FieldDxDeafnessClinical signs, differential diagnosis, treatment and prevention in dogs and cats.
Overview
Hearing loss present from birth, or developing later in life. Congenital: an inherited defect of the inner ear, often linked to white coat color/blue eyes. Acquired: chronic ear disease, noise damage, ototoxic drugs, or age-related degeneration.
Clinical signs
- Complete or partial inability to perceive sounds.
- Affected animals fail to respond to command cues, squeaky toys, or environmental noises; they may sleep through loud events and display increased vocalization .
Predisposing factors
- Congenital: Inherited autosomal gene mutations; highly associated with white hair coats and blue eyes (merle or piebald genes).
- Breed predispositions include Dalmatians, English Setters, Boston Terriers, and Boxers .
- Acquired: Trauma to temporal bone, loud noises, neoplasms, or ototoxic drugs (e.g., gentamicin, kanamycin, neomycin, streptomycin) .
Look-alikes to rule out
Treatment
- Conduction deafness: Resolving the primary middle ear obstruction or otitis media can restore hearing.
- Secretory "glue ear" in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels requires myringotomy or tympanostomy tubes.
- Sensorineural deafness: Irreversible; there is no curative medical or surgical treatment.
- Owners must utilize visual (hand signals) or tactile communication methods.
Prevention
Strictly avoid breeding deaf animals or known carriers of congenital deafness; perform Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response (BAER) testing to screen breeding lines ; avoid using known ototoxic aminoglycosides in ear canals with ruptured tympanic membranes .
Source
Textbook of Clinical Veterinary Medicine by Amalendu Chakrabarti (Page 503 / Passage 503); The Merck Veterinary Manual 11th Edition (Passages 228, 229).
MSD Veterinary Manual — Deafness in Animals (accessed 2026-08-11)
Condensed and attributed, never reproduced whole. Open the full entry in the app.