Test For Hearing Loss NOW

[Longblades]

I've posted about deaf cat howl three times recently so thought I would share a home made test I've devised. This is for any critter you have that likes treats. I'm most familiar with dogs and cats and I know, and have experienced first hand, the changes it can make in your pet's behaviour. The problem is that our pets and we adapt to each other and learn to communicate in ways that don't always require vocalization or even much visual interchange. Like old married couples we get into a groove and know each other well enough language is not necessary. So the onset of hearing loss can be insiduous.

First establish the range of your pet's hearing. I dropped a cornflake into my dog's stainless steel bowl. She could hear it from the farthest reaches of our house, even way down in the basement. And up she would come on the run to gobble it up. A year later she could not hear it from that distance.

Start with a favourite treat when pet is hungry and drop it into the dish in plain view. This is like "loading" your clicker, if any of you clicker train. Once pet knows what the sound means start doing it when pet is further away. Till you know the limit. Then test every few months. You never know, it might come in handy for you some day and it's a bit of fun for both of you.