All dog owners need to read this

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My dog Gracie is a 13 year old dog. Suddenly she has lost her hearing. Doing some research on the internet, a drug that is found in a lot of dogs ear cleaners. It is called chlorhexdine . I have used Chlorhexiderm is the name of the ear flush. It can cause damage in the ear and over time you pet loses his hearing. This makes me very upset. We tried ringing doorbell. knocking on walls. She is totally deaf. Please do not use this product. Thanks for reading. Can anyone give me any information on how I can make her life a little bit easier? She would act confused when you called her name doesn't know where I am. I think that is part of the deafness. now you call her name she won't respond.
Thanks for reading.
Becky

[GabrielDeafBlindPupFamily]

Please read the deafblind stickie. It will give you a jumpstart to your new normal.

Is there NOTHING they can do to reverse the effects?

I am at work right now, but what I would tell you is what you can read in the Deafblind stickie.

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Karen,

Where do I find the deafblind stickie?

[GabrielDeafBlindPupFamily]

Go to this forum, Deaf and Blind, and the 'stickie' is at the top of the topics. The one by Christy Mullady. A wealth of info!

Also, www.ddeaf.org has a ton of into. I have two deaffies who are blind as well, and one only blind. It's harder on me than on them, I can assure you. I'll be more helpful tonight!

[bbaugh]

Thanks so much. I am really touched with your concern thanks again.

[GabrielDeafBlindPupFamily]

Okay have a moment to think, have you had a chance to read the stickies?

First of all, accustome Gracie to new signals. You can switch on a light switch to waken her, you can pound the floor with your foot to let her know where you are, or you can scent yourself. A deaf dog isn't a whole lot different than a blinddeaf dog in my house. If I had to pick a disability, I'd pick blindness, because Allicksblindpup is so ABLE in every single way, you would NEVER know she is blind. She in fact is in lock down in a bedroom right now recouperating from her anemia from fleabititus.

And my foster deafblind is going NUTS knowing she is in the house. Gabriel is the most well-adjusted dog on the planet. Factor in he is deaf and blind, and you would scream I HAVE TO HAVE A DOG JUST LIKE HIM!

Don't let anyone surprise Gracie. The startle response is one you want to avoide, so now is the time to up her socialization. Take her to a petstore and often. She will get used to unusual smells, bumps, dogs and people, when she doesn't know they are coming. Before you do this, make her a vest with puff paint and a child's craft apron, saying I AM DEAF, DON'T SURPRISE ME. You can start with your new training now, with smells or whatever motivates her. Gabriel is treat motivated and will read a dictionary for a treat. Possum is now hand motivated (when she got here she detested any cuddles) and Christy, her HANDS has taught her sit and down by touch.

www.amazingaussies.com has touch commands and DSL (dog sign language) but you can use whatever works for you. Just repeat it over and over with treats (whatever motivates her) as reward. Silly play with my deafblinds is wiggly fingers all over the head and neck. Then it's all holds barred as we PLAY.

You will learn what tickles Gracie, but the most important thing is never off lead or out of the fenced yard. She has a memory of sound, so seeing a truck will trigger the sound memory, and hopefully the DANGER signal. I would teach DANGER as the first lesson if Gracie may ever be in danger.

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Gracie does not leave the house much. She also has arthritis and is diabetic. I think sign language is not an option. She is going blind. I don't want to add stress to her right now. I have not consulted my vet bout this right now. This is all new to me. Gracie is a very smart dog. When she was a puppy she potty trained in 3 days. But she has been acting more and more disorienated . We continue to go on our walks around a short block. I also think she might be losing her sense of smell. It is really hard to get her to wake up. One thing I think is odd she is able to hear her toy . Everything else she can not hear. I am considering a vibrating collar. I thank you so much for all the information. I did read the stickie. Most that was on there seemed like it was geared to younger dogs. Thanks again

[Billieswango]

chlorhexdine is a very gentle cleanser that is found in just about every ear flush. as a veterinary technician, im interested as to where you found your information. we use in all the time for sterilization, surgery prep, its even what we wash prenatal puppies and kittens in because it is so gentle. i would like to research where you found out that it could have caused your dogs dreafness - for my own knowledge. Have you seen a veterinarian about your dogs deafness yet? Is it possible that something else it going on - like her ear drums were punctured during cleaning, or perhaps there is an infection and both ears canals have swelled shut (ive seeen both things happen and the darn doggie cant hear a thing). You said she can still hear her toy, so this seems more likely than complete deafness. So have hope! maybe its something thats going to heal and come back in time. i would really appreciate if you could send me the link to where you found out about the chlorhexdine though - thats a piece of information i would like to pass around!

[critters]

I searched and found a number of references of chlorhex being ototoxic in high concentrations--ruptured TM, etc. We'll keep using it, though! Our best success has been with Zymox, then flushing with chlorhex at the end, and there are some seriously hard-headed bacteria around here!

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The Vet said since Gracie has had a lot of trouble with her ears that is probably why she is deaf. I read a couple different places about Chlorhexidine causing damage to the ear. I can not find it now. I don't understand it but Gracie's hearing has improved somewhat. Here is one place that is very brief that mentions it. http://www.lsu.edu/deafness/Sudden.htm and http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/biology/b1 ... vries.html. I wish I could find the best one I read about it. Sorry about not being able to find it. I will keep looking.

[critters]

Didn't you say in the other post that Gracie's diabetic? That has my vote for a cause of the hearing loss (and there probably isn't/wasn't just one cause).

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Good point. Yes she is diabetes. You are right I Should not assume that is Chorhexidine. I was upset and when you are upset you want answers right then. I still probably won't use it. Just in case. Another possible think I can think of when she had her spell where she could not walk, it could all be tied in together. because they both seem to be improving. She is still having a hard time in knowing where sound is coming from. Someone will be talking she will be looking at some else. I have another question that does not apply here. Is there some place where I can get a bootie or something to protect her from getting sores on her feet from her back leg sometimes slipping? I want to look into that just incase she keeps on having this problem. So far it is not one.

[critters]

Not being able to localize sounds makes me think she might still have a significant hearing loss in 1 ear.

Is she knuckling at all, or just slipping, to get the sores?

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A little of both. She does not have sores yet. I want to be able to prevent it in happening. The vet had mention bandages or a sock. The problem with that they don't stay in place. The vet mentioned if she still had problems to do something to prevent it.

[critters]

Check this out, especially for knuckling. http://www.handicappedpets.com/splints/