Dog Ear Mites and Hearing

I took him to the vet and found out he has ear mites and I'm concerned about his hearing. Will he be able to hear me after the twenty-one day course of medication his vet prescribed or could he wind up deaf? Should he be able to hear me now, even with ear mites? He only comes now when I make loud bangs, whistles, and claps.

~~ Alberta Garcia

Expert Reply

Hi Alberta,

If you only had your dog for five days when you realized he had ear problems, then the problem likely started at his prior home. There's no way to tell for sure how long he's had this infestation.

You did the right thing by taking him to the vet. With proper care, he should recover. Did your vet thoroughly flush out his ears before administering medication? If so, his chances of recovery are even better, but your vet will need to assess just how much scar tissue might be left in his ear canals. Too much scarring can actually close off the canals, interfering with your dog's hearing.

Only your vet can make a diagnosis about your dog's hearing, but don't be too discouraged if your dog has permanent hearing loss. You've already discovered other ways of communicating with him, and, if necessary, these will become second nature to both of you. You're doing a great job and thank goodness you came into this dog's life.

Best wishes for his full recovery~~ Kelly