# Seeking advice on dog going deaf.



## Anguille

My 15 year old pup is in great shape, loves to run and play. but I have one problem, here hearing is getting worse and worse. It think it started about a year and a half ago. We started noticing she didn't hear cars coming anymore when crossing the street and began getting the shakes during thunderstorms. Then she was infected with ear mites from a stray kitten I found which led to much scratching and a diagnosis by the vet of ear mites, yeast infection and bacterial infection. A year later her hearing has not improved. 

The problem is that she is a very well trained dog but she obeys vocal commands which she can't hear half the time now. I have started using hand signals but they aren't useful when he back is turned to me and I want to go down one path and she is headed down another. I find I have to use the leash more no just as a means of keeping in communication with her.

Before I spend more money at an ear specialist, does anyone have advice?  Or has anyone experienced the same problem with their older dog ? Is deafness irreversible in dogs? My regular vet only seems to know so much. He can't even determine if the deafness was caused by the mites or a preexisting infection. 

Any thoughts will be appreciated. 

TNX!


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## AllieBaba

Perhaps you need to get one of those guide dogs for the deaf for your deaf dog???


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## strollingbones

ahh deaf dogs...you need to start hand signals....we do it with all our dogs....just in case they go deaf in their older years...but teach a hand signal for each command you will be amazed how fast they learn it and all....deaf dogs do fine...


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## strollingbones

oops you have done the hand signals....stomp your foot when the dog is not facing you....they will turn to the vibration....act like you have a deaf child and no honey no amount of money can turn back the aging in a dog...accept what you are dealing with and realize her waning years are there...


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## roomy

We had a deaf Jack Russel and did exactly what bones suggests.


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## Anguille

strollingbones said:


> oops you have done the hand signals....stomp your foot when the dog is not facing you....they will turn to the vibration....act like you have a deaf child and no honey no amount of money can turn back the aging in a dog...accept what you are dealing with and realize her waning years are there...


Thanks!! Great advice, strolling! I do do the stamping thing but it's strange, she doesn't respond. At least not outdoors. Maybe because she's tuning it out along with all the other city noises. I have a whistle that she almost always can still hear but her problem is that the days she can hear, it seems she still has trouble figuring out what direction the sound came from. I think one ear is worse than the other and maybe the infection is back and that explains why some days are worse for her.


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## Anguille

roomy said:


> We had a deaf Jack Russel and did exactly what bones suggests.


  She catching on to the hand signals. The only problem still remaining is getting her to stop and turn around when she off leash on a trail with us. She's gotten better about checking behind her more now ever since she got separated from us twice and freaked out. I think I will have to use the leash more often too. Poor thing, she's confused by it all. Tries to read my lips. One good side effect. Less barking out the window at all the other dogs passing by.


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## Valerie

Also try Debrox solution for ear wax.  

My elderly dog is also going deaf, but this remedy helped with his hearing.


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## Anguille

Valerie said:


> Also try Debrox solution for ear wax.
> 
> My elderly dog is also going deaf, but this remedy helped with his hearing.


Thanks!  I was considering earwax might have built up. I will try it.


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## strollingbones

you have had him checked out for ear mites, infection etc?  now remember dogs are just like people....at that age ...expect a wee bit of confusion....and forgettfullness...

sounds to me like mutto just ignores your ass when yall are outside.....both mine hear well...but can be real selective outside...


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## Dis

Anguille said:


> Valerie said:
> 
> 
> 
> Also try Debrox solution for ear wax.
> 
> My elderly dog is also going deaf, but this remedy helped with his hearing.
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks!  I was considering earwax might have built up. I will try it.
Click to expand...


How often do you take your dog to the vet?  They're usually pretty up on running tests, cleaning ears, checking reflexes, etc.


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## Againsheila

Anguille said:


> My 15 year old pup is in great shape, loves to run and play. but I have one problem, here hearing is getting worse and worse. It think it started about a year and a half ago. We started noticing she didn't hear cars coming anymore when crossing the street and began getting the shakes during thunderstorms. Then she was infected with ear mites from a stray kitten I found which led to much scratching and a diagnosis by the vet of ear mites, yeast infection and bacterial infection. A year later her hearing has not improved.
> 
> The problem is that she is a very well trained dog but she obeys vocal commands which she can't hear half the time now. I have started using hand signals but they aren't useful when he back is turned to me and I want to go down one path and she is headed down another. I find I have to use the leash more no just as a means of keeping in communication with her.
> 
> Before I spend more money at an ear specialist, does anyone have advice?  Or has anyone experienced the same problem with their older dog ? Is deafness irreversible in dogs? My regular vet only seems to know so much. He can't even determine if the deafness was caused by the mites or a preexisting infection.
> 
> Any thoughts will be appreciated.
> 
> TNX!



Is your dog a dalmatian?  I hear that deafness is quite common and irreversible in dalmatians.  My dog is 19 and she's hard of hearing, I think she's too old to really worry about it, she just lays around most of the time now.  I keep having to check to see if she's still breathing.  I think most dogs go deaf as they get older and 15 is a good age for a dog, especially if she's a medium sized dog.  I'd just go with the leash.


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## Anguille

Dis said:


> Anguille said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Valerie said:
> 
> 
> 
> Also try Debrox solution for ear wax.
> 
> My elderly dog is also going deaf, but this remedy helped with his hearing.
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks!  I was considering earwax might have built up. I will try it.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> How often do you take your dog to the vet?  They're usually pretty up on running tests, cleaning ears, checking reflexes, etc.
Click to expand...


She has her annual next month. As I said above, he already said he's done as much as he can for her and said I should take her to a specialist if I want more tests but he wasn't too hopeful about that. He thinks it's regular aging. He hasn't seem her for a few months so possibly her ears are filled with wax like Valerie suggests. We'll find out at her annual.


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## Valerie

Dis said:


> Anguille said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Valerie said:
> 
> 
> 
> Also try Debrox solution for ear wax.
> 
> My elderly dog is also going deaf, but this remedy helped with his hearing.
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks!  I was considering earwax might have built up. I will try it.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> How often do you take your dog to the vet?  They're usually pretty up on running tests, cleaning ears, checking reflexes, etc.
Click to expand...


I just had him at the vet not too long ago for his annual exam and they recommended that solution which really helped.  His hearing deficit is age related, but of course the less wax the better.  You could see the difference in his reaction to my voice or my whistle right away.


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## Dis

Might be time to find a vet that specializes in aging animals, rather than just an overall "good health" vet..


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## Anguille

Againsheila said:


> Is your dog a dalmatian?  I hear that deafness is quite common and irreversible in dalmatians.  My dog is 19 and she's hard of hearing, I think she's too old to really worry about it, she just lays around most of the time now.  I keep having to check to see if she's still breathing.  I think most dogs go deaf as they get older and 15 is a good age for a dog, especially if she's a medium sized dog.  I'd just go with the leash.



She's a mutt and medium sized. Still very active so I want to be sure I do all I can to keep what's left of her hearing intact. It's probably going to be more a case of us both learning new tricks than medical care. 
Good luck with your geriatric Dalmation. 19 years is astounding!  My sister's huge Husky mix lived to 17 or 18. They weren't sure because he came with the house when they bought it.


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## strollingbones

Anguille said:


> Dis said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Anguille said:
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks!  I was considering earwax might have built up. I will try it.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> How often do you take your dog to the vet?  They're usually pretty up on running tests, cleaning ears, checking reflexes, etc.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> She has her annual next month. As I said above, he already said he's done as much as he can for her and said I should take her to a specialist if I want more tests but he wasn't too hopeful about that. He thinks it's regular aging. *He hasn't seem her for a few months so possibly her ears are filled with wax *like Valerie suggests. We'll find out at her annual.
Click to expand...



we grasp at any straw...rather than accept that our dogs are aging...we all do it..good luck to you....but i would more settle into a pattern for her remaining time than taking her to this vet and that...trying to find the magic cure...i assure you...been there done that....when the final vet look at the 5 vets reports and tests i had....he was shocked when i told him i had left the prior 3 vets reports at home....since they were over a few months old...you can only fight nature so long...and nature will always win...enjoy the time....dont make the mistake i did...


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## Anguille

strollingbones said:


> Anguille said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Dis said:
> 
> 
> 
> How often do you take your dog to the vet?  They're usually pretty up on running tests, cleaning ears, checking reflexes, etc.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> She has her annual next month. As I said above, he already said he's done as much as he can for her and said I should take her to a specialist if I want more tests but he wasn't too hopeful about that. He thinks it's regular aging. *He hasn't seem her for a few months so possibly her ears are filled with wax *like Valerie suggests. We'll find out at her annual.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> 
> we grasp at any straw...rather than accept that our dogs are aging...we all do it..good luck to you....but i would more settle into a pattern for her remaining time than taking her to this vet and that...trying to find the magic cure...i assure you...been there done that....when the final vet look at the 5 vets reports and tests i had....he was shocked when i told him i had left the prior 3 vets reports at home....since they were over a few months old...you can only fight nature so long...and nature will always win...enjoy the time....dont make the mistake i did...
Click to expand...


I hear you. Going to the vet is no fun for her. I feel lucky she's lasted this long with so few problems.


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## 007

My younger sister's last cat lived to be 23. My cat is going to be 17 in May. He's acted like his hearing is getting bad a time or two, but I'll make soft, little, interesting shuffling sounds that cats can't resist and sure enough, he looks. So his acting like he can't hear is more like he's ignoring me because he's getting old. My sister said her cat never seemed to lose any of his hearing either, right up until the end.... which I am NOT looking forward to.


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## sealybobo

Anguille said:


> My 15 year old pup is in great shape, loves to run and play. but I have one problem, here hearing is getting worse and worse. It think it started about a year and a half ago. We started noticing she didn't hear cars coming anymore when crossing the street and began getting the shakes during thunderstorms. Then she was infected with ear mites from a stray kitten I found which led to much scratching and a diagnosis by the vet of ear mites, yeast infection and bacterial infection. A year later her hearing has not improved.
> 
> The problem is that she is a very well trained dog but she obeys vocal commands which she can't hear half the time now. I have started using hand signals but they aren't useful when he back is turned to me and I want to go down one path and she is headed down another. I find I have to use the leash more no just as a means of keeping in communication with her.
> 
> Before I spend more money at an ear specialist, does anyone have advice?  Or has anyone experienced the same problem with their older dog ? Is deafness irreversible in dogs? My regular vet only seems to know so much. He can't even determine if the deafness was caused by the mites or a preexisting infection.
> 
> Any thoughts will be appreciated.
> 
> TNX!



My sweet lovable Beagle is about 14 years old.  I'm noticing she doesn't listen like she used to.  But every once in awhile I whistle or make a noise and she hears it.  So I know she can hear, just how much is the question.

I don't worry about it.  If she was in pain, I'd worry, but she is not.  My mom says, "maybe just take her in to get her ears cleaned".

But she's 14 years old.  And she's just a dog!  I love her and all, but she's an old dog.  So I don't worry about it.  Half the time she's in her own world anyways.  Now at least she has a reason to ignore me.  

God she is so cute though.  I love it when I try to wake her up in the morning but she's sleeping soooo hard that I can't wake her up.  Now that's an old dog.  Young dogs wake up if you make even a peep.  You could shoot a gun off and my dog wouldn't wake up.  And you should see the deep rem she's having.  Her eyes are totally going bizzurk!  LOL.

Anyways, you can maybe ask to have the dogs ears cleaned out, but that's probably it.  I wouldn't let the vets scam me out of thousands of dollars in "treatments".

A few years ago I found a syst on my dog.  The vet wanted to remove it.  I didn't get it done.  Today, its the same size as it was back then.  Vets are in business to make money.  They won't hurt your dog, but they will perform a useless procedure if they can make money doing it.


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## Anguille

My old girl says thank you to all of you for the advice.


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## random3434




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## Anguille

Ravioli and Manicotti!!


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## Arthur

My old dog went deaf.    It was a pain because he still liked to wander off and I couldn't call him back.  One time I found him stuck in the neighbors swampy pond.  I had to canoe in after him to get him out of there.


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## Anguille

I can see my dog doing the same. I guess I can use her as an excuse to buy a kayak. LOL


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