Hamsters are known for their sensitivity to even the lowest volume of sounds. It can be frustrating to bring a new hamster home that does the exact opposite by not responding to sound at all. Could that be a sign of an ear infection or perhaps even deafness?

This article answers the question “How Can You Tell if Your Hamster is Deaf?” by unveiling the signs of hearing loss in hamsters. We look at potential ways to confirm your suspicions even before an official diagnosis by a vet and how to make your little guy’s life easier even with hearing defects.

How Can You Tell if Your Hamster is Deaf?

Deaf hamsters may not flinch, freeze, stare, hide, or respond to noise. They’re usually heavy sleepers that only wake up when you tap them gently around their usual wake-up times. You could shout loudly right behind the ears of deaf hamsters and they still won’t react to it in any way.

Figuring out that your hamster is deaf can be an emotional moment but that should be a clue that your little guy needs more love than ever before. Deaf hamsters may still live happy productive lives as long as you’re willing to meet them halfway by providing the necessary support and care.

7 Common Signs of Deafness in Hamsters

Here are 7 common signs that your hamster may be suffering from permanent hearing loss and needs urgent veterinary attention.

1. No Flinching From Your Claps

Hamsters usually flinch when you clap your hands right behind their ears. If yours refuses to react and shows no emotion, as in nothing at all, he’s probably deaf.

2. Stays Put When There’s Noise

Hamsters often come out from their nests when there’s some loud noise to find out more about the source and contemplate what to do. If your little guy does the opposite after trying the trick a couple of times that could be a sign of deafness.

3. No Flinching At Loud Noises

Hammies usually flinch at the sound of disturbing noises due to fear unless they’re deaf and cannot even hear those sounds.

4. No Look at The Direction of The Noise

Another common reaction is for hamsters to look in the direction of disturbing noises. This is one of the ways they analyze the possible level of threat but that does not happen in deaf hamsters.

5. No Folding of Ears

Ear folding typically occurs in hamsters when exposed to high-pitched sounds. If your hammy fails to fold the ears or shows signs of fear of the noise, deafness is highly probable.

6. No Response to Loud Name Calling

Hamsters get startled when they hear their names called out loudly. While there’s a misconception that they do not recognize their names, the opposite is true. Indifference to loud name-calling may be a sign of deafness.

7. No Movement When Cage Wire is Tapped

These furry friends typically move when their cage wires are tapped. In some cases, the sound of these taps can be so frightening that they run to another part of the cage altogether. If your hamsters won’t move regardless of how hard or how many times you tap their cage wires, they could be deaf.

What to Do With a Deaf Hamster

The best course of action when you suspect that your hamster may be deaf is to pay a visit to the vet to get an official diagnosis. After confirmation, seek the vet’s advice on whether anything can be done to help the little guy’s hearing loss.

In most cases, the hearing loss may be permanent and you’ll just have to dedicate more time to loving and caring for him. You can always seek the vet’s advice on tips and tricks to make the deaf hamster’s life more comfortable.

What Causes Hearing Loss in Hamsters?

There are several underlying reasons behind deafness in hamsters. Shall we look into a few common ones?

Deaf Gene

Some hamsters are born with the deaf gene and never get to experience what sounds feel like. The deafness may not become apparent until they’re a couple of weeks old since baby hamsters spend their first few weeks under their mother’s care without human intervention.

However, once they’re weaned at 3-4 weeks old and possibly moved into independent cages, the hearing defect becomes more visible when they refuse to respond to any form of sound regardless of how loud it may be.

Unfortunately, hamsters born with the deaf gene can also pass on the defect to offspring when bred which is why it is recommended that they’re kept away from members of the opposite sex.

Overly Loud Sounds

Exposure to extremely loud sounds can trigger deafness in hamsters with a previously perfect sense of hearing. Studies have shown that exposure to blast-simulated noises causes structural and molecular changes in the DNA of rodents such as mice and hamsters.

The destructive sounds of the blast may trigger extreme damage to critical areas of the ear such as the tympanic membrane, cartilage, ossicles, and middle ear muscles. These inhibit the transmission of sounds through the middle ear of hamsters to the inner ear.

Additionally, blast sound exposure can also damage the outer hair cells with knock-on effects on the spiral ganglion neurons resulting in the rodent’s inability to process sound transmission. In severe cases, these loud sounds may kill key neuronal cell types in the inner ear resulting in permanent deafness. (Source)

Ear Infections

Ear infections may be another common reason behind deafness in hamsters. You could have a hamster with a perfect sense of hearing but these infections can trigger quicker deterioration resulting in eventual hearing loss.

Studies have shown that middle ear infections may start causing hearing impairments in rodents from as early as 30 days of age. It often starts by compromising sound transduction in the middle ear but the situation can escalate rather quickly.

If your hamster is showing signs of a middle ear infection, getting them checked out and treated by a vet could minimize the risks of developing into full-blown hearing loss. (Source)

Conclusion

Hamsters have a powerful sense of hearing and often respond to even whisper-level noises. If your hammy shows indifference to sounds no matter how loud they may be, that could be a clear sign of deafness.

Hamsters are either born with the deaf gene or may suffer permanent hearing loss after exposure to extreme noises like blast-level sounds. Infections in the middle and inner ear can also cause deafness in these little guys.