Deaf senior dog cried every night thinking his family ignored him – until his family found a way to speak to him again

Dogs may not be able to voice their concerns the way humans do, but they do have their own means of expression. When a family dog lost its ability to hear completely, the owners found themselves in a complicated situation, unable to fully understand their beloved pet’s emotions. TikTok user @aanaamaariaaaa filmed her adorable dog, Kiwi, sitting alone by the window and whimpering. Unsure what was bothering her pup, she turned to the internet for advice. 

In a viral clip with 8.9 million views, the owner shared an emotional snippet of her elderly dog, a Shih Tzu, who had recently turned 13 but lost his hearing with age. While his family still loved him dearly, Kiwi cried and whimpered constantly. “Our family dog went completely deaf after 13 years, and now he cries all the time, and I can’t help but think if he’s wondering why we stopped talking to him,” an overlay text on the video read. The caption added, “My sweet little Kiwi. We love you so much.” 

Viewers were heartbroken over Kiwi’s whimpers and flooded the post with comments. “He’s probably trying to understand why he can’t hear his own voice,” @mrdrysdalebh wrote, while @dumpp_llings suggested, “Give him a hug every hour!” A fellow pet owner (@kele3367) related, “This is devastating. My dog went deaf and blind, and now I want to cry thinking she just thought we disappeared and stopped calling for her.” Many admitted they were in tears, unable to bear the thought of the dog’s confusion.

However, an elaborate comment by @socksoff0 explained another possibility. “If he’s crying like that, it’s possible he still hears via bone conduction and he’s just chatting to himself. Get in real close and talk into his ribs or lungs, so it vibrates the air in there and he might hear it.” The TikTok user told Newsweek that she and her brother took Kiwi in after their aunt, his first owner, passed away, so he wouldn’t be alone. Eventually, Kiwi settled into the new environment and family. After he turned deaf, the pet’s increased whining and crying concerned the owners. “Recently, it crossed my mind about him, wondering why he can't hear us, since dogs have no awareness about why these things happen,” she told the outlet. 

The pet parent revealed that they still call out to him, mostly out of habit, but never get a response from Kiwi anymore. Nevertheless, the family has found ways to still communicate with the dog through physical contact and visibility. They have to be in his line of sight to indicate for a walk or food, and would tap him to wake him up from sleep. 

You can follow @aanaamaariaaaa on TikTok for more videos.