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If you’re a dog parent, chances are good that at some point you may have to deal with an ear hematoma. Disliked by vets due to their tendency to come back again and again, and visually alarming to pet parents (not to mention messy), ear hematomas in dogs can be one of the most frustrating conditions to treat.
Ear hematomas happen when a blood vessel in the ear bursts and starts to bleed into the space between the skin of the ear flap and the cartilage underneath. This is usually the result of the dog violently shaking his head or scratching at his ears, often because of ear infections, skin allergies, or debris (such as dirt or foxtails) getting lodged in the ear canal. Once the bleeding starts, the ear can swell significantly until it looks like a giant, over-stuffed ravioli.
Although ear hematomas are more common in floppy-eared dogs (since their ears flap against their heads when they shake), dogs with straight ears, cats, and even humans can develop ear hematomas. Pets with blood-clotting disorders can also develop them spontaneously, even without any trauma to the ear.
Once an ear hematoma forms, it causes pain and irritation, causing the dog to shake his head even more. If not treated, an ear hematoma can continue to grow so large that it blocks off the opening to the dog’s ear canal, or worse, it may rupture. Any dog parent who’s come home to a dog with a ruptured ear hematoma knows how incredibly scary it is to see blood sprayed all over the walls from the poor dog shaking his head everywhere!
Therefore, it’s best to treat ear hematomas in dogs as soon as they start.
Diagnosis Of The Problem
Diagnosis of an ear hematoma is pretty straightforward – the dog’s ear looks like a swollen pillow and feels squishy to the touch. However, it’s important to diagnose the issue that caused the problem in the first place so it can be treated immediately.
The veterinarian will start with an examination of the ear canal, looking for the presence of ear mites, a bacterial or yeast infection, or any sort of debris which might have gotten stuck inside the ear.
If the ear canal looks healthy, the vet will then examine the dog for signs of allergic skin disease, which is the most common reason why dogs scratch at their ears. If the vet suspects allergies, a change in food or allergy testing may be recommended.
It’s very important to identify and treat the underlying cause of the head-shaking or ear-scratching, otherwise the ear hematoma will just keep coming back.
Treatment For Ear Hematomas
When it comes to treating ear hematomas in dogs, pet parents have 4 options:
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Do nothing.
Without any treatment, an ear hematoma will eventually resolve on its own; however, there are problems caused by not providing treatment. First, ear hematomas can be, at best, very uncomfortable, and at worst, extremely painful for the dog for a period of several weeks.
Second, if an ear hematoma is not treated promptly, once the fluid in the ear is re-absorbed by the body, the ear will crinkle up and shrivel down into a mass of scar tissue. This results in a permanent, unsightly deformity called “cauliflower ear” that can never be repaired and may make it very difficult to clean the dog’s ear in the future.
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Aspiration of blood out of the ear with a needle and syringe.
Although it’s less expensive than surgical repair, simply drawing blood out of the ear has several drawbacks. Sometimes multiple trips to the vet and several aspirations are needed in order to remove all the blood from the ear flap. Also, once the blood is drawn out, it leaves a large open pocket that can quickly fill back up with fluid, making aspiration effective less than 50% of the time. There’s also a risk of introducing infection into the ear with this procedure.
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Placement of drainage tubes into the ear.
Another option involves placing a small drain, or rubber tube, into the outer portion of the ear. This drain stays sutured in place for several weeks until all the blood and fluid drains out of the pocket. This method is usually reserved for those patients who are too old or too sick to tolerate the general anesthesia needed for surgical repair.
However, just like with aspiration, there are drawbacks. Some ears, such as those of cats and very small dogs, are too small for this technique to be used. Many dogs will not tolerate a drain being in place for such a long period of time, and the drain can become dislodged when the dog shakes his head. Also, just like with aspiration, the pocket can quickly fill back up again when the drain is removed.
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Surgical repair of the hematoma.
Surgery is the most effective treatment for ear hematomas in dogs. While the dog is under general anesthesia, an incision is made in the ear and any fluid and blood clots are removed. Then the veterinarian places sutures in the ear to tack down the outer surface of the ear to the inner surface, holding the two sides flatly together so that when scar tissue forms, the surfaces remain relatively smooth and there is no pocket to fill back up with blood.
Some veterinarians then place a surgical drain to help drain out any fluid that may form after surgery, while others leave a portion of the incision open to drain on its own. The dog’s ear is then flipped up against his head, and an elastic bandage is applied to hold the ear tightly against the head, keeping it in place in case the dog shakes his head after surgery. Lastly, the vet will fit the dog with an Elizabethan collar (e-collar) so the dog can’t scratch at the bandage. Sutures are left in place for anywhere from 2- 3 weeks until the ear is completely healed.
Post-Treatment Care At Home
After treatment, the dog will be able to go home with pain medication, antibiotics, and an e-collar, which must be left on at all times to prevent the dog from re-damaging the ear by scratching it or rubbing it against furniture or carpeting. It only takes a few seconds for all the hard work of treatment to be completely undone if the e-collar is removed.
If the ear hematoma was surgically repaired, several recheck visits with the veterinarian will be needed to change the pads underneath the bandage, make sure the ear is draining and healing properly, and to ensure there is no infection. If all goes well, the ear should heal in 2-3 weeks.
At the final recheck appointment, the veterinarian will remove the sutures (and the drain, if one was placed). Another bandage may be necessary until the ear is completely healed, there’s no more drainage, and the dog is no longer shaking his head.
A Messy, But Treatable, Situation
Ear hematomas in dogs can be painful, unsightly, and downright messy. Although they can’t always be prevented, they can be successfully treated, and the risk of recurrence can be greatly decreased when the underlying issues that caused the head-shaking and scratching in the first place are treated and eliminated.
It’s important to regularly inspect your dog’s ears, keep them dry, and clean them as often as needed, especially if your dog has long or floppy ears. Also, if your dog is scratching his ears, or licking and chewing at his fur and skin, have your veterinarian examine him for skin allergies. These pre-emptive practices will greatly reduce the risk of your dog developing an ear hematoma in the future.
And if your dog does develop an ear hematoma, get to the vet quickly. With fast and appropriate surgical treatment, prognosis for recovery is good to excellent – and you won’t have to worry about spatter damage to your walls or furniture!
Has your dog ever had an ear hematoma? If so, how did you deal with it? Please share your story with us in the comments below!
My 10 yr old American bulldog has a ear hematoma, vet said he’s high risk for surgery, suffers breathing problems, so she asperated it an 2 days later it’s starting to fill up, he’s on 4 steroids a day, going back the vet in 4 days what else can I do as I wouldn’t risk his life for surgery, he is ok with you touching it since it was drained help.
Hi Shelly! Wow, that’s a tough one. 🙁 I agree that a 10-yr old Bulldog would be a high risk surgical patient, and like you, I would be very cautious about any surgery that wasn’t lifesaving at this point. Most hematomas will resolve on their own if no treatment is done, and although you run the risk of your dog’s ear becoming somewhat crinkled or misshapen, it may be a safer option in the long run for him to just let the blood clot resolve on its own. This can take several weeks, but if it’s not causing him pain, that may be a better option. You might want to ask your veterinarian what other non-surgical options (if any) she recommends, and whether she agrees with a “wait and see” approach.
I can tell you that if it were my dog, given the fact that he is 10 years old and a Bulldog with a compromised respiratory system, personally I would probably avoid surgery unless it was absolutely necessary. If you do choose not to treat the hematoma, you’ll want to make sure that he’s not in pain while the clot is resolving. Your veterinarian should be able to help with that too. 🙂
Good luck, and please let me know how he does!
Hi camille I have seen the vet again today and she drained it again, surgery is definitely not an option for him no way, he’s on steroids and hopefully it will start to heal, I don’t mind a crinkled ear he’s still gorgeous ha ha thanks x
I agree! A crinkled ear will just give him more character. 😉 Best of luck, and thanks so much for the update! 🙂
Maddie’s ear cleared up on her own But one question does anyone know how to straighten the ear back out from being crinkly?
Hi Shannon! Unfortunately, once the ear heals like that, it remains crinkly for life. This is due to the scar tissue that develops while the ear is healing. But the good news is, once it’s fully healed it is not painful for the dog, and due to all the scar tissue present, the hematoma should not ever come back in that ear. So Maddie should be just fine. 🙂
My dog recently just got one, I’m kinda on a budget is it expensive to have done?
$800.00 so far on my girl. Drained 3 times, has a tube, and now she wears both a head wrap and a cone.
Is a crinkled/misshapen ear the only risk In having an ear hematoma ..my 12 year old pug has one recently and he is not a candidate for surgery as his lungs and heart is to bad .. he has had it syringed Tuesday but i was back with him today (thursday) for another syringe as it filled back up ..he said constant syringing is not a long term option and the next decision would be to put him asleep qnd km just not ready for that. He is also starting to be unsteady on his back legs but he still is eating and drinking no problem ..he also has epilepsy
I completely understand not wanting surgery for your senior Pug with heart and lung problems… sometimes surgery is just not an option because the risk is too great! Regarding the hematoma, the only other complication I’m aware of that can happen if the ear is left to resolve on its own is that sometimes as the hematoma shrinks down, it can cause scar tissue that can eventually partially block the ear canal. In that case, you would just need to make sure to keep that ear canal clean and dry.
I know you said your little guy is older and has epilepsy, but I would encourage you to not let the ear hematoma influence any decision to put him to sleep. The vet can prescribe medication to reduce inflammation and discomfort while the hematoma is resolving, so it’s not a life-threatening situation by any means. I have one acquaintance who did not treat an ear hematoma on her dog (this was many years ago), and although the ear did shrivel, the dog lived to be 16 and the ear never seemed to bother her. As long as your dog is eating and drinking and otherwise doing okay, if you can provide pain relief for any discomfort that he might be feeling as the hematoma resolves, he should be okay. But please confirm with your vet, as he has all your medical records and should know what is best for your dog. 🙂
Have you considered the auralsplint? I works just like it sounds. It is a splint for the ear to hold the ear tissues in location until healing sets in, about 14 days. No anesthesia or surgery or prolonged aspiration schedule and no steroids which can be difficult to ween off of.
Our 10.5yr golden retriever had his surgery Wednesday of last week.
The amount draining was alarming. The side of his face/neck were soaked for days. we were trying to keep him clean and dry multiple times a day. He has sores on his face because of the drainage 🙁
He wasn’t bandaged up when we picked him up so we have been trying to rig something up to protect his face and neck. (Any advice on how to bandage?)
On the following Monday he developed a post op infection, foul smell, ear was very pink, starting to swell, even the skin around his eyes was puffing. Got him meds that night and by Wednesday it was looking better and the drainage slowed down alot.
Vet told us to expect drainage until its removed (21days post op). We are only 8 days in.
Ugh it’s hard to see our sweet old man like this! ❤️ we just want him to be comfortable.
My staffie went through hematoma op and was horrible to see her going through this . Had stitches out after 1 month of having cone of shame on. Hopefully a couple of days and cone off for Xmas . Swelling of ear looking good now . Hopefully after few days of cleaning ear will help to get her cone off. Hopefully op was successful.
My 12 year old pitbull, Rosie had surgery about two weeks ago. The only medicine she was given after surgery was cephalexin. I was told to bring her back a week after surgery. The doctor took the bandage off and examined her, then rebandaged her and told me to come back in s week and hopefully the stitches can come out. Doctor was very happy with her work and Rosie”s progress. I asked her one question which was …could the antibiotic make her lose her appetite? She told me ..no..i have researched it since then and it seems to be a reaction that happens often..by the way, Rosie also seems depressed. I hate seeing her this way. Doctor didn’t seem concerned. As we were leaving, doctor told me she would meet me at the front desk with the charges. I was a little surprised..I had already paid in full $550 plus and I really thought these follow up exams would be included as part of the surgery cost…when I actually looked at the bill in detail a day later..it really put a bad taste in my mouth. I was charged $27.50 for the bandage and $31 for ” a brief examination”….so $58.50. It really seems like she is nickel and diming me …all this is so very stressful for both Rosie and me…I feel like she is taking advantage of me…after stitches are taken care of, I will never go to her again.
Hi robin my 10 an a half yer old American bulldog had a ear hematoma but wasn’t a good candidate for surgery, he had it drained 3 times which was very stressful for him, he went quiet and off his food, I went an bought him rainforest rhyolite an blue lace agate crystals an put them in his bed, he’s doing fantastic!! I don’t know if your into that but I was willing to try anything, try it an keep an open mind watch her heal quickly and become healthy it worked for me it can work for you, crystals have been used for animals for years an it works hope she heals quickly take care Shelly.
Hi Robin, hopefully Rosie is doing much better now! I’m a bit surprised to hear the vet’s take on antibiotic side effects, since it’s fairly common for antibiotics to cause digestive issues in both dogs and cats (most commonly appetite suppression, and sometimes vomiting or diarrhea). Rosie’s stomach may very well have been upset, which could definitely have caused her to feel lethargic and appear depressed. Sometimes pet parents think they don’t have the right to ask the vet about switching to another antibiotic, but there are many antibiotics available, so if there’s another one that is better tolerated and accomplishes the same purpose, it’s totally fine to ask for an alternative! A good veterinarian will always partner with you to make sure that your pet’s recovery goes as well as possible.
Regarding charges, one way veterinarians can avoid any gray areas is to make sure they always provide a printed estimate prior to any procedure that contains all follow up costs as well. Many vets do this, but unfortunately not all do. Knowing exactly what to expect helps eliminate any potential miscommunication, and is much less stressful for the owner!
If I knew my puppy was going to pass after surgery would never let that happen she was 12 yrs old and I didn’t not have that information because my wife thought was the best to do i feel so guilty because I drop her for the surgery and she was so shake it never expect not seeing her alive again we lost her???????????? rest in peace nena wherever you are my baby.
My GSD Maddie has suffered from ear problems all her life..she is 9yrs old now…she had an ear haematoma 2 years ago which was resolved with drains being fitted and never came back….3 weeks ago she developed another one in the opposite ear this time…the vet did the same thing…fitting drains to her ear…this time she was in terrible pain and off her food for 5 days…they also found a polyps/tumor deep in her ear canal…too deep for them to remove and in need of specialised surgery…she is on antibiotics as her temp is high and Tramol for the pain…but is still shaking her head and back sneezing a lot…her once upright ear is now folded and floppy and she is still not eating right 12 days on and is really not herself at all…I am asking for a referral to a specialist tomorrow…can you advise me what questions I should be asking? and what treatments I should be asking about ? my poor baby is suffering terribly and I just want to do the best I can to make her comfortable and happy.
Hi Lindsey! I’m so sorry to hear about Maddie’s ear problems. 🙁 You are correct, ear issues can cause quite a bit of discomfort and pain for dogs, and it’s best to address them quickly like you’re doing. It’s probably likely that Maddie developed the ear hematoma from shaking her head due to the tumor/polyps inside her ear canal. I’m glad you’re going to be seeing a veterinary specialist, that would have been my first recommendation! Since I’ve been out of small animal practice for several years now, unfortunately I’m no longer “in the know” when it comes to newer surgical options and treatments, but I can suggest some things to ask.
I assume the main thing you’re seeking a second opinion for are the masses inside Maddie’s ear canal. Once those are removed, hopefully her head shaking will stop and that will decrease the odds of her developing another hematoma. With any surgical procedure, you’ll want to hear about all available options for getting those masses out of there. Some will be more invasive than others, so in her case, this could involve removing only the masses (which, like all masses, have the potential to come back), all the way to removing her entire ear canal (which is called a Total Ear Canal Ablation). With an ablation, the ear canal is completely removed right down to the middle ear and the outside opening of the ear is sutured closed. Although this sounds like a drastic procedure, it’s used with great success in dogs who suffer from chronic ear infections or who have malignant cancer inside the ear canal. Once the canal is removed, the cancer is generally considered cured (if it hasn’t spread into the middle or inner ear). I mention this procedure because although it sounds scary, we performed several of these at the veterinary hospital where I worked, and in almost every case, the quality of the dog’s life greatly improved. So if the specialist mentions it, I didn’t want you to be put off by it, since I’ve seen dogs do very well after this type of procedure. However, I’m confident the specialist will be able to present the newest and best options for Maddie’s treatment.
Of course with any surgery, you’ll want to verify that Maddie has a dedicated anesthesiologist whose only job is to monitor her while she’s under anesthesia and while she is waking up. Pre-surgical blood work is also a must, and you can always ask to meet the surgical team who will be assisting with her surgery. It’s also helpful to discuss ahead of time what the treatment plan will be should the polyps turn out to be cancerous (you didn’t happen to mention whether they’ve been biopsied yet or not).
Since there are so many factors involved in these kinds of cases, once you see the specialist, if you have additional questions or would like more feedback, please don’t hesitate to email me privately, and I’ll be happy to offer whatever insight I can. Good luck, and please let me know how it goes!
Thank you so much Camille for your advise….I am seeing my vet tomorrow and will ask for a referral…Im a little concerned as Maddie did not do well after her surgery and is only now just back to her normal self…but I agree that a specialist is the only way forward…I will keep in touch and thank you for taking the time to reply….fingers crossed we finally get this resolved and Maddie can have a pain free time for the time she has left with us…god knows she deserves to be pain free and happy…she is a beautiful and loyal dog who deserves the best we can give her x
Yes, please keep me posted, and hope all goes well for you both! 🙂
My vet has suddenly shy’d away from referring her saying she is old and putting her through more ear trauma is not a good idea after it was his idea in the first place…ok I know she is 9yrs old and for a GSD this is a good age… but she is still shaking her head and her wound in her ear from the drains is still open and oozing fluid after 5 weeks…she is clearly uncomfortable….and Im worried that our vet is not looking after HER best interests…Im so worried about her….all I want is for my girl to be ok and pain free…my thoughts are that I should insist on the referral and go ahead regardless of his thoughts !!
I agree. If it were me, I would definitely insist on the referral. Those masses in her ear need to be addressed and she is in pain…in my opinion, doing nothing is not an option at this point. If your vet will not give you a referral to a specialist (which I can’t imagine he wouldn’t, but….), I would contact your local veterinary teaching hospital or university to see if they can recommend someone. Also, I see from your email address that you are in the UK…do you have the equivalent of our American Veterinary Medical Association in the UK? The AVMA has a resource list of veterinarians by specialty on their website, so hopefully you have access to the same! I would definitely follow your instincts and seek out a second opinion as soon as you can. Good luck, and please keep me updated!
Our 11 yr-old Westie, Ivan (the Terrible), developed an aural hematoma in his right ear last week. I took him to our vet the next day and he underwent surgery two days later. He has stitches through his ear with a gauze sponge affixed to the outside of his ear for drainage. He is sporting an e-collar, which he disdains immensely!
He is also on 25 mg Carprofen, twice a day for pain/inflammation, and 100 mg Simplicef antibiotic once a day.
He goes back to the vet in two weeks to have the stitches removed.
The biggest issue we are facing now is the cumbersome e-collar. It hampers his movements, eating, drinking, and sleeping. I bought a soft collar, thinking it would be more comfortable, but it stays wet after he drinks and then gathers food scraps and dirt. It’s just something we’ll have to deal with until his ear heals.
One more thing I should mention, the cost! The surgery, general anesthesia, et al, ended up being $585. Ouch!
Hello Dennis! Yes, any time you’re dealing with a procedure requiring general anesthesia, unfortunately it can add up quickly. And those e-collars can definitely be annoying, for both pet and owner! There are other alternatives to the hard plastic e-collars available (you can read about them here on my fellow pet blogger Carol Bryant’s website Fidose of Reality). One mentioned in the article is a soft e-collar that is water- and soil-repellent, so maybe that might be a better option for you? In the meantime, all my best to Ivan the Terrible, and I hope he heals very quickly! 🙂
AD (Austins Dog) is my husbands Westie and he is 5 and half years old. He has had two of these hematoma surgeries in the last year. One in March (right ear) and one about 2 weeks ago (left ear). Everything seemed as it was healing perfectly but then he developed another hematoma in the same exact spot as the previous one. He still has all his stitches in his ear and the “X” isn’t healed up all the way but it is not draining properly. We kept his E collar on and gave him prescribed sinus medications when it was time. I tried using a butterfly needle and was successful extracting a clear/reddish fluid out but then— Westies are very particular dogs, And if they don’t like something they will try there hardest to wiggle out of the situation. Needless to say I had to back off so he didn’t end up getting stabbed accidently. Austin doesn’t want to take him back to the vet but he is in pain and obviously uncomfortable. He doesn’t mind his E collar or the draining process but the anesthesia/surgery this last time was hard on little dude. He was wobbly and woozy and didn’t really want to move around. For about 24 hours we had to pick him up and move him around from bed to living room. (I had the flu during this surgery and it worked out because I got to keep a good eye on him) We are too scared to bring him back to the vet because we know they will want to put him back under and we worry about his heart murmur. Does anyone have any suggestions for a more holistic approach to the situation without making his cute little ears an eye sore?
Hi! I was wondering if you ever took your dog back to the vet? Dis it heal on its own? My American Bulldog, Ginger, had a hematoma in September and another just 2 weeks ago. But, her stitches are still in and it isn’t draining properly. The top of her ear is filling up again and I was just trying to get some advise from someone with a similar situation?? Thank you!!
My 11 yr old boxer Dozer had surgery on a hematoma 4 days ago..it seems as though he has lost his hearing. Is this normal?
Hi Lydia! Surgery for an ear hematoma should definitely not cause hearing loss, since the surgery is done on the outer portion of the ear only. Sometimes sudden deafness in dogs can be caused by damage to the ear from certain antibiotics or ear cleaning solutions. Has Dozer been on any medications lately? Severe chronic ear infections inside the ear can also cause hearing loss over time as well. I would talk with your vet about your observations and see what he or she recommends… you could definitely have a hearing test done to confirm if there is indeed hearing loss. Good luck, hope things turn out well!
My 15 week old PUPPY Penny developed a hematoma in each ear! Poor baby! We aren’t sure how it happened, but thinking that another doggie maybe played too aggressively with her at doggie daycare (which she was attending twice a week, and she absolutely loved). Anyway… We had them drained by the vet last Monday, then had her ears bandaged up on her head, the dreaded cone, etc. Waited two days, but when we went back (last Wednesday) they had actually started filling up again. So the vet performed the surgical procedure to correct them. The surgery went well and the ears are healing nicely. But Penny HATES the cone so much! I know all dogs hate it, but it is like she is literally depressed! We got one of the softer “Comfy Cones” which protects her ears just fine, but she hates that one too, even though it must be more comfortable. She whimpers, whines, constantly tries to rub her head to the ground and mess with the cone. She plops herself down and refuses to move. It’s like there is no consoling her! Her appetite has been impacted, but that may be from the antibiotics. I know she will obviously get though this, but my big worry is, will these 12-16 days in a cone, and all of her dismay, cause my sweet puppy to be traumatized forever? 🙁
Poor little Penny! Yes, I’ve never met a dog who enjoys the “cone of shame”. They can be quite unhappy while they’re wearing it (even to the point of not wanting to eat as much, like you mentioned), but usually when the cone comes off, they are so happy to have it gone that fortunately there doesn’t seem to be any lingering trauma afterwards. So chances are excellent that your sweet little girl will be just fine! 🙂
Two more questions… I know that the vet had to shave Penny’s ears for the procedure. Plus she has rubbed some hair off in her attempt to get rid of the cone, like rubbing her head on the ground but inside the cone. Once the stitches are removed, how long will it be before her hair grows back? And, theoretically, are those spaces in her pinna closed for good? So do I need to worry about future hematomas? Thank you!!!
Regarding Penny’s hair growing back, I’m not sure if Penny has short or long hair, but most dogs usually regrow enough hair to cover any shaved patches within 4-6 weeks. But if her hair is longer, it may take a few extra weeks beyond that. Regarding the spaces in her pinna, if the vet performed the surgical procedure that I referred to in the article, it’s my understanding that theoretically it should solve the issue because that negative space between the skin and cartilage has effectively been eliminated by being filled in with scar tissue. So hopefully that should solve the issue! 🙂
Thank you so much Camille! I have great news… Penny healed very nicely and the vet was able to remove the stitches on Friday afternoon – just nine days after surgery! Her ears look great, aside from the patchy hair at the moment. The vet said exactly what you said, about 4-6 weeks on the hair regrowth. Oh my goodness, she is back to her normal, happy self since she got those stitches out and no more cone! 🙂
Hi Molly! I’m so happy to hear that Penny is doing so well! Thank you for taking the time to keep me updated… so many times when people leave comments, I never get to hear how things turn out for them. This just put a huge smile on my face! Wishing you both the very best of health and happiness. 🙂
Hi Molly I used an inflatable collar which was much less restrictive than the cone of shame when Maddie had her Haematoma…may be worth considering and may make your baby more comfortable and is less restrictive and his still protective of her ear…hope it helps and maybe worth a try as isnt expensive x x
Thank you Camille and Lindsey! I think I will try the inflatable collar. I ordered a headpiece called the No Flap Ear Wrap, and it’s really great! (Google it!) It looks like a tight bonnet and she can’t take it off or get to her ears. We are using that in place of the cone, but only when we are home with her. When I’m at work, we are using the ear wrap and the cone together. I like the idea of the inflatable, along with the ear wrap because, ugh, that cone! I know I’m probably being too crazy about this, but she got these hematomas at such a very young age and I feel bad that she already has to go through this, at 15 weeks of age.
Awww poor little thing..shes so young…My Maddie had one on her left ear a year ago and is currently being treated for one on her right ear now…but she is 9yrs old…but still a big worry….we had a cone from the vets last year…but poor thing was walking into door frames and such…she just couldnt judge widths at all…was quite upsetting to watch…we got the inflatable collar on amazon and such a huge difference..she wasnt bothered by it at all…she could even get out the dog flap with it on…she was happy and comfortable to sleep in it and couldnt get to her ear to do any more damage or disturb the drains that had been fitted … the cover also comes off so you can wash it…a friend of ours borrowed it when he had his dalmation bitch spayed and it worked perfectly to stop her getting at her stitches…thanks for the tip about the headpiece I had no idea they existed…will certainly look into getting one of those…I hope you baby gets better soon and that the collar helps.
My strong 7 year-old chow mix (and much more in the mix) has always shaken her head and scratched her ears without any consequences, up until she recently got a hematoma. Now, more than 5 weeks after the expensive surgery, the open s-shaped incision is still wet and oozing and nothing has evolved at all. She simply is not healing, no scar is forming. She’s been wearing a cone 24/7, she takes an antibiotic, an antihistamine, and is given drops in her yeast-infected ear daily. She still shakes her head. Our vet is puzzled and so are we. Is it ever going to heal? What else can we do?
A.S.,
You may have seen earlier on this thread about my puppy (Penny)with a hematoma in each ear. She recovered beautifully, thank goodness. Something that I used and I think was amazing is called the No Flap Ear Wrap. www.noflapearwrap.com. These are handmade by a lady I believe in Idaho. What is so great is that it’s breathable, but they cannot get it off and most important, no matter how hard they shake their heads, the ears cannot flap. I have to believe that the fact that we used this in conjunction with the cone is what enabled our puppy Penny to heal very quickly, because they can still flap wearing just the cone. It costs $40, plus shipping, and it’s worth every cent! In fact, when Penny goes to doggie daycare (once a week, so she can play/interract) she wears it there because playful doggies can be pretty rough on the ears. Your chow-mix might even be able to use this instead of the cone. By the way, I have no affiliation with this product or the inventor what-so-ever, so this is not a hard sell; this is a testimonial to an awesome product!!
Good luck!
Molly
Thank you Molly. We have spotted the No Flap Wrap a couple of weeks ago. Your experience with it sounds very convincing and we plan on getting one. However in the mean time we just don’t understand why an incision that is more than five weeks old on an otherwise healthy dog would not show any sign of scarring or healing at all, with or without the help of a wrapping scarf (and she doesn’t shake her head all that much). No one so far can answer that, including two vets we’ve consulted.
It is possible the antibiotics and steroid inflammatories are preventing the serum from allowing the creation of tissues to close the open wound. I have found the use of steroids prevents or inhibits the animal’s own healing properties to work effectively. The animals’s own rebuilding properties and actions are integral in the repairs for all treatments. Weather you only aspirate, use surgery to further damage the ear, or use an auralsplint to correct the broken blood vessel and heal the ear in it’s elongated position, tissues are formed by having the blood clot bind to the skin and cartilage, and after regeneration, the binding elements left are the permanent tissues reattaching the skin and cartilage.
No flap ear wraps are amazing! Got one here shipped to Australia and it was so much better than cone.
Oh, what a frustrating situation, for both you and your dog! 🙁 Sometimes delayed healing times happen, and no one is exactly sure why. However, I have to say I’ve never heard of a case like this! I would highly recommend thinking about getting a second opinion, preferably from a veterinary surgical specialist if at all possible (specifically one who specializes is soft tissue surgery). Since you’re dealing with a surgical incision that won’t heal, you’ll want to address it rather than try to wait it out. The AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) has a resource page on their website where you can find a veterinary specialist near you… here’s the link: https://www.avma.org/public/YourVet/Pages/veterinary-specialists.aspx
Many people are hesitant to get a second opinion in cases like these because to them it feels a bit like betraying their primary veterinarian, or implying that they don’t trust them. However, a good veterinarian will never begrudge their client getting a second opinion.. that’s why specialists exist, and they can be lifesavers. Good luck with your girl, I hope you find an answer – and please keep me posted on what happens!
My miniature Doberman just got an ear hemotoma and it’s so big her ear is shut and I don’t know what to do….
Take her to the vet asap.
Hi Samantha…you’ll want to get your dog to the vet as soon as possible. Although ear hematomas are not life-threatening, they are extremely painful, and if they are very large they can rupture. This not only creates an open wound in the ear flap, it can spray blood for surprisingly long distances! Best to have a vet look at her and determine the best course of action for treatment. Good luck!
My13+ year old Golden just had surgery to repair a hematoma. I was hesitant of surgery at her age but my vet did a thorough blood work up prior and I paid a bit extra for additional fluids during surgery because of her age & surgery went well. One week after surgery the vet removed her head bandage and since then I’ve been cleaning it daily with an antiseptic wipe and watching her 24/7 to make deter head-shaking and ear-scratching. She wears a “stocking” on her head when I take her out on leash to avoid shaking or scratching. She seems to be healing well. We go for another follow up in 2 days and she will receive a 2nd injection of an ear antibiotic. Soon her stitches will be removed as well. i found the hardest part was keeping her quiet and still. She’s 13 but fiesty and playful! My vet sent us home with Cephalexin and Rimadyl. I have also given her benadryl to help with the itching.
I think it’s amazing that, at 13 years old, the toughest part of your dog’s hematoma ordeal was keeping her quiet and still! That’s so great!! 🙂
my 7 year old beagle was just at the vet and diagnosed with an ear hematoma =( our vet gave us meds for her to treat her ear infection but she recommended to do nothing. Opinions on whether to get surgery or do nothing? idk what to do!
Hi Brittany…how large is the hematoma? Sometimes if it’s very small, some vets will recommend doing nothing, but I’m not a fan of this method of treatment since a) it is still painful for the dog while it’s healing (which can take several weeks), and b) it usually leads to permanent scar tissue forming in the ear. If the hematoma is large enough that it feels squishy inside when you feel it with your fingers, maybe your vet would at least be willing to try aspirating it and drawing the blood out with a needle? If you’re not comfortable with your vet’s treatment plan, you can always get a quick second opinion from another veterinarian. Again, if it’s a very small hematoma, the second vet may have the same recommendation… but if not, it might be worth seeking out another point of view. Good luck!
My dogs(Missy) ear shunt for a hematoba has fallen out, it’s lest a small hole in her ear, we are not due back at the vets till three days time. How do I keep it clean ? Thankyou
Hi Angelina, how long has the drain been in? Was it due to come out soon? If not, you won’t to wait for 3 days because that hole will heal up and seal over very quickly, and it may need to be reopened. I would call your vet ASAP and ask what they recommend.
My schnauzer has a hemotoma in her ear..shea 8…cost my $250 the first time they drained it..took her back in 3 days later to have it drained again $50…i dont have money to keep goin back and keep goin back to have it drained..i feel so bad for her
Meant to say shes 8
Hi Jeanette, sorry to hear about your little girl. 🙁 Hematomas can be very frustrating since they can just keep filling up over and over again, which is why the surgery is so much more effective – but I know it can be very expensive. Would your veterinarian consider a payment plan for the surgical procedure? Hopefully if you talk things over with your vet, maybe he or she can work with you to develop a treatment plan on a budget. It’s worth asking! Good luck!
My 14 year old chow husky mix got her first one a few weeks ago. she is too old for surgery so I used a needle from
her shots to drain it but it keeps filling back up. I am going to bandage it up to immobilize it and keep trying. Poor old girl,
she deserves better but the Vet said there is not much more I can safely do.
Hi Eric! Yes, it’s hard for older pets, sometimes the risks of anesthesia are just too great. 🙁 Is your vet providing you with the needles and syringes to drain your dog’s ear? If not, just keep in mind that those needles for vaccinations are only meant to be used once, then thrown away. Not only do they get dull after just one use (making it harder to go through the skin the second time, which is painful), but they can’t be re-sterilized without special medical or veterinary equipment. I would hate to see your dog develop an infection in addition to the hematoma! If you’re unable to have the vet drain her ear, I would ask your vet about providing you with sterile, single-use needles to use at home. Good luck, I hope it resolves quickly!
9 year old great dane had earlier haemaoma about 4 months ago, became aggressive in vets and wouldn’t let them treat him properly (completely out of character for him!!!) So they operated as they couldn’t do anything without sedation but they couldn’t put in a drain as they’d need to sedate him again to take it out and they didn’t want to do that because of how difficult it was just to get him in the vets in the first place! Anyway cut a long story short the haemaoma came back but one on each ear !! So 2 doses of steroids later and we thought we had won the battle but no he’s been weaned off steroids and they’ve both come back arrgh! So we’re off to vets for more steroids but they won’t keep him on them long term, yet they won’t operate on him and I don’t want him operated on, he’s old and it’s way too stressful for him. What to do? Do we just leave alone completely after this round of steroids? I don’t care if his ears look funny, I just don’t want them to be painful for him?
Hi Emily, that’s a tough situation, for everyone – for you, your dog, and your veterinary staff! Sometimes animal patients get so stressed out that you have to weigh what’s best for them vs. what the “ideal” treatment would typically be. Regarding the steroids, I’m definitely not a fan of using them unless they are absolutely necessary. Steroids can be extremely hard on the body, especially in pets who are older, and they aren’t meant to be used long-term. If you’ve tried steroids and they haven’t solved the problem, and surgery is not an option, in this case I would ask your vet about just letting nature take its course. There may be medication that your vet can prescribe to make the hematomas less painful while they resolve on their own. I would suggest talking it over with your vet to see what pain relief can be prescribed to keep your dog comfortable while they resolve. In this case, based on the age of your dog and all other factors, letting the hematomas just resolve (even if they result in crinkly ears) might be the best available option. Good luck!
My 7 year old German Shepherd had an ear hematoma, took him to the vet and they aspirated it and put in a steroid. They then folded his ear in half and bandaged it to his head. It was extramly painful as he is obviously not meant to have his ear folded in half I was furious. Needless to say it didnt work. It came back about a month later. He goes with us everywhere and managed to pop it open on something. Really gross and bloody. We got some sergeants from the ranch store because it’s awesome, pressed all the blood and ick out of the ear and bandaged it flat for a week seems to be healing well. But is there anything else I should be doing for him? He is on antibiotics also.
Hi Beth! It’s actually pretty common for ear hematomas to be bandaged this way, since it keeps the ear laying flat against the head so there is direct pressure both on top of the ear and below it to keep it from refilling with blood. Most dogs tolerate this type of bandaging fairly well, so I’m guessing the pain he was feeling might just have been from the overall hematoma (since they are very uncomfortable). What you did at home to press out the blood and re-bandage it was a good solution, and the fact that he is on antibiotics is great too. Hopefully it will resolve this time, but since hematomas are notorious for coming back, you may see another recurrence, so just keep a close eye on it and keep your vet in the loop on how it’s healing. Good luck!!
Our 11 yr old staffie got 1 aural hematoma this summer which, after a couple months, went away on its own without bothering her too much. It’s crinkled but she’s still beautiful. Late fall she developed one in her other ear, but this one did not stop growing and began to visibly bother her. She had her surgery 5 days ago (sutures) and it has been very costly, tough, messy and required 3 bandage changes so far at the vets. Poor thing is pretty miserable with her collar, discomfort and being pretty dopey on the meds. We can’t wait for the healing process to be over so she can go back to running around. We were never able to pinpoint the cause – no infection or excessive shaking prior to the hematomas. Fingers crossed this will be the end of it!!
Oh, poor girl! <3 I hope she's doing much better now!
My 8 yr. old Golden has surgery this Monday. I am a bit concerned with her post op healing. She has 2 brothers at home and I am a little worried about them not leaving her (and her ear) alone afterwards. I know the ‘cone of shame’ will make her depressed and out of sorts but what can I do other then isolate her to keep the boys from trying to get at her ear? Thanks for any input here.
Hi Michelle! I hope your dog’s surgery went well and that she’s home and resting comfortably. Regarding keeping the other dogs away from her healing ear, I think that keeping them separated is probably still your best bet. Ears that are healing from hematoma surgery are fragile and need to be watched closely to make sure they aren’t traumatized or re-injured. To keep her from being the isolated one, you can rotate your time between the dogs so no one feels left out. That may help her not feel so alone. After about 2 weeks you should be in the clear in regards to healing, so although it might be a pain to have to keep them separated, it will be well worth it if her ear heals beautifully and you get a good result. Good luck!!
Hi Camille!
Thank you so much for posting this issue. We have been struggling with our 11 year old Caucasian Mountain Dog (Ovcharka) for about 6 months now. He lost most of his left ear 3 years ago when he was attacked by another dog. The remaining ear flap seemed to heal well at the time and has not been a problem until now. He started having drainage through the edge of the ear flap which led to head shaking and a hematoma. He had surgery to drain the hematoma, where we found he has a tumor most likely in his head, which is finding outlet through his ear. We had him on prednisone and cephlexin and he seemed to heal ok. Surgeries are tough for him, due to his age. It took him a good week to come back to his normal self. Everything was fine for awhile, but then the draining started again along with the head shaking. We have decided he can not withstand any further surgery so put him back on Prednisone to handle the drainage. He stopped shaking his head but became very nauseous, throwing up multiple times. He is now off the Pred, the hematoma is filled up and he is occasionally shaking his head again. We feel this may be the end of the road for him, as surgery is no longer an option. He still has some quality of life – loves to eat, is happy to see us and loves to snuggle with me. Trying to decide how long we let this go on before we help him cross the rainbow bridge. Do you have any input on what discomfort he may be feeling and how we can tell he can’t take it anymore?
Sincerely appreciate your input!
Hi Nancy! I’m so sorry to hear about the difficult time Ovcharka has been having with the tumor and recurring hematomas. 🙁 This is a tough one. Prednisone can be a double-edged sword, since although it can temporarily alleviate symptoms of many different illnesses, it’s only meant to be a short-term solution and is very hard on the body, especially for older dogs and cats. I can certainly understand why you’re hesitant to put Ovcharka through additional surgery, so in his case, it may simply be day-to-day management.
You asked how you’ll know when his quality of life is no longer what it should be. Seeing this through my Veterinary Technician lens, my answer is usually when the patient stops eating and/or appears to visibly be in pain that can’t be alleviated. Now that Ovcharka is off the prednisone, is he on any other medication for pain control? In his case, he’s dealing with the discomfort of the hematoma plus whatever pain may be caused by the tumor, but unfortunately we are left with trying to figure out how much (or how little) that pain is, since obviously our pets can’t communicate that to us with words. Usually when a pet stops eating, that’s a sure sign that the pain or discomfort is no longer manageable. Also, you know your dog better than anyone, so I would suggest closely observing him and charting (in writing) how he acts each day. Does he have good days and bad days? When it seems that the bad days are outnumbering the good ones, that’s another good indication that his quality of life is tipping to the negative side.
I’m not sure if you’ve read it yet, but I wrote an article entitled “When It’s Time To Fight – And Time To Let Go” that you may find helpful. You can find it here: https://www.goodpetparent.com/2015/03/20/euthanasia-time-to-fight-time-to-let-go/ . I’m not sure that there’s ever a “perfect” time to make that decision, but no matter what happens, know in your heart that you have given Ovcharka a very long and happy life, and that he is obviously loved very deeply. <3
Thank you for your reply Camille! His name is Bear – I put Ovcharka after his breed (Caucasian Mountain Dog) because he is a rare breed and not very well known in the US. We actually got him as a rescue – he was wandering and found in a yard. The people thought they found a sheep!! I went to pick him up as I work with a local rescue. He immediately won my heart and became another foster failure! Anyway, he is already on tramadol and novox for pain management. Of course we can’t give the novox with the pred. I wait a few days after the last dose of pred to restart the novox. We are in that period now and he threw up last night before dinner (mostly yellow bile). But then happily ate dinner! I have taken to giving him zantac prior to meals.
Thanks for the link to your article – I will read it. I have put many dogs down through the years (as we always have ~5 at a time. Typically it is a fairly clear decision as there are physical/behavior signs as you mentioned. Unfortunately not so with Bear. Our bond is perhaps the strongest I have ever had – he does not want to leave me. Therefore, he still eats and wags his tail and loves to snuggle with me. I have had “the talk” with him about leaving when he is ready. I don’t think he will show any of the typical signs – he’s a fighter. Unfortunately 2 of our other dogs are declining with dementia, We will be letting one go over the rainbow bridge in a couple days.
I think for Bear, it will be when he starts shaking his head consistently again. We can not do surgery and I will no longer put him on prednisone or any new meds for this. I think the head shaking will be my sign that this tumor is bothering him enough to disrupt his quality of life. Knowing we cant do any more for that, it may be time. Does this make sense?
Thank you so much for your valuable input. I don’t want my dogs to suffer and try to let them go before their quality of life is drastically reduced. I can’t than you enough for your support!
Ahhh, thank you for the clarification on Bear’s breed! I had never heard of that breed before, so I looked it up and they are GORGEOUS dogs. I would also imagine they are quite stoic, so it makes perfect sense what you’re going through with Bear being the fighter that he is. As far as knowing when it’s time, I agree with your game plan 100%. As long as he is still eating and wanting to be with you, and his pain is being managed and he doesn’t appear uncomfortable, it makes sense to let him dictate the timing. I can say with great certainty that I would probably have the same game plan if it were my dog.
I’m so sorry to hear about your other dogs with dementia, I know that is also very hard situation to deal with! Please accept my condolences on having to say goodbye to one of your family. No matter how much time we have with them, it’s never enough.
And thank you so much for your kind words, I’m very happy to help in any way that I can. Please keep me posted, and I’ll be thinking of you and Bear and wishing you the best. <3
Just saw that my sassy girl, who is a 7 year old Jack-aranian, has a hematoma on her left ear! I rushed her to the vet on Saturday & she has a yeast ear infection in both ears. Her ear was only partially swollen, but it’s now filled up all the way! She whimpers and yelps & tries to scratch at it (she’s feisty). I have tried preparation H for swelling, Benadryl for itching, and Aspirin for pain. Nothing is helping:/ plus surgery would be scary & a lot of $. suggestions for pain relief?
Hi Breeanne, sorry to hear about your little girl! The hematoma was most likely caused by her scratching and head-shaking from the ear infection. Once the ear starts to fill with blood, unfortunately there are really only 2 options: do something to remove the blood (drain it or surgery), or wait until it resolves. I would suggest skipping the Preparation H, as that won’t have any effect on this type of swelling, and the Benadryl really won’t either. For her pain/discomfort, I would check with your vet on what they recommend for pain relief, as your vet can prescribe something stronger than aspirin that also may have an anti-inflammatory effect (this would address both the pain and the swelling). If you elect not to have the ear drained or surgically addressed, unfortunately all you can really do is wait it out… unless the ear ruptures, in which case surgery would be required at that point.
You might want to just ask your vet what the cost would be treat the hematoma, and whether they would accept payments. I know the vet bills can get quite expensive, but treating it really is the best way to get it resolved more quickly, and without additional pain or scarring. Good luck!!
Sassy went back to the vet today, and we had a drain tube placed in the ear. We are scheduled to go back in two weeks to check the progress. Sassy took it like a champ! Now she has pain meds/steroids and antibiotics. Thanks for writing back 🙂
That’s great Breeanne, thank you for the update! Hope she’s feeling much better now and will be back to normal soon! 🙂
My 9 year old beagle has been struggling with one for 4 months now. After trying constant draining and compression bandaging we finally went down the surgery route 10 days ago. Unfortunately it has already returned so I’m not sure what possible options we have left…?
Ugh, hematomas can be so frustrating! 🙁 The positive news is, although it’s my understanding that there can be some fluid buildup immediately after surgery, if that fluid is drained while the ear is still healing, eventually the scar tissue will extend all the way down to the cartilage and after that there will be no more space available for the fluid to collect.
I would start by calling your vet to let him or her know that you’re seeing fluid again. If your vet can drain it while it’s healing (this may take more than once), in theory eventually the tissue will shrink down enough so that it can’t fill back up again. Please keep me posted, and good luck!!
Lucy, my Pitt Lab mix has a hematoma now. We can’t keep a bandage on her head. The wrap the Vet put on her head lasted two days. After that we’ve had to re wrap her head every day. She always has the e-collar on. It’s been about a week and a half since the vet drained it, but since she some how keeps getting the bandage off her ear is starting to fill back up again. We’re stumped on what to do to keep the bandage on while we’re at work.
Hi Matthew! What material are you using to bandage her ear/head? It’s been my experience that the only material that really holds well for hematoma bandages is a material called “Elastikon”. It adheres to both hair and skin like crazy, so whenever you use it, be prepared to have to cut it off (and maybe lose a little hair in the process, but not much). If you bandage with Elastikon, make sure to press it down hard against the skin all the way around the length of the bandage (but not directly on the ear, since that is still healing). You can ask your vet to show you the best way to do the wrap to make sure it stays in place for as long as possible. I would definitely call the vet anyway since you said her ear is starting to fill up again… unfortunately, it may need to be drained again. Please let me know if you have any questions, and good luck!!
The best thing that happened for my sassy was when the vet inserted a drain tube. She didn’t even have it sutured. As far as wrapping goes, we didn’t have any luck with that. Good luck! It’s a long process.
I have just found out my 3 year old Frenchie has an aural hematoma, I had no idea what it was, and have been going at supposedly a very good vet in LA. I’ve been doing my research and they said symptoms of a hematoma is head shaking, loss of appetite, difficulty chewing which i’ve noticed she’s been doing for over a month- I brought her in, but they clearly didn’t evaluate her fully because clearly she’d been having that the whole time. Anyways, they didn’t check for allergic food or skin disease or whether it was a bacterial or yeast infection. Should that worry me? They immediately gave us the medication and said as a result of this medication, there is a possibility that her ear flops down… ??? So we gave her medication the way they asked us too: higher dose twice a day for three days, then lower dose to once a day and then every other day for 3 days, lower the dosage. After the 3rd day, her ear already flopped down… They also mentioned something about getting the surgery which would get rid of the infection and get her ear back to normal, my question is: could the ear correct back to it’s normal up right position once the infection is gone or no? Because they did say if I wait too long, the ear could just heal like that with the flap and then there’s no way of getting her ear back up, even with surgery.
I am really really distressed about this, I don’t know if I’m mixing up things… But she’s my baby and I’m petrified and I just don’t understand what is going on exactly. How could they not give her another medication that wouldn’t get her ear to flap to start with?? It was fine minus the infection, surely there could have been another way?
Someone please help me… I can’t sleep, I can’t stop crying, I don’t know what to do.
Lara, I’m so sorry for the delay in response, as I’ve been traveling and just now saw your comment. There are a few things going on that I’m not quite sure about…what was the medication they prescribed that they said might make your dog’s ear flop down? Also, since aural (ear) hematomas are not caused by infection, they are caused by trauma to the ear from the dog scratching at the ear or shaking their head, if an ear infection caused the head shaking, they should have prescribed an antibiotic or anti-fungal medication to treat the ear infection, then addressed the hematoma separately (with treatment options on how to get the accumulated blood out of the ear).
Since it sounds like there might be some confusion around what they’re telling you, if you would like to discuss further, please feel free to email me through the contact page of my website, and hopefully I can do my best to help clear things up a little better. Thank you!
We had to have the surgery because the Hematoma continued to re-occur. Cheyenne was a lot of pain. The entire thing has been a nightmare
. Initial ear medication caused her to go deaf! Back to vet every 12 hours as bandages kept coming off. Went to e-collar only. Now today she has a major ear infection. She was never given antibiotics after the surgery! Is on them now. Breaks my heart that she has to suffer – she is a great dog.
I’m so sorry to hear about Cheyenne’s horrible experience! 🙁 Unfortunately, keeping the ear infection under control will be key to preventing a hematoma from developing in her other ear, so hopefully the antibiotics she’s on now will help. Are they also treating the ear infection with medication that you put inside the ear that treats for yeast as well? That way you cover both bases.
Hopefully she will be on the road to complete recovery soon, poor girl!
I had this with my GSD for years…poor baby had such a hard time with it……it was only near the end we had an allergy test done for her and found out she was allergic to grass….so Id recommend a test,,,we lost Maddie from cancer due to a tumor in her ear from all the ear infections…if we had known about the allergy sooner we would of done something about it before it was too late…my advise is check everything.get your baby allergy tested asap !!
English Mastiff has a hematoma, took her to the vet for surgery, $1000.59! She was given amoxycillin and anti inflammatory. Her ear and cheek are so swollen we go back to the vet 3 days after surgery for a recheck. So in reading other posts from different sites perhaps it’s not a good idea to have surgery only because theres a 50/50 chance of it reoccurring!!! See what the diagnosis is tomorrow…
Hi, My 9 & 1/2 year old Weimaraner, Sage has an aural hematoma. He has a history of ear infections and I noticed his ear needed drops on Saturday night. I keep Zymox on hand as per my vet’s instructions.I went to put them in Sunday morning and noticed his ear was quite full. This is the first time for the hematoma. I knew what it was since I had a friend who’s lab had the same thing. Since I could not see a vet until Monday I lanced it and drained it only to have it refill partially I had him at the vet Monday morning and again yesterday. They aspirated the hematoma on Monday but I was worried since it has refilled to Monday’s level. The vet decided to not aspirate it again yesterday. I think it will heal given the improvement I see but am wondering if to cause the least crinkling of the ear is it better to aspirate it again or leave it partially filled? He’s on prednisone and antibiotics as well as having had both ears cleaned and packed with antibiotics for infection and yeast.
I am also concerned about the prednisone. The vet I saw Monday was a vet not long out of school. My vet was off. Yesterday I saw mine. He increased the dosage from 20 mg per day (20 mg per day 5 days, then 10 mg for 5 days, then 5 mg for 3 days) to 60 mg per day (60 mg for 10 days, then 40 mg for 5 days, then 20 mg for 5 days, then 20 mg every other day for 5 days). Also I wondering about the dosage being 60 my once per day instead of 30 mg twice per day. Wouldn’t it be better to have less more often than such a lot at one time? Overall, that seems like a lot of prednisone for quite some time and I want to be sure that it’s not too much for too long as I know large amount of steroids for extended time can cause harm in other ways. I want the best for my soul dog as he and his daughter are everything to me.
Thank you!!
Dr. Schake can confirm, but the drug Prednisone is best weened off of. The steroid restricts/inhibits blood vessels with intent to minimize refilling of the hematoma, and reduce swelling. But, what may be considered swelling is actually a pocket of fluids, and not tissue swelling. As an advocate for holistic healing, the animal and ear need all the available fluids to heal the ear and not be restricted. The shriveling is caused by the depletion of red blood cells in the bulbous blood clot as the clot is reabsorbed. This occurs from from the outside edge of the clot to the center, from all points on the clot, making the skin and cartilage pull to the center of the clot. Think of a wearing down a jaw breaker. For more than this reason alone, the blood clot should be held to a thin layer to allow the skin and cartilage to attach, and as the thin layer of blood clot is reabsorbed, the skin and cartilage have little to travel and less shriveling.
Hoping you see this.. just came across this and wanted to take a shot you’d reply! 🙂 We adopted a 9 week old Lab pup, and about a day after having him we noticed squishiness in his ear (hematomas).. we ALSO have a 4 yr old Lab and they started playing VERY rough (very friendly–but very roughhouse-ish).. & within 2 days of this his little ears puffed up so big. I am 100% sure it was due to my other Lab clamping his ears in playtime. (which he seemed to love! ha!).. We took him to 3 (!!) vets to get many opinions on what to do, because we’d never heard of this. And he’s SO young, he was the youngest they had all seen with hematomas. He ended up having the surgery 3 days ago, the many-suture-style, and is wrapped now in a bandage and cone, and being crated most of the day/night. My concern is not knowing if they’ll come back. The dr said once his sutures are out, to just ‘release him’ to our other dog, so to speak. Let them resume life (and rough play). Not much can be done about that! Dogs are dogs. My worry is it coming back and us needing to rehome him (luckily his former foster family is 100% happy with taking him back). It wouldn’t be fair to keep him here, w/his ears being retraumatized daily. And keeping them separated forever isn’t how I want to do life. My question is this–if the hematomas DO return, would they typically come back very quickly after his sutures were out and he resumed play? Or are the odds just as good that they’d return months from now? (I’m trying to decide if I should get attached at this point) I’m glad we did the surgery–it was the humane thing to do–but we have only owned this dog a week! It’s nuts.
My 10 year old pit bull has an ear hematoma. Stitches just came out today and the tip of his ear is already filling back up. I’m not sure what to do. 🙁
Hi, my dog bella recently got diagnosed with a ear hematoma, and i was wondering if you could give me some advise on what to do. She is a 10 year old maltese shih tzu, the hematoma blow up around a week or two ago and since then it has slowly gone done. We took her to the vet a couple of days after discovering it and they conformed what it was and suggested surgery as the best option, whoever due to her age this could be a problem. My sister and i absolutly love this dog and are willing to do anything for her but with the surgery costs being estimated around $1000 and thats only if the pretest shows that she can handle the surgery, we are struggling to decide what to do. Should we leave it to heal itself since she doesnt seem to be in any visiable distress or should we spend the money and get the surgery or drainage (if she cant handle surgery) ??
Hi, Hannah!
I suggest asking your vet about putting in a temporary drain tube without having to stitch it in. This worked for my 8 year old pomeranian/half-jack russell. It was around $75… I would call the vet and discuss other options than surgery.
I have a beagle, Charlie, a 10 year old female and she has an aural hematoma. It started 15 days ago and the vet used a tool to make a hole on the underside of the ear flap to drain the blood. I have been draining the ear twice a day to remove the forever refilling fluid (which is mainly a yellowish colour and sometimes some blood from reopen the wound). We have had to make new holes as they keep healing up, we are on the third one now. Her poor ear is fattening/stiffening up from all the scar tissue from the healing holes. Do I just continue to go on like this..? Will it ever stop refilling..? I am basically draining it every 12 hours. Charlie is super strong and not had any anaesthetic, the vet seems amazed by her pain threshold, but I can see it is uncomfortable and frustrating for her to be “attacked” twice a day. Any advice..?
You should ask your vet to put a temporary drain tube in so her can constantly drain. This is the only way my Sassy was able to get her ear fluid all the way out. She now has a little crinkly ear, but she’s much happier. The drain tube is fairly easy to take care of. You just clean around it daily. I hope Charlie feels better soon!
Hi there,
My 9 year old Bulldog had a hematoma in August, and had the surgery on his left ear. 7 weeks later, he had the surgery on his right ear. This was very expensive with medications and anti-allergy medication and other costs. His most recent surgery has failed and his ear just filled back up. What do I do? It is not that I am cheap, I am not I do everything for my dog that I can. But so far this has cost 5000 dollars and I literally have nothing left to do more surgery and I am just defeated. I am considering surrendering him so that he can get the surgery if he needs it because my vet said she has had 100% failure with draining it, apparently it gets infected every single time and then they MUST do surgery. I am just lost. I did everything I could, cleaned the ear, gave him 250 dollar allergy meds for 100 pills 4 pills a day, 100 dollar allergy food that only lasts a week. Like I have exhausted every penny I have and I feel like the worst person in the world because I am financially drained. I dont want him to suffer or be uncomfortable. I dont know what to do. I also dont want to put him through a 3rd surgery in less than 6 months. That cant be good for such an old dog, he reacted very poorly to the first surgery. His face swelled up and it took him 2 full months to heal, he was allergic to stitches, meds, everything. I am just lost. My dog means everything to me, I worked 2 jobs so that I could afford to do the surgery because I was told it would be the best option, I have done everything I possibly can and now I am in a position where I just don’t have anything left and I am so frustrated because I don’t know what is best for him. Can anyone offer any advice?
I have a 6 year old basset hound who developed a hematoma on his left ear, he has had problems with ear infection since he was a pup, we have him on special food for allergies and just sent cultures out to find out the exact bacteria we are dealing with, while waiting for results we have decided to wait on treatment for the hematoma to see if it will resolve itself, it doesn’t seem to bother him so we will wait and see and treat the underlying problem to get rid of the infection
I have a 7 year old Labrador, Jess, who has a Hematoma in her right ear, we took her to have it drained last Tuesday and by Friday it was twice the size it was, and it slightly burst Friday pm. It is slowing weeping and she is quite clearing uncomfortable, however not sure if she is in pain. We called the vet today as we have a feeling it is possibly infected as it smells. We were told the vet that saw her last week wasn’t available this week so we would have to pay the consultancy fee again as opposed to a follow up appointment, surely this can’t be right. Any way we are taking her to an alternate vet tomorrow to see if we can drain it again, Due to the cost we can not afford surgery at present and would like to give the draining one last go, especially as surgery is only 50/50 % effective. I will write my follow up tomorrow. I am tempted to leave it to heal itself providing she is not in pain or it is infected.
Hi!!our 10 year old American bulldog had surgery for her hematoma today and had her left ear done last year. The emergency vet did her other ear and our normal vet did the one today…. they sent her home with her ear oozing blood still… and poor bandages . they said that it’s normal for it to bleed still.. we have been sitting next to her for hours with a towel cleaning the blood.. she has blood clots still coming out of her ear.. anyone know if this is normal.. this did not happen with her other ear
Hello, I have a 11 year old Newfoundland who develeoped a ear hematoma in the right ear. I am hesitant on wether I should do a surgerty or just wait. Pleas let me know what you guys think.
I am desperate!!!
Our vet told us it would cost $1,600 for an operation for an ear hematoma. He is a 10.5 yr old westie. The hematoma is not on his flap but further down, so I’m having difficulty in treating an infection in same ear. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Hi-Our 5 year old german shepard/belgian malenois mix had a bad ear infection that turned into an aural hematoma. Normal story exept for the fact that we live in Costa Rica where A) The veterinary care is archacic at best and B) the climate breeds infection and bacteria.
We took her into the most qualfied of the vets in town, we only have two, and he imeadiately opperated, choosing the straight line incision and stitches method. When I asked about pain medication he looked at me like I was crazy. Then told me dogs don’t feel pain the way we feel pain and that it would not be needed. I then asked him for a tranquilizer to help her sleep and not scratch and he said I was being overly doting of my dog, and that she is after all “just a dog.” So after dealing with that, and vague care procedure directions I did a crazy amount of research online. They did not bandage the ear post op. They did not give pain medication. They did give a antibiotic for 7 days. Did not insist on follow up apointments, simply stated bring her back in 22 days and no beach time. They told me to keep the Elizabethan Cone on her and to clean the ear daily with some sterilizer that they poured into an old shampoo bottle (rendering it, I imagine, not so sterile.) Luckily I had friends coming in from the states so I ordered a dog safe aspirin, sterile numbing spray and iodine wipes. So here we are at day 14 and it seems better, but I am still concerned as I have read over and over that this can occur again. Is there more I can do to prevent this in the futre and also to keep her ear clean and healthy during her recovery.
Hi Joy, my sincerest apologies for the delay in response! First, it’s very disheartening to hear any veterinarian say that “dogs don’t feel pain the way we do”, which as you already know is total bunk. And no dog is “just a dog”. I realize that the standard of care must be very different in Costa Rica, and this must be extremely frustrating for you – I know it would be for me! 🙁
Did your dog’s hematoma resolve, or did it recur? As far as being able to prevent ear hematomas, the standard advice has always been to try to keep your dog’s ears clean to prevent ear infections, which can cause them to shake their head violently and scratch at their ears, increasing their risk for developing a hematoma. Also, to prevent them from activities which can cause them to bang their heads against something, also a traumatic physical injury that can cause a hematoma. That being said, sometimes hematomas just form spontaneously with no apparent reason, so sometimes the best precautions still might not prevent one from occurring – which is what can make them so frustrating. And regarding your question about keeping her ear clean, with hematomas usually the standard veterinary advice is to just leave it alone as much as possible, since the dog is already on antibiotics and anything you do to it physically runs the risk of irritating it further and causing the dog to scratch at it. Since some time has gone by, I’m hoping by now your dog has made a full recovery and is doing well! Can you please update me and let me know how she’s doing? Thank you!
My 5 year old cane corso went for surgery due to an ear hematoma almost 4 weeks ago. As soon as the stitches were removed (after 3 weeks) it filled up with blood again. The vet said to keep draining it through a cut they placed previous for draining but was now nearly good and healed. Its been a week and they think its best for it to just run its course. My dog seems more tired and less outgoing then usual but not showing any signs of pain. Im concerned, should I seek another vets opinion? Its been almost 7 days since the last vet visit.
my pet tysu who was 11 years old, a bit on the fatter side, hd ear infection and a full grown pinna for which hematoma surgery done on 28-8-2018, A big cone like collar was put around his neck. Every evening he was taken to the vet for an antibotic injection and on the 4th day, after rebandaging, he did not reach home. He collasped on the stairs & passed away.. First of all his cone collar was so big that he was finding it very difficult to move around/eat/drink/sleep etc.. I am feeling very guilty & sorry that I could not stay with him as I did not have leave and had to attend office,
His tongue was purple which when told the vet, said that may be he has not drank enough water. As my pet had severe ear infection, vet told us that if surgery is not done than the hematoma may rupture and may create more complications. That’s why we went for surgery the very next day..
I will advise all the pet owners that do not put a hard collar round the neck & avoid going in for surgery and if at all surgery is needed, then admit your pet to the hospital and cure him & bring him back home.
Tara
Tara, I’m so very sorry to hear about what happened to your dog. 🙁 Unfortunately it’s very hard to know if there will be complications after surgery, so please don’t feel guilty or blame yourself. My heart goes out to you, and please accept my sincere condolences for the loss of your little one. <3
Hi Camille. My 8 year old Staffy went through Aural Haematoma Surgery 4 days ago, he has stitches t sew the pinna together and then an incision on the underside for drainage. The surgery it’s self was very distressing for him and us as we assume he had a reaction to something and when we got him home he was cold as a stone and shivering un-controllabley. Thank fully this subsided after a few hours. We checked out the incision and pinna yesterday and all seemed fine, although today a new smaller haematoma has developed underneath where the sutures are!!! I feel so bad for him, to have gone through the surgery and now for a new one to appear on the same ear whilst the stitches are still in place. Also the incision is looking at little gooey, is this normal? So far it does not look successful at all, which is very disappointing, especially for poor Jagger
My 7 year old German Shepherd just had surgery for a hematoma on his ear. It is stitched and has a drain at the top of the ear. How long will it take for the ear to return to an upright position and is there something I can do to help it stand up (taping)? If there is something, should I start now? (He is 4 days post-op)
Hi Sheri! I wouldn’t do anything right now to disturb the ear or that drain. Once the drain has been removed and the ear is healed, it should eventually stand up again on its own. Hope everything heals nicely and your dog is feeling much better! 🙂
Hi Camille,
Our sweet, gentle Rhodesian Ridgeback Watson (he just turned 9 yesterday!) has been dealing w an aural hematoma since December. He doesn’t have a history of ear infections, but the vet said he had a slight ear infection, which they treated with BNT. The vet performed a surgical hematoma repair and several sutures were placed to close the pocket, then later removed after a few weeks. Since his surgery, we’ve been back to the vet repeatedly because his ear keeps filling back up. The vet drains and aspirates it, and gives him a small steroid to help with inflammation. He’s also been on antihistamines and Prednisone for a couple of weeks. On our last visit, she said the ear infection was gone, so now we’re just waiting for the ear flap to heal completely. Watson has been diligently wearing the No Flap Ear Wrap, but the ear flap continues to refill. Before the hematoma, I noticed Watson licking his paws, which wasn’t normal for him. I’m not sure what else we can do to treat this. How long does it typically take to finally be rid of this issue and back to normal? Is there more we could be doing? I’ve been reading about allergies being a possible cause, but have no idea what he could be allergic to. There’s been no change in food or environment that I know of! Watson doesn’t seem to be in pain, but is a little lethargic and extra clingy (also atypical, as he’s a little aloof). He’s also eating and drinking more than normal due to the Prednisone. We just want him to be back to 100%! Am I just being impatient / does it take much longer to heal?
Hi Jen! I truly sympathize, recurring ear hematomas can be SO frustrating. 🙁 Unfortunately, recurrence is not unusual (either immediately after surgery, or even months or years later). Sometimes this can occur if the sutures aren’t left in long enough, or if the sutures weren’t placed close enough together – but sometimes, through the fault of no one, it just recurs for no apparent reason. At this point, it sounds like you’re doing everything possible to prevent Watson’s ear from filling back up again, including the use of Prednisone to reduce inflammation and antihistamines to address any underlying allergic response (which is a common culprit, since it’s itching that can cause dogs to shake their heads and scratch their ears, leading to the hematoma). Regarding allergies, many dogs (like humans) can suffer from inhalant allergies to things like dust, mold, and pollen, so that could be one possible cause of him licking his paws or scratching at his ears. If Watson is experiencing this type of allergy (also known as “atopy”), he may need to be on antihistamines a little longer after his hematoma resolves, so definitely ask your veterinarian about that.
Regarding healing, every dog is different. For some dogs, complete resolution of ear hematomas can take weeks or even months…so don’t give up! It takes time after surgery for the proper scarring to occur inside the ear flap. Once the scar tissue fills in those spaces where the blood and fluid have been collecting, it should resolve the issue – and hopefully this will happen sooner rather than later! Wishing Watson good luck and quick healing!! 🙂
My dog meatball, has an ear hematoma, I have drained it twice and wrapped it up. The wraps have not done the trick as they keep coming off and the ear keeps filling up. Today I took out almost 60ml and instead of wrapping him up with tape I bandaged the ear loosely and put clean magnets on either side to compress the ear. I did the same thing for my ears when I had the same ear problem myself. He has a special no flap ear wrap so the magnets don’t shake off but my concern is applying too much pressure and how would I know. I bought lighter magnets for this.
My 6 year old Dalmatian got a Hematoma in her left ear last night (most likely from our 4 month old puppy nibbling a bit too hard). Went to the out of hours vets and they gave her a steroid injection and cone of shame to stop the pup from doing any more damage. Today it’s gone down significantly and they don’t need to do surgery. Fingers crossed that sorts it. Just need to keep an eye on her.
Much happier doggie today. She wasn’t scratching it or shaking her head but she was twitching the ear and wasn’t as settled as usual, so although not visably distressed to most people, I could tell it was bothering her. I’ve had lots of licks and cuddles today, seems like she’s thanking me.
Hi Shannon, hope your dog is feeling much better by now! 🙂
My 8 year old Golden retriver Rusty had surgery about Month ago, I was told to bring him back a week after surgery. The doctor took the bandage off and examined him then did not rebandaged him and told me to come back in s week. the tird week Dec 28th the stitches we removed. Doctor told us to keep the E collar for about 3 days which we did. on the 7thJan the Hermatoa came back again. when we took him to the same hospital apperently the doctor who performed the surgery was on vacation. the doctor on duty said for now he will drain the blood out and bandage him which was costing us $95 and i would have to speak to the doctor about redoing the surgery. poor Boy Rusty had to go thru wearing the cone and he is so restless. this doctor told us that he should have bandage him for atleast 3 weeks. its not fair that i have to pay for the surgery again and my poor dog needs to go thru it again. Animal hospital must take reponsibility. he under PredniSone 20mg so drowsy. the doctor just bandage the ear after the surgery instead of bandaging it the head.
This is about the fourth time I have taken my dog to the vet for a ear hematoma. He is a 11 year old mixed lab with long ears. He has been having issues since June 2020. So far I have spend around $1200 dollars on his ear issues. The first time they drained his ear, wrapped and gave him a steroid, the second time they wrapped it and gave him a steroid, and the third time they wrapped it, gave him a cone to wear, and gave him another steroid. The hematoma went away for about 3 months and now its back again. I am taking him today again I expect them to drain is ear again, wrap it, give him a steroid again, and I will let him wear this cone. This will cost another $300 dollars. How do I prevent him getting these ear problems? Should I change his food? he is having the same routine as normal. Is there a holistic treatment I can use as a preventative to help my furry friend max. We do live near the sea but we keep him on the leash since these ear problems started. He is starting to cost as much as my horse.
Try to get on top of yeast infections and use “no flap ear wrap” to prevent excessive shaking during healing.
Use an ear wash regularly (weekly in summer, fortnightly in winter ) but not at same time as medication.
Hi my 9 yr old dog Millie has had her ear hematoma for over two weeks now.. we have been to the vets every couple of days, and the cost is mounting
She had it syringed and it refilled up… we went back and she went under to have it launced.. she was prescribed pain killers and antibiotics, her ear filled up again as no drain or anything was fitting and the cut was healing inside so was advised to return so the vet could open it again so it could drain… poor Millie then had lumps appear all
Over her body and at first the vet said it may be an allergic reaction to the antibiotics so prescribed a different brand..
Mille is now not eating today and we had to go back to get the lumps checked. The vet now says the allergic reaction could be could be something else… she had the cut on her ear opened again, has been prescribed allergy tablets, steriods, painkillers and codiene.. her ear was dripping blood for the past two hours and it’s gone everywhere.. problem is it’s still filling up
I’m at my wits end… I don’t want her to keep going back and have the cut opened, it’s getting too painful and distressing for her.
Question is… do I still bathe the site to encourage bleeding or just let it heal up and hope the steroids etc kick in and reduce the ridiculous swelling?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated, I don’t want to stress my poor dog out anymore than she already has been
Thanks
Lisa
Hi my dogs ear is swelling and my daughter put an elastic on her ear and I was wondering what I could do instead of having to go to the vet.
How is your dog doing?
Hi
Her ear is still swollen but nothing like it was… she has a couple more weeks on her steroids and then that’s it really
It don’t bother her. I could just kick myself (and the vet) for spending over £600 to achieve nothing but stress and probably pain for poor Millie… I’m going to let nature take its course as when I’ve read up on it. It should go on it’s own eventually
If she ends up with a cauliflower ear, so be it, still be my beautiful dog
I wouldn’t recommend bets unless it’s really swollen and maybe ask about steroids, don’t go down the road I did with keep opening it up… good luck!
My dog is 11 year old pitball mastiff named BiGZ he has a pillow ear but it isn’t hurting him just irritates him a little. Will this just resolve as he has had a operation on the opposite ear before. Thanks.
Hi George! Since BigZ is a large breed dog and 11 years old, he may or may not be the best candidate for surgery, but your vet would be the best person to ask about that. Regarding if the hematoma will resolve with no treatment, the answer is usually yes. Keep in mind that without treatment, it is likely to cause him some discomfort/pain while it’s healing, and it will most likely shrink down as it heals and cause permanent scarring/wrinkling to his ear (commonly referred to as “cauliflower ear”). Once it’s healed, however, the wrinkling will not be painful.
With his age, you will probably want to weigh the risk of another surgery against the risk of monitoring his ear closely as it resolves. If you choose to go the “watch and wait” direction, I would watch him for signs of pain and let your vet know immediately if he becomes painful so you can address it quickly. Hope this helps, and good luck!