Hearing Loss in Dogs

Can it be that my dog does not hear well?

Dogs can suffer from hearing loss or deafness just like humans. Hearing loss can be congenital, temporary or permanent. Temporary hearing loss is usually caused by ear plugs from earwax, a foreign object or other problems of the external ear. Permanent hearing loss can be caused by trauma, disease or old age. If it is due to old age then it may belong to the Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS). There are also, of course, dogs that are congenitally deaf due to abnormalities of the auditory nerve, inner ear or brain. In addition, research has shown that there may be a relationship between pigmentation defects and hearing problems. This would explain why it is often white dogs that are born deaf. Well-known dog breeds with hearing problems include breeds such as Dalmatians, Old English Sheepdog and Border Collies.

Hearing loss can occur in two ways and is called conductive deafness or sensorineural deafness. In the conductive form of deafness, sound does not reach the nerves in the inner ear. In the perceptual form of deafness, sound signals cannot reach the brain through the ear.

Is deafness in dogs fixable?

Unfortunately, congenital and permanent deafness cannot be resolved in dogs. With temporary deafness or hearing loss, whether it can be resolved depends on the cause. Foreign objects and earwax can of course be removed by your vet. If it is as a result of a disease, then it obviously depends on the disease whether it improves.

What do you notice about your dog with hearing loss?

Dog does not respond when called.

Reacts to people only when the dog sees them.
Dog gives no reaction to loud noises of any kind.
He stays asleep until you actually touch him.
Dogs with hearing problems shake their heads more.
With hearing loss, the dog's ears seem to be more attached than usual.

Diagnosis of hearing loss

Many times, owners can already do much of the research on hearing loss at home. If the dog does not seem to react to any sound in familiar surroundings, the owner's alarm bells should start ringing. This can be tested well by standing behind the dog and making an increasingly loud noise, for example banging a lid on a pan. If the dog does not react to it, it may be suffering from hearing loss. In case of hearing loss, it is advisable to go to the vet, there it can be found out what might be a cause of the abnormality. Depending on what comes out of the examination, the vet will draw up a treatment plan if possible.


Animals that are permanently deaf should be cared for with great caution. Since they cannot hear for themselves, they are more prone to accidents. It is therefore advisable to keep these dogs on a leash. You can communicate with your dog by teaching him certain hand signals. While walking, the leash is often used, by tightening it in certain ways, the dog knows what to do. Of course, this takes a lot of practice from the dog and its owner.

-This is an automated translation-