How to Treat Dog Ear Hematoma at Home?

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Last Updated on 03/10/2024 by Aapt Dubey

How to Treat Dog Ear Hematoma at Home?- Dogs are our constant companions, and we have the same responsibility for them as our family members.

Dogs can also fall sick from infections, eat foreign bodies like toys, or eat a few toxic plants. You can care for a sick dog at home if you know the remedies.

Otherwise, you can visit the pet. Ear swelling in dogs can be due to ear mites, parasites that eat the wax and oils inside your dog’s ears and cause problems.

That’s why you must know how to treat dog ear hematoma at home.

Dog Hematoma or Aural Hematomas can be painful and cause ear swelling. If the aural hematoma is not treated, it will cure itself. Your pet will go through a lot of trauma when it suffers from Aural Hematoma.

However, Ear Hematomas are different from normal swelling. You may find your dog unduly scratching its ears, leading to ear or aural hematoma.

It is commonly found in dogs with floppy or straight ears. However, vets are the best option when your pet suffers from an ear hematoma, which can last six weeks if left untreated.

Key Takeaway:

Ear hematomas can be treated at home in mild cases, but severe swelling or underlying causes may require veterinary attention.

What is Dog Ear Hematoma?

Commonly found under the skin, the aural hematoma is a blood clot formed when a blood vessel breaks.

The blood comes out and forms a clot near the ear, and this often causes swelling. It occurs when the blood vessel within the ear bursts and causes bleeding between the connective tissue layers.

When your pet has an ear hematoma, the flaps seem thick and spongy. The swelling can be present in both ear flaps or can only be a partial ear flap.

It is different in size and appearance. It is common in dogs who suffer from ear infections and those with floppy ears.

Causes of Aural Hematoma in Dogs

Aural or Ear Hematoma in dogs is caused mainly by ear infections or too much scratching and itching of the ears.

Suppose your dog fights with another dog or plays; an injury in the ear vessel can cause a blood clot.

The outer ear is covered with skin layers on both sides, and frequent scratching and itching can break the blood vessels.

As blood vessels are present beneath the skin, vigorous shaking of the head and constant itching can often result in a broken blood vessel.

Ear mites commonly found in in-ear infections can also lead to aural hematoma.

Sometimes, a foreign particle stuck in the ear canal will make your pet shake its head, and excessive shaking will lead to an ear infection.

Some common causes are

• Bacterial infection
• Allergy
• Ear infections due to ear mites
• Ear Bites
• Skin disease

Symptoms of Ear Hematoma

A few warning signs of ear hematoma can be a swollen ear. Your pet’s ears may seem enlarged due to a blood-filled pocket.

If the wound is only to one part of the pinna or ear flap, the swelling may seem small; however,

sometimes, the whole ear flap gets swollen due to the blood collected, which causes the ear to droop.

A few indications that are found in dogs suffering from aural hematoma are

• Puffy ears that look like a small balloon.
• The area is warm, moist, and soft due to the accumulation of blood.
• Ear Scratching
• Discharge and odor.
• Ear Flaps seem reddish.
• Excessive pain due to which your pet might keep its head tilted.
• But if your pet has these signs, it does not always indicate an aural hematoma.

Home Treatment for Dog Ear Hematoma

Sometimes, your pet’s aural hematoma can get serious, and home remedies may work. For the home treatments to work on the dogs, you must find the reason for ear remedies.

If your pet has consumed food that causes its skin to get itchy, such allergies may have to be treated.

Foods like wheat, rice, eggs, and lentils commonly cause food allergies, and avoiding them will resolve this problem.

Ear infections, hair loss, or scratching due to environmental allergies can be avoided by giving Apple cider vinegar, Omega-3 Fats, Bovine colostrum, or bee pollen instead of the vet’s medicines may have side effects.

Ear infections may lead to scratching and may cause an aural hematoma. Some antibiotics can cause side effects like your dog losing its hearing or losing balance.

However, home remedies like green tea, oregano oil, and apple cider vinegar are known to treat these infections.

Some people even suggest Chinese Herbal medicine or homeopathy for treatment.

How to Drain a Dog Ear Hematoma at Home?

Draining a hematoma is not the preferred course of treatment as it may not remove the hematoma altogether but only lessen the pain. You have to consult a vet for the hematoma draining process.

Some ear hematomas can be cured by inserting a steroid into the swollen area and draining the fluid. However, this process requires frequent vet visits, which takes a long time to eliminate the swelling.

A syringe is used to remove the blood from the hematoma and is often used on small ear hematomas.

How to Prevent Aural Hematoma?

Treating ear infections and ear mites on time will avoid further damage and not cause ear hematoma. If you can find the cause of itching or scratching, it will help reduce the hematoma issues.

You can save your dog from getting into fights as it can lead to injury, a common cause of aural hematoma.

Few droopy-eared breeds of dogs, like the Cocker Spaniel and Basset Hounds, are at risk of ear infections and may require frequent ear cleaning with solutions.

Your pet’s ears have to be cleaned frequently to prevent any infection that may cause further damage.

What Should You Do After Treatment?

Following 3-14 days, your vet can withdraw the drainage pipes or dressings. One or even more drainage pores from the drainage or incisions may be present in some circumstances, and these will be left to heal with a scar.

If the ear has healed entirely, the sutures (stitches) can be taken after two weeks; in extreme situations, part or all of the sutures can be left in place for up to 2 weeks.

If there is any discharge from the operation sites before they shut, it should be cleansed with moisturizing soap.

If an infection exists, your vet may recommend treatment and suggest a follow-up examination of the ear canal to ensure that the infection has been cleared. Alternatively, a new hematoma might form.

Is Professional Surgery Needed For Your Dog’s Ear Hematoma?

If the hematoma is light or tiny, and operation isn’t an option (for instance, if your dog isn’t strong enough even for anesthesia), your doctor may attempt draining it using a big needle. Nevertheless, this is not optimal, as auditory hematomas frequently recur without operation.

Furthermore, if clots are now formed inside the blood bag, your veterinarian will find it difficult — if not difficult — to eliminate the bulge with a needle. The blockages will be too significant for the needle to get through.

What Happens if You Leave Your Dog’s Ear Hematoma Untreated?

Aural hematomas, if not treated on time, can cause further damage to your dog’s health. So, you have to know the causes of the same.

If you feel that your dog is suffering from dog hematoma and you have not taken any action to treat it, it will lessen in size and form a scar over time. But if the wound is left untreated, it causes intense pain due to the weight of the swollen region and the pressure it puts on the ears.

As the ear flay gets swollen, any other ear infections that can cause further damage cannot be treated. It takes more than a month for the aural hematoma to heal on its own, and your pet has to suffer till that time.

If you are not treating the ear hematoma on time and it gets healed, there is a chance of reoccurring. Sometimes, your pet’s ears may become deformed, like a cauliflower ear, due to the scar tissue.

Even though it is not a severe issue, treating aural hematomas on time is better than stopping causing discomfort to your pet dog.

Cost of Treating Ear Hematoma in Dogs

The price of creating an aural hematoma depends on the size and the severity of the infection. The treatment costs would include vet consultation charges and any charges related to surgery, hospitalization, and antibiotics.

Further preventive treatment is sometimes needed, which adds to the cost. The treatment can cost between $300 to $2,500, including any additional expenses related to the treatments.

Hence, this is the end of treating dog ear hematoma at home, which will help you with the cause and aid you in treating your dog better.

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