Dogs are extremely adept at smelling and hearing. If Rover could talk, he’d probably tell you exactly how much he depends on these two senses, so take care to protect your puppy’s ears.
Puppies are born deaf. Until they reach 10 days of age, their eardrums are closed. They begin to hear sounds sometime around two weeks of age. By the time they are a month old, their inner ears are fully developed.
If you suspect that your puppy has difficulty hearing, schedule an appointment with his or her veterinarian. Once the inner ears are fully developed, a vet can check for deafness, which can be caused by damage to the eardrum, the middle or inner ears or the nerves. Certain ear diseases, drugs and trauma are causes of canine deafness.
Some breeds are known to have hearing problems that are passed on genetically. Dalmatians, Boston terriers, Jack Russells, rottweilers and border collies run a higher risk of deafness at birth.
Canine and human ears are very close in anatomical characteristics. The difference is the outermost section of ear. Few of us can wiggle our ears, so we are usually unable to move our ears in the direction of the sounds we detect. Dogs can move their ears independently of each other and this ability allows them to do a much better job of zeroing in on sounds. Whether floppy or erect, a puppy’s ears are far superior to our ears.
Because puppies can freely move their ears, they are able to take in a wide range of sounds and pinpoint exactly where they are coming from. This allows canines to be able to pick out a specific noise from a mixture of loud sounds.
Once a sound is received, it travels through the external, middle and inner ear of the dog.
The external part of a canine ear has two parts – the pinna and the external ear canal. The pinna, or ear flap, is what gives a breed its distinctive look. The ear flap is made of cartilage, which provides strength. The external ear canal, which is also known as the auditory canal, picks up the sound and sends it on to the ear drum, which is located in the middle ear.
The middle ear includes the ear drum, which is also known as the tympanic membrane, and the tympanic cavity. The ear drum is a thin tissue that separates the external ear from the middle and inner ear.
Once sound reaches the ear drum, it vibrates, sending the sound on to the tympanic cavity, which contains three small bones that vibrate with noise. These bones are located just behind the ear drum and lead to the inner ear. The middle and inner ears are not visible unless the ear drum is ruptured.
The inner ear has cilia, which are tiny hair-like structures that change sound impulses into electronic impulses. The inner ear passes on the sound impulses and is also responsible for maintaining a dog’s equilibrium and balance.
Because hearing is one of the two most important canine senses, it is very important to maintain your puppy’s ears. Keep them clean and free of yeast and ear mites that can lead to infections. Infections can lead to hearing loss, and in some cases, deafness.
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- Do Puppies Hear Louder Than We Do?
- Do You Hear What I Hear?
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