Are Guinea Pigs Deaf? Let’s Find Out Now

Last updated on January 29th, 2023 at 08:09 pm

Guinea pigs sometimes don’t hear very well and you immediately wonder if your pet is deaf.

Are guinea pigs deaf?

No, guinea pigs are not deaf although they sometimes do not respond to sounds. The reason for this phenomenon is that guinea pigs do not hear all sound frequencies, more precisely they hear better than us humans when it comes to high-frequency sounds.

In today’s article, you will learn why sometimes guinea pigs do not hear well and what are the reasons.

How do you know if a guinea pig is deaf?

Guinea pigs can be deaf, but for this situation to happen, there must be a reason. So let’s look at some reasons why and when guinea pigs can suffer from hearing loss.

Do guinea pigs hear you when you talk to them?

Guinea pigs listen to you when you speak to them, if you say their name and they respond to your sound then everything is fine with your pet.

If the guinea pig does not respond when you speak to them or when you call them by name, and they do not respond at all to any calls from you, then most likely your pet is deaf.

Guinea pigs have good hearing although they cannot hear in the 20-hertz to 20-kilohertz range.

Do guinea pigs hear squeaky toys?

Guinea pigs when their hearing is fine can hear and respond to squeaky toys normally.

Guinea pigs also listen to whistles, musical instruments, and toys that make sounds.

If the guinea pig does not hear the squeaky toy and does not react to its sound at all then it is deaf.

Do a test, put the toy behind the guinea pig, and whistle with it, if your pet does not turn around then it is definitely deaf.

Do guinea pigs hear a shrill sound?

Guinea pigs cannot hear sounds between 20 hertz and 20 kilohertz, but they can certainly hear shrill sounds.

Therefore, if you notice that your pet does not react to shrill sounds, then something is wrong with him, that is, the chances are high that he is deaf.

Guinea pigs, when they hear well, they go down after a crash

When guinea pigs hear a noise, they go down, which is a sign that everything is fine with their hearing.

If the guinea pig does not go down when it hears the noise of a crash, then your pet is probably deaf.

Guinea pigs are prey animals and whenever they hear a noise they go down, that’s their way of behaving in such situations.

Guinea pigs always react to noise

Guinea pigs always react to the noise around them, that’s the best way to know if they hear well or are deaf.

When you or someone else makes a noise in the room where the guinea pig is and if it doesn’t hear or respond to the noise then your pet probably isn’t listening.

Guinea pigs are social animals and they like to communicate and respond to your every speech and will not ignore you under any circumstances.

Can guinea pigs stop hearing because of very loud noises?

Yes, guinea pigs can go deaf if they hear loud noises.

Guinea pigs are sensitive to loud music, and noise around them, and it matters to them.

If they are too exposed to loud noises they can get hearing damage and stop hearing completely or partially.

Here are the situations in which their hearing can be damaged:

  • when the guinea pig is exposed to thunderous noises that are constant or for a long time.
  • when a guinea pig is exposed to very loud sounds, damage to their eardrums can easily happen and they can lose or reduce their hearing.
  • if a guinea pig is suddenly exposed to very loud noises it can cause hearing loss and death in your pet.

Since guinea pigs are sensitive to noise and loud sounds, you should always make sure that there is no noise in their environs.

If there is any noise from outside, cover the cage with a cover to reduce the sound that the guinea pigs will hear and thus protect them and save their hearing.

Reasons why a guinea pig may be deaf

Guinea pigs can be deaf due to disease, age, injury, and damage to their ears, as well as other reasons.

So let’s see in detail about each of these reasons and how they can make your pet deaf.

Due to an accident

It’s a little more difficult to know right away if your guinea pig is deaf after an accident, but it can still happen.

When guinea pigs have an unfortunate head injury from a fall or impact they can lose some or all of their hearing.

Injury to the ears

Ear injuries are the most dangerous for guinea pigs’ hearing and can cause them to lose their hearing.

There can be a variety of injuries to their ears or even a torn one that causes them to stop hearing.

When their ears look good, then they have most likely lost their hearing due to old age or some unfortunate injury.are guinea pigs deaf

Age can affect their hearing

Guinea pigs, like us humans, slowly lose their hearing as they age.

When a guinea pig reaches three years of age, damage and loss of hearing can occur.

If you notice that he does not react much to noise, then obviously your pet has lost part of his hearing.

Hearing loss due to ear infection

Guinea pigs often get ear infections which can cause their hearing to decrease.

Guinea pigs get ear infections mostly due to dirt and insufficient cleaning of the ear.

Ear infections can also be caused by other things such as an injury or your pet’s age.

A blow to the head

A blow to the head of a guinea pig can cause it to stop hearing and become deaf.

When the guinea pigs have a wound or something similar after the blow to the head it can cause them to lose their hearing.

Pregnancy

When female guinea pigs are pregnant they can suffer from pregnancy toxemia and lose their hearing.

This happens because in toxemia the toxins have a negative effect on the brain cells of the guinea pigs and can cause them to lose their hearing.

Therefore, if you notice that after pregnancy, the guinea pig has stopped hearing, you should take it to the vet for an examination.

Can a guinea pig normally live when it is deaf?

Yes, even if the guinea pigs are deaf, they can continue to live quite normally, because they can adapt even in such an unwanted situation.

Although when the guinea pig is deaf, it will have difficulties with communication because it will not be able to hear and may start to behave aggressively.

Deaf guinea pigs when they are together with other guinea pigs they imitate others in their behavior.

Indeed, when a guinea pig is deaf, it is difficult for him, but they can get used to living without hearing.

Are albino guinea pigs hearing or deaf?

Albino guinea pigs are not deaf, they hear although they cannot hear the same sounds as other guinea pigs.

This happens due to the lack of melanin in their organism, but this does not mean that they do not listen.

Albino guinea pigs hear low-frequency sounds, while other guinea pigs hear high-frequency sounds.

Albino guinea pigs also have very impaired vision, so it is important to help them in their daily activities and spend more time with them.

Do guinea pigs have better hearing than humans?

Yes, guinea pigs have better hearing than humans.

For example, guinea pigs can hear things that we humans cannot hear at all.

We, humans, hear sounds at a frequency of 20 hertz to 20 kilohertz, while guinea pigs can hear from 2 hertz to 60 kilohertz.

This means that we humans will not be able to hear a sound with a high frequency same as guinea pigs they will hear it without any problem.

Guinea pigs can hear better than us humans because of their ear genetics.

For example, guinea pigs have 7 bones in the middle ear, and humans have 3 bones, which is a great advantage for hearing and better hearing.

Do guinea pigs hear better than dogs?

Yes, guinea pigs hear better than dogs because they can hear high-frequency sounds, while dogs hear low-frequency sounds.

Dogs hear sounds between 67 hertz and 45 kilohertz, which is quite similar to guinea pigs, but your pet still has an advantage.

The advantage of guinea pigs is that they can hear sounds that are quite far away, while dogs cannot hear them.

This is important for guinea pigs when they are in the wild to be able to escape faster and save themselves from predators because they will hear them even before they get close to them.

Read more: Can Guinea Pigs Drink Milk? Let’s Discover

How far can guinea pigs hear?

Guinea pigs can hear sounds up to 2 miles away.

Of course, the radius can be variable, which primarily depends on the volume of the sound.

Because low frequencies travel a greater distance than high frequencies, guinea pigs can hear more of them.

Read more: Do Guinea Pigs Like to Sleep Together? Let’s Discover