This means that the ear infection must be treated along with the hematoma. Usually there is a reason why a dog has been shaking his/her head: an ear infection.

WHAT IF THERE IS A CONCURRENT EAR INFECTION? This method is generally successful but does involve the dog tolerating a “gadget” inserted in its earflap for several weeks as well as accompanying fluid drainage.

The hematoma is drained of fluids and allowed to heal over the next several weeks. Teat cannulas can also be surgically placed in a dog’s aural hematoma if the earflap is large enough to accommodate the device. It can be placed in the opening of the teat to allow drainage of milk or infected discharges. TEAT CANNULA PLACEMENT OR PENROSE DRAIN PLACEMENT – A teat cannula is a small device used in the treatment of udder inflammation in cattle.

The earflap is essentially quilted to close any space where fluid might refill. Sutures are generally left in place for 3 weeks to allow good scarring to take place so that refilling will not occur. Sometimes bandages are applied post-operatively, sometimes not. To prevent the hematoma from refilling with fluid, multiple sutures are placed in the hematoma area either vertically or horizontally, either partly through or completely through the earflap, with or without ear cartilage removal. The hematoma is drained of fluid and blood clots. PIE-CRUSTING SUTURES – Here, an incision is made in the earflap surgically. If the clot in the hematoma is already well organized and on its way to scarring, there may not be much fluid left to aspirate and the technique may not work at all. The benefits of the aspiration method are that it is inexpensive and relatively easy to perform but the disadvantages are that it may introduce infection and may require multiple attempts. The problem is that a space is left behind when the fluid is removed and this space readily refills with more fluid leading to only temporary results. The following are some commonly performed procedures:ĪSPIRATION – This procedure involves simply using a syringe to remove the fluid contents from the hematoma. There are probably as many ways of correcting ear hematomas as there are veterinarians. The hematoma may be repaired to maximize the ability of the ear flap to stand up straight after hematoma resolution or to prevent excessive scarring in the ear flap for cosmetic reasons.The hematoma should be repaired if the owner feels the heavy ear flap is unacceptably uncomfortable for the pet.A permanently narrow ear canal can predispose the patient to a lifetime of ear infections. The hematoma is in a location where natural healing will create scarring in such a way that the ear canal will be permanently narrowed.In this situation, the hematoma must be relieved before the ear canal can be accessed. If this is the case, the ear cannot be evaluated for infection nor can any infection present be treated. The hematoma is so big that the ear canal is occluded.There are several situations where the hematoma should be repaired: The earflap will feel fluctuant and fluid-filled, like a water balloon.Ī small hematoma may not actually be a problem and may not require repair. This condition is more common in dogs but can occur in cats as well. The extra weight of the earflap may be uncomfortable and may lead to a permanent change in the carriage of the ears. The swelling may be so large that the opening of the ear canal is occluded. The earflap may partially or completely swell with blood. Hematomas within the earflaps (“aural hematomas”) occur when head shaking breaks a blood vessel within the earflap. A hematoma is a fluid-filled swelling created by a broken blood vessel after bleeding has occurred inside a tissue.

Aural hematoma surgery cost