Can deafness be inherited?
Deafness at birth (known as congenital deafness) is often inherited in some breeds. How this condition is inherited is not fully understood, but is believed to be controlled by many different genes, possibly with additional breed-specific risk factors.
Testing for deafness
The BAER (Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response) test is used to check the hearing of a dog. The test checks if the brain responds to noise (usually a clicking sound) and is a reliable way to see if a dog is deaf and to what extent. The test does not measure the full range of a dog's hearing, it only checks noises in the normal human range (some dogs will test as ‘deaf’ but can still hear very high-pitched noises).
Why test your dog?
Breeders
Breeders are able to test their breeding stock for deafness before the dogs are bred from. Testing all potential breeding stock, where relevant, allows breeders to better understand the kind of genes a dog may pass on to its offspring, giving them information which may be useful to help avoid producing clinically affected puppies. Having dogs BAER tested is currently the best option for reduction of risk but it does not completely ensure the hearing of resulting puppies.
Owners
- Bilaterally deaf dogs can prove difficult to manage (e.g. training) and identifying this early allows for targeted training, improving the comfort and safety for both the dog and the owner
- Once owners find out the hearing status of their dog, they can develop appropriate communication and training techniques (e.g. exaggerated body language and sign signals)
- Deaf dogs are often put down due to decreased awareness of dangers (e.g. vehicles and animal predators) and possibly aggressiveness (easily startled) – if owners know the hearing status of their dog, they can take necessary precautions to prevent this
All
- Data generated from these tests would improve our understanding of the degree of inheritance and the familial relationships contributing to this disorder
Is BAER testing relevant to my breed?
Find out which health tests or schemes are recommended for your breed on our Breeds A to Z. These recommendations are suggested by breed clubs and approved by The Kennel Club's committees.
Which breeds are commonly affected?
Dogs with the extreme piebald gene
Congenital deafness is recognised as a problem in many dog breeds that mostly have a white coat (i.e. those that carry the extreme piebald gene). Such breeds include, but are not limited to:
- Australian Cattle Dogs
- Australian Shepherds
- Border Collies
- Boxers that are white
- Bull Terriers that are white
- Dalmatians
- English Setters
It has been suggested that this could be due to a fault in the movement of pigment cells, or their interaction with other structures in the inner ear during embryo development. Unpigmented skin in the inner ear causes the nerve endings to break down and die in the first few weeks of a puppy’s life.
Deafness associated with merle dogs
Deafness has also been reported to be associated with the gene that causes the merle coat colour (mottled patches of colour in a solid or piebald coat, blue or odd-coloured eyes, and also possible effects of skin pigment). Examples of breeds with the merle coat are:
- Australian Shepherds
- Border Collies
- Dachshunds that are dapple
- Old English Sheepdogs
Absence of pigment in one or both irises resulting in blue eye colouration may also be present in merle dogs. Blue iris colour is caused by a lack of pigment in the iris, and it is thought that this may reflect a lack of pigment cells in the inner ear and so may be linked to deafness. Deafness can also occur independently of coat colour, so can arise in dogs with coat colours not linked to deafness.
When should my dog be BAER tested?
The best age to test a litter is around 5½ to 6½ weeks of age (ear canals don’t open until puppies are about 2 weeks old). The test can be carried out at any age after this, including on adult dogs.
Many breeders wish to know the hearing status of their pups before they go to their new homes. Also, at this age, puppies have an active period followed by a period of sleep, which is the perfect time to carry out the test.
Getting your dog tested
If you are having your dog or litter BAER tested, please take the BAER test report form with you to the testing centre.
Find a testing centre near you
BAER test centres and contacts
Please note that not all of the testing centres listed below send copies of the results directly to The Kennel Club. Please check with the centre.
Hearing Assessment Clinic (Mobile) - Not testing until further notice
Seadown Veterinary Hospital1 Frost Lane,
Hythe,
Hants
Contact: K Morris MRCVS, 02380 842237
Small Animal Hospital
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Glasgow,Bearsden Road,
Glasgow,
G61 1QH
Contact:
Slane Veterinary Clinic
3 Churchlands,
County Meath,
Ireland
Contact: Ian Finney DVM MRCVS
Pride Veterinary Centre
Riverside Road,Derby,
DE24 8HX
Contact:
Hearing Clinic at Davies Veterinary Specialists
Manor Farm Business Park,Higham Gobion,
Hitchin
SG5 3HR
Contact:
The following veterinary practices can accommodate BAER testing and are all carried out by Mr David Godfrey. Appointments must be made directly with him by calling 07929 863 542 or by email:
St George's Veterinary Group
8 St George's Parade,
Wolverhampton,
WV2 1BD
Chipping Norton Veterinary Hospital
Banbury Road
Chipping Norton
OX7 5SY
Casvets Gardner's Ln
Cheltenham
GL51 9JW
Dragon Veterinary Group
17 Lyefield Rd W
Charlton Kings
Cheltenham
GL53 8EZ
West Bar Vet Hospital
19 West Bar,
Banbury
OX16 9SA
Haygate Vets
Unit 1,
Poyner Court,
Lawley Square,
Telford
TF3 5FB
Milton Keynes Veterinary Group
Walnut Tree Hospital,
Local Centre,
Fyfield Barrow,
Walnut Tree,
Milton Keynes
MK7 7AN
Severn Vets
Tybridge House,
Tybridge Street,
St John's,
Worcester,
WR2 5BA
Stow Vets
Maugersbury Road,
Stow-on-the-Wold,
GL54 1HH
Read further details about all of the above on the vet hearing service website.
Information for vets
Unfortunately, our requirements for BAER test providers are currently under review and we’re unable to approve new centres at this current time. However, we’d be delighted to add BAER test providers to our waiting list and contact them as soon as the review has been completed. If you’re a BAER test provider and wish to be added to this waiting list, please send the following details to us - Health (The Kennel Club)
- Name of practice:
- Name of primary contact:
- Email address for primary contact
- Brand and make of electrodiagnostic machine
BAER test results
- Affected – bilateral: the dog is completely deaf in both ears
- Affected – unilateral: the dog is completely deaf in one ear and able to hear normally in the other
- Unaffected: the dog has normal hearing in both ears
Breeding advice
Unfortunately at the moment we don't know enough about congenital deafness to be able to offer any firm breeding advice. However, scientists believe that it may be possible to reduce the risk of producing deaf or bilaterally deaf puppies by only breeding from bilaterally normal hearing parents. This condition is inherited in a complex way, so it may still be possible for parents with normal hearing to produce affected puppies.
Making balanced breeding decisions
As well as considering the implications of a dog’s BAER results, there are other equally important factors to consider when deciding whether two dogs should be mated together, such as temperament, genetic diversity, conformation, other available health test results, the general health of the dogs etc. Your breeding decisions should always be well balanced and take into consideration the qualities and compatibility of both the sire and dam that you are considering.
Are BAER test results published?
The names and results of dogs registered with The Kennel Club will be sent to The Kennel Club by participating BAER testing centres. These results, and the results submitted by owners of non-participating centres will be recorded on The Kennel Club database and will be made available, via our Health Test Results Finder.
Requirements for publishing results
- All participating dogs will need to be registered with The Kennel Club and microchipped (prior to screening)
- The microchip of individual dogs will be scanned prior to screening to verify that the correct dog is being screened
- Signature of the veterinary surgeon on the BAER certificate
- Owners are encouraged to submit copies of the certificates themselves, directly to The Kennel Club, if the testing centre does not automatically do so