# Lab Pup not Responding to Loud Noise



## squirrelstalker5 (Dec 7, 2009)

When should a lab pup start responding to loud noises.  I have one that is 5 weeks old that seems to be deaf.  She doesn't respond to clapping or any other noise she cannot see.  Is there anyway a vet can tell if the dog is deaf?


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## Swampagator (Dec 7, 2009)

Not sure if a vet can tell or not but I would have her looked at any way.  It don't "feel" right to me seems like she maybe deaf.


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## squirrelstalker5 (Dec 7, 2009)

She has an appointment at 10 this morning.


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## quackwacker (Dec 7, 2009)

well?


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## squirrelstalker5 (Dec 7, 2009)

The vet said she was fine physically, but she would have to go for some very expensive scans to find out for sure if she is deaf.  I'm going to continue to "test" her hearing by making noises that she can't view to see what the status is.  Has anybody ever heard of a deaf lab?


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## Hooked On Quack (Dec 7, 2009)

squirrelstalker5 said:


> The vet said she was fine physically, but she would have to go for some very expensive scans to find out for sure if she is deaf.  I'm going to continue to "test" her hearing by making noises that she can't view to see what the status is.  Has anybody ever heard of a deaf lab?



Not one that young, I've seen some OLD ones that were 'bout deaf.  Best of luck to you and your pup!!


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## shdybrady19 (Dec 7, 2009)

sneak of behind it and clap and yell. try it when its sleeping. Dont be afraid to scare it. Get a fog horn if you have to. Just dont do it too close.


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## squirrelstalker5 (Dec 7, 2009)

That's what I've been trying to do.  I'll do it again in a little bit and see what happens.  Thanks for the good wishes.


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## Richard Eberhart (Dec 9, 2009)

I have a friend that had a lab that fell through some ice in Maine and was deaf the next morning.  I saw him train her to hand signals and hunted with her till she was 8.  Lots of work, she had been well trained and was 11 months old when she went deaf.


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## squirrelstalker5 (Dec 9, 2009)

I'm going to contact the Vet school at UGA.  They have a testing facility there.  Hopefully it doesn't cost an arm and a leg.


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## CedarSwampRetrievers (Dec 9, 2009)

UGA does the BAER testing at 8 weeks for $70, add $20 if sedation is required. 706-542-3221

Making loud noises while it's asleep won't really prove anything. My pups usually sleep through WW2, Vietnam, the joys of having a boy that likes the Military and History Channels and surround sound. 

I would take it in a room by itself, let it wake up, pee, poop, and then try. If your pups are like mine, it may be hard to do b/c they sit in front of you and stare at you. Ignore it until it starts to wander around. Then make the noise. 

Yes, I've heard of deaf lab puppies, though not many. I have not had one myself. Personally, if it were me and I had that much concern/doubt I would have the pup tested. (I'm assuming you have the whole litter since 5 weeks is too young to be away from mom and siblings). The price for UGA to test is a drop in the bucket compared to what I've put in testing the parents to make sure I have the healthiest pups I can. And no I'm not rolling in money. 

If she is deaf, you have 3 options:
1-keep her and spay her. Dalmatians and Aussies I know have a high incidence of deafness...this would suggest it could be a genetic factor involved in the Lab as well.
2-find her a home experienced with deaf dogs who will spay her.
3-euthanize her. This isn't always the worst option. I don't like doing it, but I have had to do it with a young puppy that had seizures...it was hours, not minutes. The vet and I thought it was the kindest thing to do since phenobarbital is bad on the liver, starting it at such a young age would shorten the lifespan tremendously and then the suffering of liver failure. The shot is pretty much painless. They pretty much just go to sleep and then the heart stops beating. The only one I've seen that was a problem was a very unsocialized rescue that threw a fit about being touched...had nothing to do with the shot. Being humanely put down IMO is much kinder than being socially neglected (put in a pen and only seen when feeding/watering) due to the owner not being able/willing to train a dog that is deaf. Labs want to be with their people.

There are more options available now since e-collars now have a vibrate function. This could be used to get the dog's attention when she's not looking. What I would do is teach it similar to the way we teach our working dogs to sit and look at us on the whistle. She should not be loose without a fence. When she's older and reliable (this would take a lot of work), has an e-collar and knows what it means, possibly for fun retrieving in a large area with no traffic. Otherwise she should always either be on leash or in a fence for her safety.


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## squirrelstalker5 (Dec 9, 2009)

Thanks for the info.  I just got off the phone with UGA.  I'll have her tested at 8 weeks.


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