Audiological Health for Dogs
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Hearing in Dogs
Eighty breeds of dogs in the U.S suffer from congenital deafness such as Dalmatians being on the top of the list. Based on the number of dogs with hearing impairment, good knowledge of audiology and treatments are needed.
Hearing is important for dogs due to their different roles as a hunter, protection, companion, service, performance, and a pet. Dogs can hear the range of 40 Hz to 60,000 Hz, but this range can vary based on breed and age.
Congenital and acquired sensorineural hearing loss are permanent and irreversible. In some cases, using ear protection can reduce risk of further hearing loss.
The dogs’ hearing is very important for communication, not only between other dogs but also between dogs and humans.
There is no affordable or practical hearing aids for dogs. There are some companies working on them.
Dogs hearing is more advanced than humans
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Frequency: Dogs can hear very high frequencies compared to humans.
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Sound localization: dogs can locate the source of the sound with good accuracy.
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Sensitivity: Dogs can hear sounds that are 4 times quieter than humans can hear.
Importance of hearing in Dogs
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Communication
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Dogs use their hearing to communicate with other dogs and humans. They can pick up on subtle changes in tone and pitch, and they can make a variety of vocal sounds to communicate.
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Navigation
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Dogs can navigate their environment by their hearing and avoid predators. They can locate the source of a sound with high accuracy. They hear when predators are approaching or prey from a distance.
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Alarm systems
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Dogs are used as an alarm system. They were used to barking loudly for hunting and protection.
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Social Integration
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Hearing dogs can improve their owner’s social integration. They can increase the opportunities for meeting new people and social interaction.
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Predicting earthquake
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Dog’s ability to hear ultra-high frequency sounds may give them ability to predict certain earthquakes.
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Dog breeds with excessive white coat pigmentation are more prone to congenital deafness.
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Australian Cattle Dog, Beagle, Boston Terrier, Bulldog (English and French), Bull Terrier, Cocker Spaniel, Collie, Dachshund, Dalmatian, English Setter, Fox terrier, Great Dane, Jack Russell Terrier, Old English Sheepdog, Scottish Terrier, Shetland Sheepdog.
The most common congenital hearing loss happens in young dogs because puppies can develop hearing loss shortly after birth.
Hearing- impairment in Dogs
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Signs of hearing loss can happen at any age, acute or gradual, in one or both ears.
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Signs of hearing loss in adult and senior dogs
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Not responding to sounds and commands as usually they did, it may appear they are ignoring you.
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Signs of hearing loss in puppies
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Harder to notice clues of hearing loss because they do not respond to certain sounds due to their hearing structure immaturity.
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Deaf puppies that are older than 6 weeks are more vocal and aggressive player than their littermates.
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Indication of potential hearing loss at any age are subjective.
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Depends of degree of hearing loss, bilateral or monaural, or other health issues, dogs behavior and responses are varies.
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Hearing impairment affects
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Dogs hearing loss can be acute or gradual, in one ear or both, and can occur at various ages.
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Dogs have different responses to certain sounds such as doorbell ring.
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Dogs with hearing loss may not respond to these sounds as well as they used to do.
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Many dogs with hearing loss continue to have a good quality of life.
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Hearing impaired dogs develop unusual behaviors such as:
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Not responding when calling their name
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Cannot find source of sound
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Difficult to wake them up from sleep
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Gets disoriented at times
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Develop anxiety or aggression
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Startle easily
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React as fear-biting
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Try to Run away
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Excessive barking
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Unusual voice
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Confusion
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Hyperactivity
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Lack of ear movement
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Unresponsive to environment
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