Aural Hematomas in Dogs: Symptoms and Treatment

Considering that I live in the high, dry desert of northern New Mexico where there are burrs, awns or spines on virtually every wild plant that are eager to attach to any passing body part, it's amazing that only one of my dogs has suffered from fluid in an ear lobe caused by scratching and irritation. One day almost six years ago my beautiful chow Shu started scratching inside his right ear, and cocking his head to the right and shaking it like there was something he was trying to get out. I took him to the vet, who removed a burr and diagnosed an ear infection and aural hematoma, which is a collection of blood and other fluid in the tissues on the lobe or flap of the ear caused by a ruptured blood vessel.

Shu is a little unusual because most dogs who get aural hematomas have floppy ears, like Retrievers or Dachshunds. But any dog with allergies; who fights a lot; who isn't groomed regularly; who suffers from repeated ear infections or an ear tumor; or who picks up parasites such as ear mites and ticks or small, sharp pieces of brush may end up with this very painful condition. If you do nothing about it, scar tissue will eventually form and the ear can be permanently disfigured. It's always better to figure out exactly why the animal is scratching and shaking his head and then treat the underlying condition.

My vet opted for surgical treatment using sutures because the hematoma was quite substantial. He cut into the skin on the underside of Shu's ear and drained the blood, then used a line of sutures to close the incision. He told me that the ear might no longer be completely erect, and that's what happened in Shu's case. His right ear is now permanently folded over halfway down while his left ear is still erect. In other dogs the ear will look the same as it did before the procedure.

Another treatment, which is an option if you or your dog have vanity issues, is opening and draining the wound but applying tape over a rolled bandage instead of stitches, so that the ear is not disfigured at all.

A third choice, in the case of a smaller or older hematoma, is just removing the fluid with a syringe and allowing the ear to heal. Sometimes a large drain called a "teat cannula" (also used on cows) is placed to drain the blood and fluid, although it has to remain in place for a few weeks and the dog may not appreciate that.

I'm happy to report that Shu hasn't had any more problems with aural hematomas, and his one-ear-up, one-ear-down look actually makes him look rather endearing. But it's important to understand that scratching at the ear won't always result in a hematoma. For example, Boz, another of my dogs, once got a tick inside his ear that was removed by the vet before his scratching did any serious damage. So the sooner you have a suspicious ear checked out by your vet, the better it will be for your dog.