Hogan’s Hope: Safe Thanksgiving with our Deaf Dogs

Thanksgiving is less than a week away, and our deaf dogs — all dogs — need to be protected from the hazards that await.

This chart was copied from a Facebook announcement and begins the precautions for our deaf dogs.

Much appreciation to the person or organization that designed this wonderful picture!

Thanksgiving is less than a week away and holiday guests might want to slip treats to our pets. Not only that, but holiday leftovers might be tempting for our precious animals to steal. Fatty and spicy foods, bones, raw bread dough, alcoholic beverages, onions/ garlic, chocolate, grapes, and raisins are on the please do not feed list!

A well-intended treat could trigger intestinal upset, diarrhea, or even pancreatitis. Sugar-free sweets could contain xylitol that can be lethal to pets. If guests want to give some extra attention to our pets, they can provide a walk or some extra cuddle time. As the human caretakers, we are responsible for our precious pups’ needs and safety. We can provide healthy and safe alternatives that our animals will love, and our guests will feel happier being able to spoil a loving, warm, and furry family member who is insisting on getting a treat as everyone else.

Please be extra diligent during this festive season when our parties and gatherings can turn upside-down if our beloved pets become ill or even worse. Let everyone know that positive reinforcement is the only option and each person must know how to approach, get attention, and how to handle situations, even if that means getting you to take care of things.

Be sure to have special treats on hand like baby carrots, small pieces of apple, or special dog treats.

Keep food up where our four-legged family members can’t reach. Our deaf pups can’t hear us telling them from behind that their behavior isn’t appropriate.

Instruct children, seniors, and guests on what not to feed our pets. Humans need to be diligent to keep our deaf dogs’ attention focused and our communication visible.

Tethering your pup to your side is a great way to keep them close and under a watchful eye. This practice also helps keep negative correction out of the equation because our pups have to pay much closer attention.

Happy Thanksgiving, and let’s make certain that it’s all happy for everyone!

ANOTHER LIST HELPS LIST DANGEROUS ITEMS:

Always nice to end with something positive! Have a blessed, safe celebration.

Hogan’s Hope always on the lookout for better living for our deaf dogs.

I have been working with deaf dogs since late 1993 when Hogan came to be a permanent member of our family. Being that he was deaf and surrounded by so many negative myths, I have always been sensitive to the claims of others, the things they believe are true, and the good ways to better live with our deaf animals. This article caught my interest and I copy it below for you to read.

I must share with you, however, that I do not agree with everything offered. For instance, Dr. Strain states, “While deaf dogs are more difficult to raise and train and can bite when startled, there are strategies for living with them.”

During my work with thousands of families worldwide, I have found more times than not that the “difficulty” was the human. Once solid communication was established, the success rate soared. All of my own deaf pups have trained easier than most of my hearing dogs which I attribute to the bond, focus, and need to watch my hands, expressions, and movements carefully. Training, except for the method of communication, is basically the same for the deaf and hearing dogs. Safety is always an important issue and we must be diligent. Desensitization to being startled is critical for hearing and deaf dogs as well as safeguarding them from running out into traffic.

I have had the honor to consult and work with Dr. Nicholas Dodman, the internationally renowned animal behaviorist at Tufts University. He was enamored with our Hogan and the fact that our special pup could understand American Sign Language. — Why reinvent the wheel? Let many folks talk with our deaf dog, making it very convenient to establish better socialization. — The KEY is communication!

Read for yourself and glean important information. Our deaf dogs deserve the best of everything, and we humans must take serious responsibility for their care.

DOG-EARED: LSU VET SCHOOL EXPERT HELPS DETERMINE IF PETS ARE DEAF AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT

• BY SANDRA SARR Contributing writer

• AUG 30, 2021 - 7:00 AM

Once, the moment your key turned in the lock, your dog was there to greet you. Or, if someone stepped onto the porch, your pooch barked an alarm.

Lately, however, Fido hasn't mustered from his spot whether it's a treat bag shaking or a leash coming off the hook.

The problem could be he or she can't hear.

That's what happened with Luna. Shortly after Francesca Vega and Amado Aguayo moved to Lafayette, they noticed Luna began behaving differently. She would flinch when they approached from behind to pet her. She no longer got up to greet them when they entered the house after work.

They brought Luna to George Strain, an expert in deafness in dogs and cats and a professor of veterinary physiology, pharmacology and toxicology at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine.

Strain tests dogs to measure their nervous systems’ response to acoustic stimulation. Luna’s test results showed she was 100% deaf in both ears.

“It has made a difference to know definitively that Luna is deaf," Vega said. "Now, we can make adjustments to help her for the rest of her life.”

The 5-year-old, 100-pound Malamute-husky mix has been with the couple since she was 11 weeks old. They recalled that she was difficult to train, and now suspect she may have had some hearing problems all along.

While deaf dogs are more difficult to raise and train and can bite when startled, there are strategies for living with them.

“Deaf dogs cope well, generally," Strain said. "It’s important to protect them from cars and situations where they may be startled. Any startled dog can bite, and deaf dogs startle easily. Deaf dog owners need to minimize the risk of all dangers to their pets and to the people around them."

The couple learned modified American Sign Language, with which they trained Luna, who has proven eager to communicate in this manner. Through a trainer they learned that it was important to continue to talk to their dog.

“Deaf dogs can still read facial expressions and feel vibrations. So, even if your dog cannot hear and you use hand signals to work with them, talking to them as you normally would helps your communication,” said Ally Bertrand, owner of ZenDog in Lafayette.

Causes of deafness include genetics, infections, loud noises, aging, drugs and anesthesia, which is rare. Once a pet is diagnosed with nerve deafness, Strain said, the cause cannot be determined.

“Inheritance of deafness is obscure. Puppies of two deaf parents can have intact hearing. Deafness is not a simple recessive disorder or some other simple mechanism of inheritance. The cause is mysterious," Strain said. "I would very much like to solve the question before I retire."

Interestingly, deafness is fairly common in some breeds, according to Strain, who has tested more than 16,000 dogs, most of them litters of puppies between five and eight weeks old.

Dalmatians, Catahoulas, Boston terriers, Australian cattle dogs and Dogo Argentinos are breeds particularly at risk for deafness. About 30% of Dalmatians are deaf in one or both ears, he said.

White dogs and cats, particularly those with blue eyes, also tend toward deafness.

The Piebald gene that makes them white also causes deafness, Strain explained. Piebald makes skin and hair white and eyes appear blue by suppressing pigment cells, which are necessary in the cochlea to keep the hair cells alive. If the gene acts strongly, these pigment cells die, followed by the hair cells.

Conduction deafness results when sound reaching the inner ear is blocked by ear wax or infection. This type of deafness can usually be remedied, Strain said.

Worried about your pet's hearing? If your pet fails to wake up or respond to sound, such as a refrigerator opening, a treat bag shaking or a mail carrier stepping onto the porch, you might want to get the animal's hearing checked.

More information can be found in Strain’s 2011 book, "Deafness in Dogs and Cats," and at his website, lsu.edu/deafness/deaf.htm, which provides resources on deafness to pet owners and veterinarians.

Tagged: Deaf Dogs, Hearing Tests, American Sign Language, Deaf Dog Training, Hogan's Hope

Hearing Test

for Deaf Dogs

Dog being tested with BAER device.

Picture courtesy of UP's Onderstepoort veterinary hospital.

Determining whether or not a dog is deaf can change the life of both the dog and the family. When the diagnosis of deafness is determined, the family is better able to understand the behavior, needs, and communication methods necessary in establishing a wonderful, loving bond. All too often dogs who are deaf are thought to be stubborn, refusing to listen, or uncooperative. In fact, deaf dogs who are not diagnosed are simply trying to live in a world that does not accommodate their uniqueness.

The following article offers some information on how a deaf dog is diagnosed through the Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response (BAER) test. The earlier that this determination can be made in a deaf dog’s life, the better. The misunderstandings involved when a deaf dog is not known to be deaf are eliminated thus creating a higher quality of life for the deaf dog.

Full credit for this informative article is given to Chanel De Bruyn, Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor Online

UP's Onderstepoort veterinary hospital invests in a new device to test dog deafness

Brain Auditory Evoked Response Device

Picture courtesy of UP's Onderstepoort veterinary hospital

The University of Pretoria’s (UP's) Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital (OVAH), in the Faculty of Veterinary Science, has invested in a Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response (BAER) device to test deafness in dogs.

 The veterinary hospital is currently testing 20 to 30 dogs a month, most of which are puppies. The new device being used at OVAH to do this test is the American-manufactured UFI BAERCOM, which quickly and painlessly assesses the dog’s level of hearing or deafness.

 “We had an older, larger, clumsy device prior to this one, as we have been doing deafness testing for some time, but it had become unreliable to the point that we could not do any BAER tests for about two years,” says OVAH Small Animal Medicine section head and senior lecturer Dr. Paolo Pazzi.

 The BAER test detects electrical activity in the cochlea and auditory pathways in the brain in much the same way that an antenna detects television signals. The test is painless, and the puppy or dog is usually lightly sedated as movement interferes with the results.

 Small electrodes are positioned on the animal’s head and connected to the device, which reads and interprets the brain’s response to a specific clicking noise generated by it.

Each ear is tested individually as the dog may only be deaf in one ear. If they can hear in the ear, the machine’s screen will show a recording of ‘waves’ of varying sizes and depths, but if they are deaf then the screen shows a recording of almost flat lines.

 Once both ears have been tested, the sedation is reversed, and a copy of the results is shared with the owner.

Dogs with congenital deafness can be trained just like a hearing dog (using hand signals instead of speaking) and there are trainers who can assist with this. Many deaf dogs cope very well with hand signals, Pazzi says.

 “Deafness in the dog – and cat – the population is low overall, but responsible breeders of predisposed breeds should ensure their puppies can hear and that deafness is not carried in their breeding lines,” he says.

Congenital deafness has been described in more than 80 breeds but is most commonly diagnosed in Dalmatians, Bull Terriers, Australian Cattle Dogs, English Setters, English Cocker Spaniels, and Boston Terriers. There is an association between deafness and pigmentation, with white dogs predisposed and even more so if they are white with blue eyes.

“It is important for dog breeders and people getting a puppy to make sure there is no congenital deafness in the line, particularly in breeds that are more susceptible to it. Other reasons for testing include owners who are concerned that the dog they have adopted is deaf, or if their elderly dog has become deaf.” 

EDITED BY: CHANEL DE BRUYN
CREAMER MEDIA SENIOR DEPUTY EDITOR ONLINE

Summer Heat

and our Deaf Dogs, Any Dog

If the pavement, sand on the beach, or any surface is hot, the temperature can cause dangerous and painful injury to our dogs’ paws.

Test. Think. Take precautions.

I posted this information two years ago, but we must always remind ourselves and others how extremely dangerous things can get in the hot summer temperatures. Watching the screen on our weather station located in our front yard, my heart sinks thinking of all the animals outside in the rising temperatures. Too many are left unattended, provided with an insufficient supply of fresh-cool water, shade, comfortable shelter, or chained to a tree or stake. Why do these people have a pet? Would they like to be chained outside in the heat for hours? Do they really care about their dog who depends on them for life's essentials, including real love and genuine-attentive care?

The following is a reprint of an article from FOX59 news in Indianapolis. The additional requirements of the ordinance are good, but I would like to see them go further. The consequences need to carry a bigger penalty that bites into the human’s purse and personal comforts. Perhaps they should experience what they put their precious pets through. At the least, the pups need to be taken out of the home. Children are taken from unsafe environments, and we need to protect the ones without voices - we must be their voices and protectors.

“Indianapolis, Indiana has a new addition to the Indianapolis Animal Care and Treatment Ordinance that defines the extreme low and high temperatures at which point dog owners must bring their dog inside a temperature-controlled facility.

The new rules were added to the Care and Treatment of Animals ordinance in September 2015, and this is the first summer they are in effect.

According to the ordinance, it is now required by law to provide dogs with shelter when the temperature reaches 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and humans must bring their dog inside when it’s warmer than 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

The law also sets new requirements for tethering and enclosures. Here is a complete list of the improvements made to the ordinance, as provided by Friends of Indianapolis Dogs Outside (FIDO):

Shelter

Your dog must have access to:

• A shelter constructed of solid wood or other weather-resistant materials consisting of solid walls on all sides

• A dry floor raised above the ground

• A roof sloped away from the entrance to protect your dog from weather and extreme cold

Pen or Fenced Enclosure

• Dogs must have adequate space for exercise when confined to a kennel, enclosure, or pen which must be at least 100 square feet (for example 10ft. x 10ft.)

• Any dog over 80 pounds must be provided with a space of 150 square feet

• For each additional dog inside the enclosure, an extra 50 square feet must be provided

Tethering

It is against the law to tether (chain) any dog if any of the following is true:

• The dog is less than 6 months old

• The dog is sick or injured

• It is between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.

• The dog is not spayed or neutered. Unless you are an adult, you may have your dog in your visual range, and be outside with your dog

Extreme Weather

Your dog must be brought inside a temperature-controlled building, such as your house when:

• The temperature outside is 20°F & below

• The temperature outside is 90°F & above

• A heat advisory has been issued

• A wind chill warning has been issued

• A tornado warning has been issued

Shade

• On any day where the temperature is at or above 80°F, your dog’s shelter must be shaded by either trees or a tarp.

"The new ordinance does not prohibit people from walking their dog or letting their dog outside to relieve themselves. The new ordinance is targeted at situations where dogs are otherwise living in extreme temperatures 24/7 or close to it," said Darcie Kurtz of FIDO.

According to the Humane Society of Indianapolis, unlike humans, dogs are only able to perspire around their paws which is not enough to keep their bodies cool.

Some signs of heatstroke include but are not limited to:

• Panting

• Staring

• Anxious expression

• Refusal to obey commands

• Warm, dry skin

• High fever

• Rapid heartbeat

• Vomiting

• Collapse.

  If your dog experiences any of these symptoms, call a veterinarian immediately and lower the animal’s body temperature by applying towels soaked in cool water to the hairless areas of the body.

Please be EXTREMELY diligent, caring, responsible, and loving.

Be responsible. Be caring. Be loving.

“Do unto others, as you want them to do unto you.”