Gun Dog Forum

Has anyone ever had issues with an ear hematoma? Noticed yesterday my 4 year old GSP has a gold ball sized lump in his ear, feels like it is full of fluid, located on the inner flap or the ear where it would connect to the head. I imagine the puppy nipped him, trying to get an appointment with the vet to get it drained

Sometimes when they are drained, they fill up again. It might take a day or two, or it might happen in a couple of hours. Don't be surprised if your vet recommends surgery, where it'll be sliced open, drained, and cleaned of any clots. Then sutures will be placed through all layers of the ear flap to help keep them flat and together.

Hematomas can sometimes be just left to drain on their own, but while there's the pressure of fluid, it's painful. Then when it heals, the ear can be permanently disfigured - cauliflower ear like you see on rugby players or ring fighters.

Much depends on the size, amount of fluid, what caused it, etc.

Bummer that it happened. Good luck with it.

Have had it happen twice. Treatment was as shags has described.

Just got back from vets a little bit ago. He had a ear infection in both ears, but one was worst that the other. They think it may have caused it, or contributed to it. They drained it and pumped it full of steroids, and have some ear drops and scheduled another visit it 2 weeks. Make sure you clean your dogs ears weekly! I couldn’t tell you the last time I did, but never noticed anything until yesterday

Ear infection causing excessive head shaking was the probable cause for one of the cases I had - been vigilant about the ears since then.

Unfortunately, it is vet time. Not something that can be taken care of at home.

Often caused by head shaking, so if the dog starts shaking his head get after it right away to find out what causes the head shaking and get it taken care of before the dog injures the ear.

Ear is healed up nicely! Ended up draining it 4 times in total, first two drains had quite a bit of fluid, the last two had very little/no fluid. But it has healed up nicely, make sure you clean your dogs ears!

Head shaking and dirty ears are almost always associated with allergies. Most likely external rather then food. Dogs ears are great indicators of their health.

In my area, head shaking is associated with cheat grass. Treating for cheat grass is the very first thing I do when my dog starts head shaking. I don't want to pay for that hematoma surgery if I don't have to.

Ear swelled up again last night, got it drained again this morning and starting to swell back up again. I’m not sure it could be food allergies, he has been on the same food 4 years now, with this being the first time it has came up. I haven’t noticed him shaking his head, and the ear infection has gone away according to the vet. Debating on just getting the surgery done so this is not a issue

I'm pretty sure if you ask your vet, he/she would tell you just draining doesn't work all that well as a cure. It just might maybe, but mostly it's a temporary fix. The fluid isn't coming from an allergy, it's coming from leaky blood vessels and tissue within the ear flap.

The surgery that I'm familiar with is that the vet will cut a little strip of skin from the underside of the ear, clean thing up in there, then put in a bunch of stitches right through both sides of the ear to hold them tight together. It heals up, the stitches come out, no more filling up.

If you google 'dog ear hematoma surgery' you can see how it's stitched.

Our vet was hopeful that once it was drained, it would stay down. I don’t think the vet realized how often my dogs at least shake their head ( often for no reason it seems.) We for quotes around $700 for the surgery, or the other option was to just leave the ear alone, and it will eventually re-absorb itself, it just may leave scar tissue. Right now he isn’t in any pain at least.