Clients from Kenosha all the way to Milwaukee fear this happening to their pets.
As pet sitters and dog walkers we know that hearing loss in a pet dog of any age is scary for a pet owner. Senior dogs are most at risk for hearing loss as changes occur with age in the ear canal. There are steps you can take to help slow the hearing loss process along with steps to help your pet dog adjust to hearing loss, here are a few.
A clean ear canal goes a long way in slowing down the progression of hearing loss. Cleaning your dogs ears on a weekly basis helps prevent yeast and bacterial infections. The more ear infections a dog gets the higher the chance of deafness. Chronic infections cause inflammation and damage to the ear drum, leading to deafness over time. Your pet sitter will be happy to teach you how to clean your dogs ears.
Training your pet dog to respond to visual cues for sit, stay, come, and down before they are seniors will ease any worry about your dog not being able to safely follow commands. Also start using a silent cue for mealtimes, something simple like turning on a light when it’s time for your pup to eat. Routine, routine, routine will have you steps ahead should deafness occur.
Should your pet dog go deaf it becomes time for training, just as a puppy learns new training commands a deaf dog must do the same. It’s a good idea to initially have your dog on a leash while in the house. It is an easy way to get their attention and have them focused in you while working on silent commands. Hanging a sleigh bell on a door handle will allow your dog to alert you when he needs to be let outside. Start ringing it every time you go out the door with your pup, making sure he sees it. Give treats and cuddles when your dog sniffs the bell and for any other advancement towards ringing the bell.
In cases where there are multiple dogs in a household the hearing dog will become the ears for the deaf dog. A strong partnership evolves, allowing the deaf dog to live a hearing life through his companion through body language cues that alert to situations such as danger and the arrival of guests.
If you suspect your pet dog is showing signs of deafness have your veterinarian do an exam to confirm. Your pet sitter can guide you to resources on training.
