I've been whining about protecting little ears again since dog-ma said she'd seen puppies and human babies at last weekend's music concerts. I asked the wonderful vet Jona Sun Jordan, DVM, to offer us some advice. Thank you, Dr. J!

"Young pet and human ears are especially sensitive to intense sound," Dr. Jordan says. "Exposure to continued or impulse noise above a certain level — about 100 decibels — can cause pain to little ones and even instantaneous hearing damage. Sound level at a concert can reach 115 to 120 decibels, the pain threshold for the average human adult."

I ask, how can a human stand sound this loud at a concert? Dr. Jordan explains, "When a person has been enjoying alcohol or other substances, their sense of hearing is dulled. This means that dangerously loud music may not sound all that loud to them. To be safe, little ones should have the appropriate protection at a concert even if the adults don't think the music sounds all that loud."

Grrr. This is serious. When pets, kids, and babies, are near big stage speakers, it's like they're standing next to someone firing a rifle — only it's worse, because speakers get louder with sudden feedback blasts or when accidentally turned up.

Dr. Jordan adds, "I know of one case where a boy lost his hearing during a loud concert. He was lucky and most of his hearing returned after a few months, but it was a scary time for him and his family."

Here are 5 simplified points for ear protection:

(1) If it sounds loud to you, it's too loud for pets and children, and damaging to ears of human babies and animal babies.

(2) All concerts are too loud, period. There's no "safe" concert for pets and little ones to attend. Not unless they remain way in the back of the audience and also far away from any back speakers.

(3) Little ones need earplugs to be safe around any potential loudness. You can make or buy earplugs for pets and kids. Get them to practice wearing new earplugs before they need to.

(4) Consult health professionals. It takes skill to plug little ears effectively and safely, especially tiny baby ears. Your veterinary and pediatric humans would be pawsitively pleased to help protect little ears!

(5) Make sure earplugs are effectively muffling sound. Keep little ones away from intensely loud sound anyway.

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Dr. Jona Sun Jordan and her caring staff are at Coddingtown Veterinary Clinic, Santa Rosa, California. She practices Eastern holistic medicine, including TCM and nutritional and herbal therapy, as well as Western medicine. She sees "all furry pets (except tarantulas), including but not limited to cats, dogs, ferrets, rats, mice, guinea pigs, chinchillas, gerbils, hamsters, hedgehogs, ocelots, servals, margays, and even coatimundis."

Dog-ma says Harmony Festival 2008 ended on June 8th with a kickin' performance by the passionate world-class songstress Angelique Kidjo.

If that weren't Harmonious enough, the all-time great songwriter/singer Paula Cole performed at the festival on June 7th.

Woof! Congrats on 30 years of Harmony! Special TX WOOF to Debra Giusti, festival founder! Big TX WOOFS to Randi Rembe, exhibit management, and Betty Biodiesel, announcer extraordinaire, who made dog-ma's announcement asking people not to leave dogs in cars 'cuz it's too hot.