds, Bull Terriers, Dalmatians, English Cocker Spaniels, and English Setters. Of these, the Dalmatian breed has the highest incidence of Hearing Impairment.
There are two types of Hearing Impairment - acquired and congenital. Congenital Hearing Impairment occurs due to a defective gene that results in a malformation or nonfunctional ear. Some breeds are more susceptible to Hearing Impairment than others. Congenital Hearing Impairment in dogs is permanent.
Acquired Hearing Impairment occurs for any number of reasons.
Some causes of hearing loss include:
Excessive amounts of wax
Dirt, hair or other material plugging the ear canal
Inflammation or swelling of the ear canal
Infections of the middle or internal ear
A torn or ruptured ear drum; loud noise
Head trauma
Ear mites
Certain drugs
Old age
Treatment
There is no treatment for congenital canine Hearing Impairment but it must be understood that there are different levels of Hearing Impairment from partial to severe to total. Those with total Hearing Impairment are prone to injury as they are unable to respond to any verbal warnings from their owners. In saying this a dog who suffers from total loss of hearing can be taught to respond to hand signals and the use of lights can also be applied in the training and care of this type of pet.
As with congenital Hearing Impairment there is no treatment for acquired canine Hearing Impairment but it must be understood that there are different levels of Hearing Impairment from partial to severe to total. Those with total Hearing Impairment are prone to injury as they are unable to respond to any verbal warnings from their owners. In saying this a dog who suffers from total loss of hearing can be taught to respond to hand signals and the use of lights can also be applied in the training and care of this type of pet.
Keeping Your Deaf Dog Safe
There are many things that you can do to keep your deaf or hearing-impaired dog safe. Deaf dogs should be kept on a leash or in a fenced-in yard while outdoors. Children should also be taught how to interact with, and behave around, deaf dogs.
Learning how to communicate with, and train, your dog using hand signals is important. Whether you use your own signals, standard obedience signs, American Sign Language or a combination of these, it is important that you, and others, who communicate with your dog, are consistent with the signs you use. As well, it is a good idea to use signs that only use one hand and are easily detected by your dog from a distance.
