Then the door bell rings – still, nothing. He doesn’t budge.
Your dog’s seemingly deep slumber may be a sign that he’s losing his hearing, says Tom Graves, DVM, and associate professor at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in Urbana.
“The older dogs get, just like the older people get, the less hearing acuity they have,” he says.
It’s unknown how many dogs are affected by aged related hearing loss -- or, in medical lingo, presbycusis.
Although George Strain, PhD, and professor of neuroscience at Louisiana State University’s School of Veterinary Medicine in Baton Rouge, says probably all dogs, if they live long enough, suffer from hearing loss to some extent.
An older dogs hearing usually diminishes gradually. And often it goes unnoticed by owners because their dog’s other senses compensates for the deficiency.
Stanley Coren, PhD, and psychology professor at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, recommends doing a few simple tests at home to determine if your dog is partially deaf.
Start by quietly approaching your dog from behind, and calling his name in a normal tone of voice.
If your dog hears you, he’ll turn in your direction.
However, if your older dog turns his head one way then another (like he’s searching for you) that may indicate he has difficulty hearing out of one ear, says Coren.
Also try tapping a pot with a spoon. (Make sure your dog doesn’t see you doing it, though)
“Those sorts of short, sharp sounds are fairly resistant to loss,” he explains. “So, if your dog is not responding to that, then, in fact, you’re probably dealing with a fairly severe hearing loss.”
If you suspect your dog’s hearing has diminished, visit your veterinarian to confirm the loss, and rule out treatable conditions such as an ear infection or excess wax.
A special hearing test, called the Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response (BAER) is also available at veterinary universities and specialty animal hospitals.
If prebycusis is diagnosed, there’s no treatment or cure, says Strain, who is currently working on a paper about hearing loss in geriatric dogs.
Hearing aids have been developed for canines by a few researchers, he adds, but they are not commercially available.
Strain says the good news is dogs aren’t distressed by their inability to hear.
Owners, on the other hand, are a different story.
“Some owners over-empathize and suffer on behalf of the dog when the dog is not actually suffering,” says Strain.
Many veterinarians and owners point out that deaf or hearing impaired dogs adapt amazing well to their handicap – better, in fact, than most humans.
“The great thing about dogs is as they age, and start dealing with some of the same types of adversity that we deal with as we age, they handle it so much more gracefully,” said Graves.
For more information about deaf or hearing impaired dogs visit the Deaf Dog Education Action Fund’s website at deafdogs.org and George Strain’s website at lsu.edu/deafness/deaf.htm
Or, pick up a copy of the book, Living With a Deaf Dog: A Book of Advice, Facts and Experiences About Canine Deafness by Susan C. Becker.
~ Staff, SeniorDogs.com
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