My dog's lost her hearing - any solutions?

[Wonka]

We have a 12 year old yellow lab. Like many, she now has arthritis and her hearing is very bad. In fact, she hardly hears at all any longer. The Vet told us it just "happens" to older dogs. Has anyone ever found anything to restore hearing loss in dogs?

No, I don't want a cochler ear implant or hearing aids even if they're possible, it'd be unaffordable.

I'm just looking for some input.

 

[DonM]

I've had many dogs, and some have lived past 12- and just like older people they start to lose all of their senses.

Luckily dogs don't rely just on their hearing. Their sense of smell is also key. Some dogs have better sight than others. (My current dog never had such good sight.)

There's nothing that I know of that will give your dog their hearing ability back.

I think it is important to engage your dog more than ever. He might with his hearing loss feel isolated and become removed from reality / confused- especially if his remaining senses start to fade.

 

[dmbrand]

Hand signals

When our old,lovable dog lost his hearing, he didn't seem to stress much...just adapted. We would wave our hands in front of him to get his attention. Funny story with this, though....we would be rushing around in the morning, getting ready for school and work, and would suddenly remember 5 minutes before leaving the house that we hadn't let Sam outside. Sure enough, he was still asleep upstairs by our bed. He never heard us during the morning routine! Your dog is just going to need a little extra care.

 

[pjrose]

My experiences are similar to those of DonM and dmbrand. Our 13 year old deaf cocker spaniel sleeps through the morning routine. When we come home she's often sitting alertly waiting for us - but facing the entirely wrong direction. She must have heard or felt something, but we have to clap loudly or get right in front of her before she realizes her people are really home and starts her wagging.

We've found hand signals work well; when we let her out to do her business and she comes back too soon, I just firmly point to the yard and she'll turn around and go back out to leave a deposit. (I used to say "go potty!" along with pointing; it was amazing that she learned to do that on command.) If I am holding out a treat and don't want her to take my fingers in her enthusiasm, I hold the other hand in front of the treat hand, in a kind of "hold on, slow down" gesture, and then she takes the treat so delicately!

Your dog will adapt; love and appreciate her as long as possible!

 

[Passepartout]

Our 13-year-old Cocker Spaniel is deaf as a stone. We use hand signals- pat our thigh is 'come'. She gets along pretty well, navigates by nose and sight. Like others, she sleeps a lot and the morning routine sort of passes her by. We just take a little extra time with her.

My mother's Lhasa was blind and got along with that until she lost hearing too. It was so sad when she'd get her head in a corner and couldn't figure out how to get out of it. The 'long sleep' followed fairly soon thereafter.

In the end, they break our hearts. Seems like a reasonable price for the love they give us.

Jim Ricks

 

[somerville]

Our 15 year old Cocker has been deaf for several years. She is not real active, but it has not been a problem.

 

[JoAnn]

Our first yellow Lab lost her hearing a few years before we put her down at the age of 15. Jodi adapted very well, as others have said their dogs did too. It always amazed us, though, when we'd open the 'fridge to get some ice cream, or 'unzip' a banana that Jodi would always show up in the kitchen. Was she deaf...or was it 'selective' deafness? It's hard to see it happen, but we just paid more attention to her and she was fine.

 

[DaveNV]

My 13 year old Mini Dachshund first lost his hearing, and then his eyesight. It was slow to progress, but nothing improved. Eventually he was a frustrated, miserable prisoner in a silent, dark world. He became a danger to himself, falling down stairs, and walking into walls.

It was hell to watch him decline, because he'd been with me from birth. (I whelped his litter, and he was with me from his first moment to his last.) The very hardest thing I've ever done in my life was hold him close as the Vet administered his final injection. But I know it was the right thing to do, and my little guy is now at peace.

I sincerely hope your beloved Lab gets better, and that he's with you for a very long time.

Dave

 

[dori47]

If it is a sudden deafness, did the vet examine inside the ears to make sure there was nothing wrong? Has there been any medications or other ear problems lately that could lead to deafness?
If it is gradual, it may be aging changes
Selective deafness does occur in older dogs as part of the canine cognitive disorder. Other symptoms of it include change in sleep pattern, confusion, loss of housebreaking, changes in interaction with the family.
Our old dogs don't have to suffer from being old, and there are things that can be done to improve their quality of life, but nothing to bring back hearing unless another cause for it is found

 

[falmouth3]

My co-worker adopted a deaf boxer from a rescue group. She has taught "Treasure" to understand hand signals.

Sue

 

[Wonka]

Thanks for all the replies.

The hearing loss was "sort of" gradual. I suppose it started a year ago. It seemed like we noticed it all at once, but the progression seemed rapid. Yes, we had her checked for ear infections, wax, all that stuff.

Like others have indicated, she's adapted and when we return home she's most often still sleeping and doesn't hear us arrive and greet us as she used to. She does seem to sleep much more soundly. Her sense of smell is still tops, and she sees ok.

It's hard watching an old friend realizing the short time she'll be with you. I think about it all the time.

 

[DebBrown]

Awwww.... what a sad thread! My boys are still young and wild. LOL! I'm glad they respond to hand signals now. It could make life easier for all of us.

Deb

 

[cherrysaw]

Our yellow lab will be 15 years old in June. We have had her since she was a puppy. She is deaf as well. I guess we started to notice it 2 years or so ago. She has adapted as well. We too, use hand signals. She does sleep more than she is awake. She has a few large tumors that have grown on her side & back but they don't seem to bother her other than carrying the extra weight of them. Our latest problem is that she has started to "leak" in the evenings even if we just had her outside. She doesn't seem to leak all day or all night while asleep but around that evening TV time everytime she gets up to move there is a wet spot on the floor. Anyone out there deal with this & what did you do?
Thanks!
Sue

 

[JoAnn]

Our yellow lab will be 15 years old in June. We have had her since she was a puppy. She is deaf as well. I guess we started to notice it 2 years or so ago. She has adapted as well. We too, use hand signals. She does sleep more than she is awake. She has a few large tumors that have grown on her side & back but they don't seem to bother her other than carrying the extra weight of them. Our latest problem is that she has started to "leak" in the evenings even if we just had her outside. She doesn't seem to leak all day or all night while asleep but around that evening TV time everytime she gets up to move there is a wet spot on the floor. Anyone out there deal with this & what did you do?
Thanks!
Sue

We had 'leaking' problems with Dakota right after she was spayed @ about 4 mos. I took her to the Vet and they gave me some pills that helped for awhile, but the problem reappeared. Finally we got a stronger dosage and that stopped the leaking. So far so good and she is 4 years old now. Check with your Vet.

 

[Judy]

My dog trainer had an old dog who was deaf. He trained her to pay attention when he stomped his foot. Then he taught her hand signals in place of the voice commands she used to obey. You can teach an old dog new tricks

 

[Tia]

One thing we had a hard time with was finding the dog if he went somewhere inside or out. Maybe a bell on the collar for that.

We had a yorkie that first lost his hearing then the eyesight faded, it is so hard and sad.

 

[JudyH]

My 14 yr old Lab got geriatic vestibular disorder last summer, and seemed to lose her hearing right after that. We noticed in the winter that she seemed to have regained some of it back.

I'm taking care of our 90+ year old parents, and she acts just like them too. Sort of wobbly, can't hear, sleeps a lot. Still a lot of quality of life, and now we're spoiling her, letting her sleep in previously forbidden areas. She' on Deramax which has helped a lot with the arthritis pain.

 

[pwrshift]

Sad thread. My best friend's hearing, I think, is deteriorating. The vet says it's just a natural aging thing. She sleeps a lot more and very soundly -- yet, drop a cookie into her bowl downstairs and she's there in minutes which makes me feel her hearing is selective.

She'll be 14 this summer and seems in pretty good health although a urine test indicated potential kidney problems. I got her soon after my last kid left the nest, so we've spent her life together and she follows me everywhere around this big house - even when I go to the bathroom. Every other dog I've had was 'shared' with the rest of my family as they grew up, so I really don't know how I'll handle her passing when it comes. She's even jealous of the attention I give my grandchildren when they visit.

We take a week every year and stay at a pet-friendly Marriott hotel so she enjoys the points I've earned too. I sure wish Marriott would designate pet villas at their timeshares as it breaks my heart to leave her behind.

Getting old is no fun, even for humans. She stumbles sometimes climbing stairs, can't scratch her ears like before so I rub them for her, and loves getting a massage on her legs. True love.

Brian

PS .. for what it's worth, if your pet has arthritis I highly recommend Arthrix Plus - even the vet can't believe the difference it's made.
.

...It always amazed us, though, when we'd open the 'fridge to get some ice cream, or 'unzip' a banana that Jodi would always show up in the kitchen. Was she deaf...or was it 'selective' deafness? .

 

[Wonka]

My 14 yr old Lab got geriatic vestibular disorder last summer, and seemed to lose her hearing right after that. We noticed in the winter that she seemed to have regained some of it back.

I'm taking care of our 90+ year old parents, and she acts just like them too. Sort of wobbly, can't hear, sleeps a lot. Still a lot of quality of life, and now we're spoiling her, letting her sleep in previously forbidden areas. She' on Deramax which has helped a lot with the arthritis pain.

I haven't heard of Deramx. We're using Glucosomine and Previcox occasionally. I try to avoid too much of the Previcox because like Rimadyl, it can cause liver problems. Frankly, I haven't noticed much improvement with the Previcox anyway.

Can you tell me more about Deramx?