Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

  • Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!

Dog suddenly deaf after loud noise. Should I take him to the vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Border Collie | Male | unneutered | 7 years and 8 months old | 49 lbs

After my husband took our dog out to the ranch today, my dog seems to have gone deaf. My husband was shooting a .357 and had the dog next to him while doing so. The dog is not responding to any commands but otherwise seems to be fine. I am hoping it’s temporary deafness like when humans go to a loud concert and can’t hear well until the next day... any information on this would be great. Is there anything that can be done or is this a wait and see thing?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on December 14th, 2019

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Bandit. It could be sitting next to your husband while he was shooting has affected his hearing. I would monitor him tonight, and if he's still this way in the morning, have him seen by a vet. I hope this helps!

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog chased a lit mortuer fire work and it blew a hole through her ear and she no longer can hear...
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! This sounds like severe trauma and warrants a visit to your local emergency veterinary clinic as soon as possible so that they can see the extent of the injury and proceed with therapy. Hoping for a speedy recovery!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog is almost 13 years old. I think she might be going deaf. I have not noticed an ear infection as I have a basset hound as well and know to check their ears. How can I tell? And do I need to take her to the vet? is it normal? If she's
Hi and thanks for posting on Boop by Petco! It is not abnormal for there to be some hearing loss in older pets. Hearing loss can happen as an age related change much the same way it happens in people as they age. Not responding to her name when called or not responding to other auditory cues (bag of treats or can of food being opened in another room) or commands (sit, stay, come), can be signs that she has some hearing deficits. There are a few other causes of hearing loss in pets such as chronic ear infections or a perforated ear drum. I would make sure Tazo is checked out with her veterinarian as well to make sure nothing else is going on that may be causing the hearing loss. I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Maddie had a double ear infection she was prescribed that your drops surolan which I gave her the prescribed amount, but I noticed towards the end of giving her the drops she was having trouble hearing she doesn’t hear very good now I researched the
Hello. It is unfortunate that Maddie has lost her hearing. This is a problem with some dogs using ear medications. Yes, you should have your vet take a look just to make sure everything is OK. Usually, with time, the hearing does return. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I have noticed that my lab is not as alert as usual. Meaning he is not hearing as well. I notice when I come home he is not coming to the door as he is not hearing the garage door open, and when coming up or down the stairs he does not open his eyes
This definitely does seem suspicious of hearing loss. Hearing loss can be due to infection, but this usually only affects one ear at a time and would not cause total deafness. There are also certain medications that can cause a dog to go deaf, so if you used any medications in the ear when you cleaned them, then this could have caused the deafness. Otherwise, dogs can suddenly go deaf for reasons that we often don't fully understand. Either way, it's best to get him evaluated by a vet. They will be able to tell if there are any issues within the ear that need treatment. I hope that helps and all is well with Lincoln.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Training & Behavior
Harley is beagle/rat terrier or so we were told. Anyways my wife and I think she may be deaf but can't afford a BEAR test. We have tried clapping hands very loud, opening bags of food. Calling her by her name all out of her line of sight and nothing
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! It sounds like you’ve done all the usual tests so yes, I wouldn’t be surprised if she were deaf. I will say though that testing during puppyhood is difficult because puppies haven’t learned how to react to things yet. I’d say there is a slim chance she can hear. But for her, I’d recommend hand signals along with your verbal commands when training her. Best wishes to you and your adorable new family member Harley!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Are dogs that are deaf, born deaf; or is the deafness developed through time.
Thank you for using Boop by Petco! There are definitely dogs that are deaf. Some dogs are born deaf, either due to a genetic mutation or malformation of the hearing apparatus. There are other dogs who can become deaf over time, due to damage to the ear drum, damage to certain cells within the ear, or chronic treatment with certain medications. I hope this answers your question!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hi so my dog's ears have been itching so my mom decided to put these ear drops a vet gave to her a while ago and after putting them in his ears his hearing isn't too good. We took him to the vet and the vet was no help at all she just told us to clea
I'm sorry that Floppy is having this issue. If Floppy's ear drum had an issue or was ruptured at the time that your mom put the medication in his ear this could have caused hearing loss. It's always very important to have a veterinarian check the ears prior to starting a medication to ensure the ear drums are okay. There are also reactions to certain medications that can cause temporary hearing loss. These reactions cannot be predicted, however with time most often hearing will return. Without knowing the type of medication that was used it's difficult to say if this happened. You may want to contact the company that manufactures the ear medication to report the event and they may be able to offer more advice to you. As long as Floppy is otherwise acting normally and you've flushed the remaining medication out of his ear I would continue to monitor. Hopefully his hearing will gradually return. Obviously in the future I would not recommend using the medication that caused the issue.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
New Pet
I believe my puppy is deaf or has diminished hearing. He is almost 2 months old and I am worried because I did not experience this when my other dog was this young. He does not respond to verbal stimuli when he’s looking away or sleeping. I need conf
Hi there. It's certainly possible that Duke may be deaf or have a hearing problem. To test this informally, you can try clapping your hands, ringing a bell, clanging pots together, or making some other loud noise near his head when he's sleeping - if he doesn't react at all, then it's reasonable to think he probably can't hear. To know for sure, you could take him to a specialist for something called a BAER hearing test - this involves using a machine to measure brain activity (or lack therof) in areas that are responsible for processing sounds. Your veterinarian should be able to refer you to a specialist who can perform this test if this is something you're interested in.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My husband made the smoke alarm go off twice without warning, and my 14-year-old Chihuahua went running in distress and hid, trembling. Were his ears damaged? He had a full checkup a few days ago and has no major problems. His hearing was already not
Wally most likely was just scared of the loud sound. If he is acting normal now, then it is unlikely there is physical damage. The link below has information on fear related to fireworks, but a lot of the tips are applicable to other loud noises (like fire alarms) as well https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952947
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
hello! Concerned about my 7 month old pup. we were shooting targets two days ago and the noise scared her and she ran off. She was gone for an entire day and was found outside so she was exposed to 30 degree temps all night. Since she's been home she
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! These could be signs of some form of trauma that is causing her pain or discomfort. I do not think that you damaged her hearing. It would be a good idea to have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. It is important to check her for any signs of pain or an internal injury that she could have suffered when she was outside. Good luck! I really hope that she does well!
Updated on September 24th, 2025

Related Searches

Dog Supplies Dog Food Dog Toys Dog Health & Wellness Dog Bandages & Wound Care Dog First Aid & Recovery Dog Seizure Medication Dog Ear Care Dog Vitamins & Supplements Dog Ear & Eye Care HEALERS Dog Bandages & Wound Care Vetnique Labs Dog Ear Care NaturVet Dog Bandages & Wound Care DOG by Dr Lisa PetAlive Dog Ear Care Vet Worthy Vetericyn Dog Bandages & Wound Care Vetnique Labs Dog Ear & Eye Care DOG by Dr Lisa Dog First Aid & Recovery PetAlive Dog Ear & Eye Care
image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored