What is ear hematoma?

Dog ear hematoma refers to the swelling caused by subcutaneous bleeding of the dog’s ear shell. It is mainly characterized by the appearance of a solid, fluid-filled, fixed mass on the concave surface of the ear. The lump is swollen. Dog ear hematoma mainly occurs around the concave surface of the auricle and any part of the concave surface of the auricle. Dog breeds with droopy ears are more susceptible to this disease.

Causes of dog ear hematoma

Generally speaking, the cause of dog ear hematoma is mainly caused by trauma. The dog himself shakes his head, drops his ears, scratches and rubs his ears, etc., which causes the ear shell to subcutaneously Bleeding. In addition, otitis externa, chronic inflammation, ear parasitic infection, foreign bodies and tumors irritating the ear shell can also induce this disease.

Clinical trials have shown that the inner ear shell of dogs suffering from this disease will swell rapidly after the onset of the disease. Generally, the ear will swell from the bottom of the ear to the middle ear. In severe cases, the entire ear shell will be affected, causing the ear shell to become thickened and swollen purple-brown. At the beginning of palpation, it is elastic, undulating, warm, painful, hard on the left and right, and soft on the middle. Bloody fluid flows from the puncture site. Hearing damage caused by swelling that blocks the auditory canal. An abscess can form after the hematoma becomes infected.

Treatment of ear hematoma in dogs

After it is determined that the dog suffers from ear hematoma, the treatment for small ear hematomas can be to use a fine subcutaneous needle to puncture and extract the accumulated ear hematoma. If there is blood, pull out the needle and use a pressure ear bandage for 7-10 days to stop bleeding. Large hematomas should be surgically removed. After the animal undergoes general anesthesia and local shaving and disinfection, a straight line or "S"-shaped incision equal to the length of the hematoma is made in the middle of the swelling to remove blood clots and cellulose in the swelling cavity. Use scissors to cut off about 4mm of the skin wound margin on both sides. Then, use No. 4 silk thread to make several rows of horizontal buttonhole mattress sutures on both sides of the incision to close the hematoma cavity. The suturing method is to insert the needle from the convex surface of the ear shell, pass through the entire layer, take the needle out from the concave surface, then insert the needle from the concave surface and pass through the convex surface, and tie a knot on the convex surface. The needle pitch is 5-10mm, and the interval between each row is 5-10mm.