# Senior Hearing Loss?



## Shellie (Jun 3, 2015)

My childhood dog, a toy poodle, lived to be 18 years old and lost her hearing completely by the time she was about 15 years old. At first it was hard for us to handle because it seemed as though she was acting out, but in reality she was just unable to hear us when we would call her or tell her to do things.

Soon enough, we started to form our own version of "sign language" that worked wonders! We had commands for stay, come, sit, and most importantly you're in trouble! Haha! She was quite the naughty puppy, even in her old age. We never did stop talking to her when she became deaf, and she seemed to rely more on our facial expressions than ever before. I'll tell you, it was the most heart-warming thing to see her completely melt with happiness when I would smile at her


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## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

My almost 14 yo dog Phoenix has had hearing loss for some time. I have noticed that dogs learn first by watching us, then by what we say. So I often practice hand signals for the most common commands. With multiple dogs you can control them entirely by signals. You point to the dog first and then give the hand signal. You can use different hands for different dogs. It might be fun to try this with your 2 dogs.

Phoenix can hear different pitches. So try high tones to see if she hears that better than low. She can still feel vibrations. So try stomping your foot to get her attention. If you are far away use sweeping hand jesters that are easy to see. 

As long as her vision is still fair to good, you can deal with loss of hearing.


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

My sweet Scottie was a deaf as a post the last year if his life. His vision and sense of smell helped him compensate, not that he had particularly listened to us when he could. It was a gradual process so perhaps he got used to it.


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## Rusty (Jun 13, 2012)

My Rusty was also deaf/extremely hard of hearing in his last few years. It never seemed to bother him much, honestly. He quit barking/whining as he lost his hearing, too. The only advice I'd have is to approach them slowly if they can't see you. Sometimes Rusty would be very startled if we came home and woke him up suddenly (because he couldn't hear the door open or close anymore), or if a dog approached him from behind when we were out on a walk. He was never aggressive, but I didn't like scaring him. If he was sleeping when we came home or came into the room, I'd gently pet him so he'd know that we were back or nearby again. 

So trying to give Teaka advance warning of advancing people/things by making sure they're in her field of view might be helpful, and remembering that you'll have to rely on visual cues and touch to communicate with her.


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## ApricotsRock (Jan 10, 2014)

I double the advice on the advance warning. I would stomp my feet as I approached my old man so I didn't give him a huge scare. He also slept more deeply once he went deaf so it wasn't easy to wake him up.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Very recently I've noticed 13 year old Jose` becoming hard of hearing. He doesn't look up when I call him until I get much closer. At first I thought...wha??? You're ignoring me? How dare you?! LOL. But then I quickly realized...no, he can't hear me! If I get up closer to him and can get him to look at me, then all is well. He already gets what I mean for most things just by my hand signals, even things I don't think are hand signals. lol. They just get onto it after living with us for so long.

I 2nd that it seems he sleeps more soundly too. This morning was the first time he hasn't come around me at 8:30 in the morning (usual feeding time) and started his little pre-meal prance, telling me what time it is. I fed the Poodles and couldn't find Jose`. I called and called, loudly. And no Jose`. I started freaking out. Where's Jose`? After checking if he didn't get closed in the bathroom or something, I peeked around the corner into the dining room (very close to where I had called from the kitchen) and there he was, curled up sound asleep. He must have felt the floor vibrate when I came in or something and he jerked his head up and saw me, then knew it was breakfast time. Poor fella. So, yeah. I think many dogs get some degree of deafness as they get to be this old...just like humans. (although I have bionic hearing still...off the testing scale) lol. Weird.

I remember Bonnie, my Lab getting a little deaf but not as deaf as I think Jose` is. I am noticing with him...I just have to get closer to him to get his attention. But I suppose one could be trained to respond to a flashlight to signal them to turn and look at you and then you give a hand signal. I won't probably take the time....just go to him and be loud, clap my hands, tap him on the shoulder, get into his line of vision...then do what I've been doing to have him come, for instance...just like I do with anyone when you say, "come on" with a big sweeping motion with my arm. It seems to suffice. I guess I can't tell him to leave it without some new training thing I won't bother with.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

She seems to see fine and responds well when she is looking at me, it is just getting her attention when she isn't looking at me, or when she is sleeping - there is no kind of noise that I can make when she is sleeping to get her attention, and she jumps through the roof no matter how lightly I touch her...


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

Sometimes to wake up our old poodle after she went deaf, I would gently blow on her.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

N2Mischief said:


> Sometimes to wake up our old poodle after she went deaf, I would gently blow on her.



Oh thanks, I will give that a try!


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## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

We stomped near the deaf dog to warn her that we were near when she was sleeping and also bounced the cushions on the other end of the sofa. Anything that would cause vibrations near her would wake her up without startling her like touching.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Gee, if she were a bigger dog I could just attach a cell phone set on vibrate to her and call her.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

I am just getting a very bad feeling - like she is fading away...
Last night I went as far as stomping my foot right next to her head, and she did not move, not until I actually put my hand on her, and then she looked up at me very sleepily.
And I don't know what to do. The last time I felt this way was with Taylee, and I brought her to the vet, he found a little something wrong with her, and wound up killing her with the treatment. Even he admitted that she "lost three months" because of him, I felt it was longer that she lost, and she suffered terribly. So there is a part of me that feels let her be as long as she fades peacefully. Then I wonder if it could be her heart. I have already had one false alarm . She was only been diagnosed with the murmur about 3 months ago, and I already ran back once thinking it had gotten worse and it had not. They did however find that she had multiple nodules on her liver, but they felt that they were perfectly benign, common in older dogs, but of course I still have that in the back of my mind. And of course I know from Tangee how quickly things can change with the heart.
I don't know, my gut says that she is comfortable, just leave her be, I am just feeling very sad...


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

You should be able to tell if she's comfortable...not in distress or pain, that she's metabolizing her food/water etc. If you think she's not well, a vet visit would be what I'd do. If you're sure she's not having a hard time, just watch her. As far as being very deaf, I'd just go to where she can see you and bend down and touch her or pat her so she knows you're right near by. I know. It's so hard when they start going down hill. I'm seeing it in Jose` a little bit. Nothing glaring. But he did have a seizure a while ago I didn't write about on pf. And before that something...probably a vestibular episode. So yeah, it's hard to see them declining. It's a high price to pay for having pets.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Poodlebeguiled said:


> You should be able to tell if she's comfortable...not in distress or pain, that she's metabolizing her food/water etc. If you think she's not well, a vet visit would be what I'd do. If you're sure she's not having a hard time, just watch her. As far as being very deaf, I'd just go to where she can see you and bend down and touch her or pat her so she knows you're right near by. I know. It's so hard when they start going down hill. I'm seeing it in Jose` a little bit. Nothing glaring. But he did have a seizure a while ago I didn't write about on pf. And before that something...probably a vestibular episode. So yeah, it's hard to see them declining. It's a high price to pay for having pets.



She is eating and drinking, peeing and pooping OK. She does have a honking cough when she plays or gets excited, but She had it when she saw the cardiologist, and they said it wasn't cardiac. Yes, I think that she is comfortable.
And I am not sure about the deafness - could be that she is sleeping very deep. Or she is a very good lip reader, because when she is looking at me and I am speaking to her I can see her ears twitching, and her tail wags at the appropriate moment...


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## SeoulTeddy (Jan 8, 2015)

My grandparent's cocker spaniel went deaf at around age 14. He didn't seem particularly bothered by it, was otherwise still healthy and reacted well to hand signals and facial expression. We wouldn't stop saying commands either so I feel like he had either developed lip reading skills (if only, the lovely guy was as dumb as they come) or he still had some hearing left, if only a little. I know it must be difficult seeing her age, but try not to worry. From everything else you wrote she sounds comfortable and happy. It's just unfortunate that we all get older.


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