My westie is 13yrs old and now is deaf.
He is still in good condition,eats well and walked twice a day although i have to now keep him on a lead.
Just wondering what his quality of life is like for him now that he is deaf.
Thanks

I've had a couple go deaf as they aged, taught them signs so we could still communicate, TBH their quality of life was as good if not better than the others as they had our attention more and we made sure they were taken places they enjoyed more. Only real problem was the late Benny who went blind too, now that was challenge and sadly he had to be PTS when he started biting family, not his fault but he just didn't know where we all were.

Very much depends on the dog IMO, our oldie is going deaf and I don't think she cares really, it's gone gradually so she hasn't noticed I don't think.

Just need to be a aware, not sneak up on her, not wake her up and make sure the others dogs don't pester her. She's not grumpy, it just spooks her bless her.

As said, use your body language more than words to communicate with him xx

Thankyou both.

If he seems happy in himself, he will be fine. Our 14 year old terrier has been blind since age 4, and is now deaf and has dementia. But she is still content - hardly moves, and hasn't been able to go on walks for several years now - but potters in and out and we work round her. If she seemed unhappy, I'd know. Dogs do adjust - and if they don't, you'd know about it.

My dog went blind with a congenital problem that her breed is prone to. She took months to fully adapt but she did it. Years later I took her into a pet shop and the woman working in there went mad for her - turns out she had had the same breed dog, but her's had to be PTS at a very early age as it also got the eye problem but, she said, it could never adapt to being blind - was very obviously scared and distraught all the time and in the end the vet advised her to have him PTS. Same breed of dog, same problem, equally caring owners but different outcome as my dog (slowly) adapted - her's didn't. So I think your dog is fine - you would, like this lady, know if he wasn't.

When my dog went deaf she was fine with it. My neighbour also has a deaf dog and she is also perfectly fine.

A neighbour has a blind dog - rescued from a bad situation. The vet said it would never settle and advised it should be pts. That dog is now very happy with a wonderful temperament. In fact you would scarcely know he was blind - his other senses are so acute.
As for my dog, she has got deafer as she has aged. She seems to pick up certain sounds better than others - like a neighbour's door closing but sometimes she acts like she is startled when out and I don't know whether that is neurological or due to her deafness which seems to amplify certain sounds and lose others.
We live off road in the country so I only have to keep her on the lead on the way to the fields - in case the farmer comes flying down the lane - as she won't hear me telling her to stay or come back. Otherwise she keeps checking where I am and a lead is unnecessary. For some reason she sees a leg being raised as a signal to come back. So if you see anyone while out doing a silly walk.......