Why is my dog's hearing sensitive with craniomandibular osteopathy?

Certainly head shaking can be the sign of an ear infection, however dogs typically get infections in the external ear, which are very easy to detect and diagnose with an ear exam and a cytology (examination of the debris from the ear under the microscope). Foreign objects lodged in the ear canal (small sticks and pieces of landscaping bark can do this) can cause head shaking as well. If Bodhi needs to be sedated for your vet to get a good look in the ear, the fact that he has an enlarged heart doesn't necessarily make this impossible. Many dogs with heart problems can be anesthetized safely, if the veterinarian is competent in using anesthetic drugs, and the vital signs are carefully monitored during the procedure. Other considerations in Bodhi's case could be that perhaps he has an infection in the middle ear. These can cause hearing loss, and are usually pretty obvious on examination of the ear, as the ear drum is typically ruptured. Sometimes x-rays can help to make this diagnosis too. It sounds like Bodhi does need a thorough exam of the ear canal, and this make take a bit of sedation or even general anesthesia. While he's under his mouth can also be thoroughly examined to look for problems in the mouth as well.

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If Jax has not had his ears checked by a veterinarian for an ear infection, then he could still have one causing the continued sensitivity near his ears. Your vet will need to look not just at the outside of the ear (the pinna) but inside the ear canal with an otoscope to get a good view of what is going on. A sample of any debris in his ears should be taken to confirm the presence of an infection. If his vet has already rechecked his ears and he is free of infection, then he may still be guarding his ears as this once was a painful or sensitive area. This may be true if he just got over a recent infection. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! 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!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. With the symptoms you are describing it, sounds as though he may have something stuck in his ear canals. If the veterinarian is unable to examine his ears with him awake, he may need to be sedated and have a more thorough ear exam to rule out a foreign body in the ear canal. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

If this is related to an ear infection, then yes, treatments can help. If this is related to Mitchell's age, then unfortunately, there is not treatment available. If you are unsure if there is an infection, I recommend to have him examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Yes, that would be the assumption. Steroids are very potent anti-inflammatories. So he likely has/had some inflammation in/near the inner ear canal that was causing his hearing loss. It is not something your vet would know just by looking in the ear with an otoscope. This inflammation would be behind the ear drum and a CT scan would have been needed to find it. Hopefully this course of steroids will resolve the issue completely. If you wean him off the steroids and the hearing loss returns then there is something else going on in there, at which point, a CT scan would be recommended.

Hello. I am glad that you had your veterinarian take a good look in Moka's ears & no infection or foreign material was seen. However, she might have a very mild or allergic condition in her ears. Your veterinarian could swab the ears & submit the sample for a culture & sensitivity, or your veterinarian can prescribe a short course of a steroid to see if this calms the signs. If so, then a plan can be discussed as to the best treatment to keep Moka healthy & pain free. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.