4paws4me Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 Just wondering if anyone can give me any personal advice here. My dog has a hematoma on his ear (on the actual flappy part) which i had drained by the vet yesterday, and drained again today. I am trying to avoid surgery which will cost approx $350, so I decided i wanted to try to just keep draining it (which involves me having to keep pricking it with a needle each day :-( ) to see if the blood vessel clots and it heals up. It would be greatly appreciated to hear from anyone that has had to deal with this personally or knows of a friend/family member who have. Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 the vet needs to insert a drain tube or at least drain it properly and stitch the layers of tissue back together with a framework. You risk filling the swelled ear with bacteria by pricking it yourself or permanently ruining the ear if it doesnt stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swizzlestick Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 I've never seen this method work successfully. This has most likely happened because your dog has been shaking his head. Unless it's drained and the pinna sutured back together, you're just leaving dead space there to fill up with blood again. Has the vet been able to have a good look down the ears to check for a foreign body? Is he on any ear drops? I'm afraid I'd just say bite the bullet and have the surgery done. Much less drama and better for the dog in the longrun. Good Luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4paws4me Posted September 27, 2011 Author Share Posted September 27, 2011 Yes, the vet was VERY surprised to see that my dog had very clean ears, and we still are unsure how this even happened. The only thing we can think of is that he bit on the ear by something to make him shake his head violently to cause the hematoma. I am also aware of precautions I have to take to make sure I dont infect the ear doing it myself :-) The vet did put him on anitibiotics too. Im thinking Im going to have to the surgery path, but with my dog being 11 years old, was just trying to avoid putting him under aswell :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ari.g Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 Ouch your poor dog I was lucky. My old girl had haematomas in both ears once. I took her to the vet and we taped her ears to the top of her head for a few days and lucky they went down and never had a problem again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max#1 Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 I also know of an older dog who had a hematoma in its ear. It was on the floppy bit of its ear, not inside. The vet said it would be premanently disfigured if she didn't do surgery - but she opted to wait, and eventually it went away on its own. If it got worse or bigger she would've gone back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4paws4me Posted September 27, 2011 Author Share Posted September 27, 2011 Thanks the replies are very helpful Ari.g ... maybe I should speak to my vet about taping my dogs ears up ??? I was thoroughly showed today how to and where to prick my dogs ear, so I know I am not going to hit any main vessels, but I just hate the thought of having to put my dog thru that every day :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 (edited) They can heal without surgery, but the ear ends up disfigured ..it sort of folds up.... as the blood separates the flat bits..and takes away any support .. so your dog will probably end up having a smaller screwed up ear flap, ... Edited September 27, 2011 by persephone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boronia Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 Many years ago when I worked in a vet surgery in Sydney the vet used to cut out two pieces of plastic (perhaps a little lighter than an icecream carton) the same shape as the dog's ear and tack it on with 1/2 dozen big stitches. This was left on for a couple of weeks. It worked really well. Do the vets still use this method? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karly101 Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 ^ Yep vets use all sorts of different methods from prevent the dead space from filling up again. Current clinic I'm at uses buttons We've only had a couple cases in the time I've been there that healed okay without surgery but in both cases the ear was deformed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staranais Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 My old dog got hematomas on both ears. Like your dog, we couldn't ever figure out an underlying cause! One ear I got surgery for, the other I just let heal. The one that we left alone was a bit more disfigured - like a cauliflower ear - but it didn't bother him any. Nekhbet is right, don't keep draining it yourself. It's not just that it can cause an infection even if you are careful, but it also won't do any good in any but the tiniest haematomas, as it will just refill with blood as quick as you drain it. Take it for surgery, or leave it alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 the vet needs to insert a drain tube or at least drain it properly and stitch the layers of tissue back together with a framework. You risk filling the swelled ear with bacteria by pricking it yourself or permanently ruining the ear if it doesnt stop. What she said. The vet has tried draining it once and now it's time for surgery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4paws4me Posted September 28, 2011 Author Share Posted September 28, 2011 Thanks guys After leaving it the night and noticing this morning that it was slowly filling again, I made the decision to book Winston in to get the surgery. He is booked in for Friday morning. Due to the wait, the vet told me to bring him in this afternoon to have his ear drained again. When I took him in, we saw a different vet, and I was explaining how I was trying to avoid the surgery. She asked if we had tried draining it but then bandaging (taping) his ear to his head? So, we arrived home with a drained ear that is now taped to poor Winston's head. Im trying my best not to laugh hehe. Vet said, leave it taped until late Thursday afternoon, and then unwrap it to see if it has made a difference. Vet said we can make a final decision then. If no improvement, he will definately be going in on friday for the surgery !!! Thanks once again for all the replies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ari.g Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 HOpe it works for Winston Ari with her ears taped up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4paws4me Posted September 28, 2011 Author Share Posted September 28, 2011 Ari.g .... was the hematoma on the flap part of your dogs ears too ??? Im wondering if 1 day of taping will be long enough to give it a chance, but I will see what it looks like tomorrow. They have done Winston's differently. As I mentioned before, they have basically bandaged his one ear flat to his head. Hope this would give the same effect as it did for your dog. I have my fingers crossed, but ain't holding my breath lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 AFAIK earflap haematomas are the most common - and mostly unilateral. Bandaging tight to the side of the head keeps the ear flat,able to drain, and with less space between layers of cartilage/skin for accumulation of fluid . It also stops the dog shaking that ear again..and causing more damage. Leave it as late as you can before unwrapping ..and DON'T let the dog shake!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancinbcs Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 I've had a few old dogs treated for haemotomas by having an incision done in the ear (about 1cm) using just a local anaesthetic, then the ear has been taped around the roll from the centre of a bandage. This helps to keep pressure on the ear so it keeps draining from the incision for several days and then it heals from the inside out. Much cheaper and easier on the dog than needing to give them a general. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ari.g Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 Ari.g .... was the hematoma on the flap part of your dogs ears too ??? Im wondering if 1 day of taping will be long enough to give it a chance, but I will see what it looks like tomorrow. They have done Winston's differently. As I mentioned before, they have basically bandaged his one ear flat to his head. Hope this would give the same effect as it did for your dog. I have my fingers crossed, but ain't holding my breath lol. Yes, it was on the flap part. Taping her ears up stopped her ears from flapping around when she shook her head. I was lucky they went down, if they hadn't she would have had to have the surgery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4paws4me Posted September 29, 2011 Author Share Posted September 29, 2011 So, I had to unwrap the bandage on Winston's head late this arvo to see if there is any improvment at all. Certainly hasn't filled up as much as what it has any other time within 24 hours after draining!!! Strapping it seems to have helped. They used some strapping tape to tape ear flat to head, and then used a sticky bandage to wrap over the top of it. It took me half an hour to just try and get all the bandaging off by using cooking oil !!! So that he doesn't have a chance to flap his ear again,I decided to do my own wrapping here at home with a normal bandage, just until we arrive at the vet tonight at 7.00pm. Vet will check out the improvement, and we will go from there. To be honest, I would much prefer them to drain it again, and then wrap it up again and to leave it over the weekend (if this is possible) and then look at it again on Monday, to see if it has improved. However, I will need to make sure it isn't filling up over the weekend too. Gee ... Am i even making sense lol. ARGH ... will just wait and see what the vet says, but I will be mentioning what you guys have mentioned that has worked for your dogs. Will let you know how we go Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4paws4me Posted September 29, 2011 Author Share Posted September 29, 2011 Well, I decided after all to just get the surgery done. So he is booked in for surgery tomorrow. Thank you to everyone who told their stories and offered their advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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