Sometimes your dog may have a small bulge or bump on the ear flap. Usually this is harmless and disappears by itself, such as with an insect bite. A thickening of the pinna can be due to many things, but when the pinna is suddenly clearly abnormally swollen, it could indicate a blood ear or othematoma. In some dogs, this bulge can be impressive. The cause of an othaematoma is not always clear, but often there is an ear infection at the base. There are two treatments, of which surgery is usually the most effective.
- What is an othaematoma or blood ear?
- Causes of a blood ear
- Symptoms of an othaematoma
- How is the diagnosis made?
- How is a blood ear or othaematoma treated?
- Possible Complications
- What are the outlook for a blood ear?
What is an othaematoma or blood ear?
The word othaematome is also written othematome and is derived from the Greek word haima (genetive haimatos) which means blood and oth- or otho- which means ear. An othaematoma is therefore the scientific indication for a bruise in the ear. Because of this, the term blood ear is often used although this thickening does not contain pure blood but rather a bloody to clear fluid. In a dog’s blood ear, the accumulation of fluid is between the layers of the pinna. The pinna of a dog consists of three layers, namely the inside and the outside which consist of skin and in between a thin layer of cartilage. Between the cartilage and both layers of skin there are many thin blood vessels that supply the ear with blood. In an othaematoma or blood ear, the bruise is between the cartilage and the skin of the pinna.
Causes of a blood ear
The cause of an othaematoma is sometimes clear, but not always. Often an othematoma develops because the dog shakes its ears too vigorously or scratches or scrapes its ears. Usually the dog does this when bored with a painful ear infection, irritation or dirt in the ears that it is trying to get out. As a result, a blood vessel can burst and leak inside the pinna, causing a bleeding ear. Sometimes the cause is less clear. For example, it may happen that the dog bumped into something and that at that moment a blood vessel broke. Such causes are difficult to trace afterwards.
Symptoms of an othaematoma
With a blood ear, we clearly see that the pinna or part of the pinna shows a thickening. When we lightly press on the swollen part it usually feels like there is a liquid substance in it. It can also feel warmer. The ear can be painful for the dog when touched by the tension on the skin and the pressure on the cartilage. Since there is often an underlying cause of the blood ear, it is important that the vet examines the entire ear for any inflammation or irritation.
How is the diagnosis made?
Usually the vet will make the diagnosis based on the appearance of the ear that he / she can see in the dog. Under normal circumstances, the dog is not sick with an othaematoma. The dog has no cuts and no fever.
How is a blood ear or othaematoma treated?
It is important to always go to the vet with a blood ear, even if he will not always intervene immediately but make an assessment first. Treatment will depend on a number of factors, namely the size of the hematoma, where it is located, how long it has been around and whether it has been treated before.
Initially, the ear should fill with blood. This can take about ten days. After about ten days, the bleeding in the ear will have stopped and treatment can be considered. Two treatments are possible.
Draining the bruise
Usually this method is done without anesthesia. The bruising is emptied with a needle and afterwards a depot preparation of an anti-inflammatory drug is injected into the cavity. Because the ear is pierced, this is often annoying for the dog and more difficult for the vet because the dog does not always sit still. This method is the cheapest but also has less chance of success.
The surgical procedure
This method is more costly but has the best chance of success. This treatment is done completely under anesthesia. The vet makes an elongated S-shaped cut on the inside of the pinna. Through the opening that then arises, the blood is removed and several single stitches are made that go through all layers of the pinna. In this way, the skin can re-grow to the cartilage and bleeding is prevented. Finally, the dog is given a collar so that it cannot reach its ear and it is further treated with painkillers. The stitches may be removed after 21 days.
Possible Complications
If you wait too long with a correct treatment for a blood ear, a cauliflower ear or shrimp ear can develop. In this case, the cartilage of the pinna becomes ossified due to the poor circulation of the ear. Nothing can be done about a shriveled ear. This can be very painful for the animal and cause external ear infections.
Occasionally, when the blood ear is drained, a secondary infection can develop which also causes an abscess. In this case, the surgery must be proceeded.
What are the outlook for a blood ear?
When the blood ear is sucked empty, we often see a recurrence, which means that treatment has to be done several times. The bruising returns and the procedure must be repeated. If the ear continues to fill up, surgery will often eventually be required.
The prognosis is good after surgery. In most dogs, the ears recover well. Every now and then we see a deformation in the ear.