Last Updated on September 3, 2021 by admin
I think my puppy is deaf can be terrifying speculation for dog owners. Go through our dog hearing loss article for the answers you need.
The loss of hearing can be a scary experience. And the very thought of your puppy suffering through hearing loss is enough to punch your anxiety levels through the roof. However, your puppy displaying signs of deafness doesn’t always have to mean the condition is permanent.
Dogs can suffer from hearing loss for various reasons; these include infections, injury, etc. The best thing to do in such situations is to try and quell your anxiety and make life easier for your furball in any way you can. Here’s what you need to know.
How To Tell If Your Dog Is Deaf
First thing’s first. Before you start imagining the worst thinking your pup is deaf – you need to learn how to confirm your pet’s hearing loss. It’s not uncommon for a playful pupper to ignore you at a young age because it’s still trying to get used to its surroundings. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of deaf puppy symptoms. Take a moment to go through it to see if your suspicions about your pet’s condition are well-founded.
- Startling easily or jumpy behavior
- Excessive shaking of the head
- A sudden increase in sleeping time
- Little to no response to everyday sounds or loud noises
- Unforeseen disobedience and persistent disregard for voice commands
Read more about: Applehead and Deerhead Chihuahuas The Rarest Of Them All?
3 Common Reasons Behind Your Puppy’s Deafness
Now that we’ve covered the symptoms of hearing loss in pups, it’s time to move on to tackling the cause of hearing loss in canines. Typically, hearing loss can develop due to numerous reasons. Sometimes, deafness in canines can be congenital (something they’re born with) or related to old age.
But, when it comes to little puppers, the usual suspects behind deafness can be a little different. Here are three of the most common causes of loss of hearing in tiny canines.
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Loud Noises
Puppies are still learning about the dangers of everyday life. That’s why, at times, they can expose themselves to dangerous situations without much thought about consequences. For instance, it’s possible that the cause being your pet’s hearing loss is exposure to loud noise.
Canines have super-sensitive hearing and can pick up sounds that humans can’t. Any noise above 120 decibels can harm human hearing immediately. Similarly, your pup can experience inner ear damage if it’s exposed to sounds higher than 5 decibels over a prolonged period. To give you some idea about how loud 85 decibels is – a vacuum cleaner’s noise generally clocks in at 80 decibels.
That means, sounds that we consider normal or not threatening can cause your little furball harm if you’re not careful. So, it’s best to place your pup in an area where sound levels are safe before carrying on with work that may produce a racket.
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Foreign Objects
Another common cause behind deafness in puppies can be a foreign object stuck in its ear. This can be a problem for doggos of all ages – but puppies with their carefree attitude can be more at risk.
Thankfully, you can easily check to see if there’s something stuck in your pupper’s ear by gently lifting its ear and checking the inner ear. All you’ll need for the job is a flashlight and another pair of help hands to help keep your pup steady. If you do discover something lodged in your pet’s ear – you can attempt to pull it out with tweezers.
However, only attempt to solve this problem yourself if whatever’s in the ear isn’t stuck too deep. Besides that, it’s always best to rely on your vet to handle such situations because your canine’s inner ear is very delicate.
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Ear Infections
Dog parents will often ask themselves – is my dog deaf or just ignoring me – when they see their pup ignoring voice commands. But, the truth is, there may be a simpler explanation behind your pet’s sudden bout of disobedience.
Ear infections in canines can develop due to various reasons and cause temporary hearing loss. For example, if your pup has wax buildup in its ears, this can not only affect its hearing but also worsen the situation by causing deafness.
Fortunately, ear infections have a few sure-shot symptoms that can help you recognize the condition in your pet. These include excessive ear scratching, bad odor, redness or inflammation of the ear canal, etc. If your furbaby is displaying one or more of these signs, book a visit to your vet as soon as possible to get your canine the help and relief it deserves.
How To Handle Your Puppy Being Deaf
How to tell your dog is deaf may be easier than handling a pup facing hearing loss. However, that’s where we come in. This section is full of helpful tips and tricks to help you handle your furball when it’s without one of its most important senses.
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Protect Your Puppy From Being Deaf Through Protective Measures
If you live in a noisy neighborhood or if the fourth of July is just around the corner – you should take measures to keep your pup’s ear safe from damage. You can do this quite easily by investing in a pair of noise-canceling earphones for your doggo. That way, you can keep your pet’s eardrums safe from all types of harmful noises by slipping on the earphones for a while.
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Visiting The Vet
Think of your pup’s scheduled vet visits as the equivalent of yearly health checkups for humans. Keeping up with visits to the veterinarian will help keep the vet in the loop about all your pet’s health developments. And, it’ll also help keep health issues at bay through early detection and prevention.
Conclusion
Hearing loss in puppies and adult dogs can be horrifying to think about. However, deafness in pets doesn’t always have to be severe or permanent. More often than not, your concern may lead to worse case scenarios like – I think my puppy is deaf. But, getting anxious in such situations won’t help you or your dog. Remember to watch out for the signs of deafness discussed here and carefully monitor the sounds your pup is exposed to on a daily basis. That’ll help you stay prepared to help your pupper asap in case of hearing loss.
