It’s no secret that furry companionship offers a wealth of happiness, alongside occasional inconveniences or even damage. Unfortunately, when it’s not the curtains being clawed or the slippers getting munched on, our loving pets can sometimes turn their attention to hearing aids. And if “the dog ate my homework” is your get-out-of-jail-free card, “the dog ate my hearing aids” is quite the opposite!
After 16 years of activity, at Falls of Sound, the list of incidents is very long. Latest in this list of culprits is Honey, a beautiful 7-month old Dalmatian with a keen interest in auditory technology. The usual suspects also regularly include cats – who are attracted to the smell of earwax – and even possums finding lost hearing aids in the garden. Of course, this can create more problems than merely not having hearing aids for a little while.
First aid
First and foremost, if you suspect your pet may have eaten your hearing aid or swallowed a battery, you should immediately go to the vet. A swallowed dome is no real issue, but the batteries and electronics could cause serious harm to your pet and should be taken care of as soon as possible. Once that is all sorted, bring your hearing aids to Falls of Sound (or what’s left of them!) for us to assess. Repair or replacement options would depend on several factors but is something the Falls of Sound team can have a look at with you.
Prevention, the best defence
Prevention is, as always, your best line of defence. As much as possible, keep your hearing aids out of reach of fur-babies – or regular babies for that matter. The best thing to do is to keep them in their case when they are not in your ears. If you have rechargeable devices, make sure to close the charging case to activate the dehumidifying function – and keep them safe. If you are out with your devices, bring your case with you as well to prevent from loss or damage putting them in your pockets.
Further to this, you may have the possibility of adding your hearing aids to your home and contents insurance. However, there are a number of things to look out for to make sure your hearing aids are covered correctly. Home and contents insurances typically at base level cover flood/fire damage, theft, only in the home and often up to a certain value. Hearing aids can be worth quite a bit, and you wouldn’t want to be out of pocket suddenly because of fine print. So have a look at your insurance and consider some of the following points:
- Your hearing aids are a “portable content” which can get lost/damaged/stolen outside of the house. Make sure your devices are covered as a portable or out-of-the-house item.
- Depending on the type of insurance and the value of your devices, you may need to include them as specific content.
- Make sure your contents are covered for accidental damage or loss. After all, if your pet eats them, or you drive the car over them, it probably isn’t on purpose!
- If possible, look for a “new for old” replacement option in your cover. Should your aids be damaged after a few years, you can have them replaced with the same level of the latest technology.
Home insurance
Take a look at your home and contents insurance and check how you sit in relation to your hearing aids. We are by no means advocating the loss or damage of your devices, of course, but accidents happen. And sometimes overly eager furry companions… So if you need a hearing aid quote for your insurance, or you want more information on prevention strategies, just drop into your local Falls of Sound clinic.