My dog has a growing ear hematoma and is lethargic. What should I do?

I'm sorry that Remy had a hematoma in his ear! Unfortunately, there is really nothing you can do at home to treat this problem - it will eventually go away on its own, but this can take several weeks in some cases and may cause some scarring or disfigurement of the ear. I do not recommend attempting to drain it at home, as this often introduces infection and makes the problem worse. Your vet can surgically repair the hematoma, or may prescribe a steroid or other medication to help it heal faster if you opt not to do surgery - so it would be a good idea to take Remy Martin in for an exam if you are able to. In many cases, affected dogs also have an ear infection or other underlying problem that needs to be diagnosed and treated as well.

The hematoma needs to be drained by your vet first. Then you will need pain/anti-inflammatory medication to help reduce further filling of the ear pinna so that the ear can return to normal size. And lastly treat for any underlying ear infections, which is the -# 1 cause for ear hematomas. Schedule an appt with your vet and they should be able to help take care of all of this for you and your pet Millie.

This is actually filled with blood. This is a hematoma between the skin layers in the ear flap. They develop when dogs scratch or shake their heads excessively, usually from an ear infection or some type of allergy. Generally this requires a veterinary exam and surgical drainage. They will also check Dozer's ears to see if they are infected or try to find the cause of the hematoma. He will need to wear a cone probably until the ear heals. Without treatment the ear swelling will go down but it may take a month or more and the ear will scar up and become deformed. This can be uncomfortable and there is a risk of infection so I recommend veterinary treatment soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Dozer.

Hi there. I can't say for sure without being able to examine him, but what you're describing sounds like an aural hematoma - this is basically a pocket of blood in the ear flap. It's usually caused by the dog shaking his head or scratching at the ear due to an underlying ear infection or other problem, which can cause a blood vessel in the ear flap to tear. If he does have an aural hematoma, this can either be surgically drained by your veterinarian, or managed with anti-inflammatory medication and time until it eventually resolves on its own. I would recommend taking Herbie to the vet when you're able to, to confirm the diagnosis and see what your veterinarian suggests as the best course of action.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This is ear hematoma, most likely self-inflicted by Moose by excessive scratching or rubbing the ear. There are no remedies that you can use at home to help, I am afraid. Moose should be seen by your local vets again to drain the ear and ideally, place some stitches on the ear to avoid recurrence.

Hello, I am sorry to hear about Sprocket. Hematomas form secondary to trauma to the blood vessels in the ear - sometimes due to head shaking secondary to ear infections, or rough play. Hematomas are quite uncomfortable due to the swelling present and if untreated can progress. If this is the first time Sprocket has had a hematoma, your veterinarian may be able to treat it more basically, without a full surgical procedure. They may be able to drain the hematoma under sedation. I would recommend having Sprocket seen by your veterinarian so that they can examine the ear and discuss possible treatment options. Hope this helps, good luck!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would not recommend lancing the ear at home as this risks introduction of harmful bacteria that will cause an infection. I would recommend having this examined by a veterinarian as Jack will likely need an oral antibiotic and the ear drained properly. Sometimes the ear needs to have a drain surgically placed into the hematoma site so that it is unable to fill back up. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.