Dog Hearing Loss: What to Notice and When to Call a Vet

A dog who stops responding to their name may be losing hearing—not deliberately ignoring you. Hearing loss can affect one or both ears and may be partial or complete. Aging is one possible cause, but ear disease and other problems can also reduce hearing, sometimes reversibly. A new hearing change deserves a vet check rather than an assumption that it is just old age. Merck Veterinary Manual

When to watch, book or seek urgent care

• Watch briefly: One missed response, with otherwise normal behavior, does not establish hearing loss. Notice whether it happens again during ordinary daily activities; do not keep making louder noises to force a response.
• Book a veterinary appointment: Arrange an exam for repeated missed responses or a gradual decline, even if your dog seems comfortable. Call promptly if there is ear scratching, head shaking, redness, odor, discharge or pain. PDSA For an apparently sudden hearing loss, call your vet today for advice, particularly after a new medication, ear treatment, procedure, injury or loud-noise exposure. These details can affect the assessment. Merck
• Seek urgent, same-day care: A hearing change with a new head tilt, loss of balance, circling or vomiting is not a watch-at-home situation. Middle or inner ear disease can cause these signs, though an owner cannot determine the cause. Merck and PDSA describe these warning signs; PDSA recommends same-day assessment for head tilt or balance loss.

Our guide to ear infection warning signs explains which visible changes suggest an ear problem.

Signs you can notice at home

Look for a change from your dog’s usual responses:

• Not turning toward familiar sounds or responding to verbal cues.
• Sleeping through noises that previously woke them.
• Responding to a hand signal but not the spoken cue.
• Barking more or sounding different.
• Having trouble locating where a sound came from.
• Startling when someone approaches or touches them unexpectedly.

These are possible clues, not a diagnosis. Partial or one-sided hearing loss can be difficult to notice. Merck A puppy with hearing loss may appear slow to learn verbal commands. VCA

Observe ordinary sounds when your dog cannot see their source. Do not shout into their ears or use startling bangs. Home observations cannot confirm deafness or tell you which ear is affected: a dog may react to movement, vibration or another pet rather than sound. Equally, stress or repeated exposure to the same sound can blunt a response. Merck

Note when the change began, whether it seems gradual or sudden, any ear symptoms, and recent treatments or exposures. Bring this record and your dog’s medication list to the appointment.

Can hearing return, and how does a vet check it?

Hearing may improve when a blockage, wax buildup or certain ear infections are treated. Age-related inner-ear changes and other sensorineural damage are generally permanent. Some puppies have inherited deafness; white or merle pigmentation can be associated with risk, but coat color alone is not a diagnosis. Merck

The vet can examine the ear canals and eardrums and investigate possible causes. A BAER test—brainstem auditory evoked response— can objectively assess hearing and is especially useful when one-sided deafness is suspected. It may require referral. Merck

Do not start leftover ear drops or an improvised cleaning treatment; ask the vet what is safe for this ear problem. Some ear products can damage hearing, and cleaning should follow veterinary guidance. Merck and PDSA

Make daily life safer while you wait

Keep your dog leashed outdoors unless they are in a securely enclosed area. Do not rely on a shouted recall or expect them to hear approaching traffic.

Approach within their view before touching them, and teach children not to surprise a resting dog. Begin using consistent hand signals, rewarding the response; share those signals with everyone who cares for your dog. Older dogs can learn them too. Hearing loss changes how you communicate, not your dog’s ability to learn. VCA’s deaf-dog training guidance

With appropriate care and safety adjustments, deaf dogs can live full, happy lives. VCA