http://www.terrificpets.com/articles/Deafness.asp Articles about Deafness en-us Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:30:11 EST Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:30:11 EST dogs@terrificpets.com Wed, 26 Sep 2007 00:00:00 EST http://www.terrificpets.com/articles/10270965.asp Hearing loss in dogs, as in humans, can be caused by a wide range of disease, trauma and/or congenital problems. In congenital cases, the dog is born deaf. Hearing loss can come on suddenly or gradually due to injury, disease, ear infections, exposure to loud noises or explosions, or simply the wear and tear of old age. Hearing loss is categorized as unilateral (affecting one ear only) or bilateral (affecting both ears). Dogs with white or partially white coats are often subject to a congenital form of deafness connected with the special pigmentation in their skin. In these cases the dog may have unpigmented skin in the inner ear, which causes the nerve endings inside the ear to wither away and die when the affected puppy is only a few weeks old. The end result is deafness. Unlike some conditions, hearing problems are usually noticeable to the pet owner. http://www.terrificpets.com/articles/10270965.asp#comments http://www.terrificpets.com/articles/10270965.asp> Mon, 22 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST http://www.terrificpets.com/articles/102182965.asp The two reasons for the inability to hear or deafness in cats is conduction and neurological problems. Conduction anomalies are associated with the structures of the ear. The outer ear is known as the Pinna, then there is the Tympanic membrane which is the eardrum, the ear canal, and the middle ear which is also called the auditory ossicles. Neurological problems can occur in the brain, inner ear, or the auditory nerve. There is unilateral deafness implying that one ear is involved or bilateral deafness involving both ears. http://www.terrificpets.com/articles/102182965.asp#comments http://www.terrificpets.com/articles/102182965.asp>