BAER testing your dog and registration through OFA

by Dr. Mikel Delgado, PhD

Testing dogs for deafness

Congenital (present from birth) deafness in dogs can be genetic or caused by environmental factors including toxin exposures before birth or soon after. Over 80 breeds have been identified as at high risk for congenital deafness. Deafness can affect any breed but an association has been found for dogs with white coats and those with the merle or piebald gene.

Note: Dogs who are deaf in both ears (bilateral deafness) can be wonderful pets to those who are well-prepared for the experience, but they will present challenges for your average dog owner.

The Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response (BAER) test is the standard test for deafness in dogs and is the only accepted method of diagnosis. The test is generally performed by a board certified veterinary neurologist, but OFA will accept tests performed by experienced veterinarians, neuroscience professionals, or audiologists. The test is non-invasive, and uses small electrodes and headphones to assess whether a dog can hear out of both ears (bilateral hearing), or is deaf in one ear (unilateral deafness) or both ears (bilateral deafness). The test takes approximately 15 minutes to perform. Sedation or anesthesia is optional for this test, but the veterinarian performing the test may recommend it.

A dog only needs to be tested once, and the test can be performed once a dog is at least 35 days old. If the dog can hear in both ears, they will pass the test. If they have either unilateral or bilateral deafness, they will fail the test.

Many specialty veterinary practices have clinicians on staff who can conduct the BAER test. The cost of the test varies from practice to practice, so be sure to ask what they charge when you make an appointment.

The clinic conducting the test will provide a printed copy of the results to the owner and the OFA. The form must include the dog’s name and identification. 

Fees (as of July 2022)

The fee to register a healthy dog is $15, and the fee for a litter is $30. If the dog does not pass the test, there is no fee to register the results. 

Note: Thanks to a grant from the Dalmatian Club of America Foundation, there is currently no fee to register BAER results for Dalmatian litters.

More information about the OFA’s fees

Note: Registration of test results is imperative for advancing canine health. Data from health registries support research efforts into canine diseases, establish validated diagnostic criteria, and maintain the reported test results in a reliable public database. Registered data can be used to identify newly emerging conditions, monitor the efficacy of interventions in decreasing the prevalence of conditions, and help breeders make informed breeding decisions.  

Further reading

Strain, G. M. (1996). Aetiology, prevalence and diagnosis of deafness in dogs and cats.British Veterinary Journal,152(1), 17-36.

Strain, G. M., Clark, L. A., Wahl, J. M., Turner, A. E., & Murphy, K. E. (2009). Prevalence of deafness in dogs heterozygous or homozygous for the merle allele.Journal of veterinary internal medicine,23(2), 282-286.

Strain, G. M. (2012). Canine deafness.Veterinary Clinics: Small Animal Practice,42(6), 1209-1224.