Expert: Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf - 12/9/2007

Question
QUESTION: rescued  7yo sweet alert  mixed terrier eval Sept 2007 with 3+ cocci bacterial otitis externa.. has not learned name and seems to be deaf or partially at times..spoke with rescue group who said she was not deaf previously..read your article of 11/16/2007 of another case. is this reversible or did you misunderstand Elizabeth's letter thanks Gail..PS going to vet again today just want to know from you

ANSWER: The antibiotic in Mometamax, gentamycin, can cause reversible deafness.  Once you take the dog off of it, the hearing should return in 2 weeks or so.

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QUESTION: My terrier has been off Mometamax for almost 3 months and she still is deaf or at least partially (hard to tell) she is learning "sign language" well..very smart dog..She is back on it now because she apparently still has cocci present and very dirty ears. Vet cleaned them out real good and will do a deep exam and irrigation when she is under for teeth cleaning in a few days..Do you think she has a chance of hearing?? she seems to only hear me when I make a clicking sound with my tongue to come to me. Walking in neighborhood she does not seem to hear other dogs barking at her like my other dogs do.. what are your thoughts..Thanks again Gail


Answer
Why would your vet put the dog back on Mometamax????

I can't tell you if her hearing will come back or not.  It usually does if it is fromthe gentamycin.  If there is nerve deafness in both ears, then it probably will not return fully.  The only way to know how much the dog hears is to have a BAER (Brain Auditory Evoked Response) test done by a neurologist.