Ear Hematoma
Question:
Our 7 year old golden has developed a hematoma in his lower part of his ear flap. Our vet examined him and found no inner ear infection. It now appears that the hematoma will have to be surgically removed. What is the customary proceedure for this? Thanks.
Response:
> Our 7 year old golden has developed a hematoma in his lower part of his > ear flap. Our vet examined him and found no inner ear infection. It now > appears that the hematoma will have to be surgically removed. What is the > customary proceedure for this? Thanks.
We just went through hell with this on our 8 year old golden. The vet operated three or four times, but the hematoma kept coming back. Finally, the vet kept him sedated at the hospital for (I think) about six weeks. He’s fine now, even though we cringe every time he shakes his head. If your vet wants to talk to an expert, have him/her call Dr. Wilson at 817.281.3449. A lesser vet would have lopped off half of the dog’s ear, I think. Jim and Barbara Dallas
Response:
I have been through the hematoma wars with my Airedale Terrier, Reuben. He had the hematoma opened three times in order to clean and drain it and it eventually healed after about a month. Repeat surgeries, as I understand it, are the exception rather than the rule. Various techniques exist for the surgery and can be quite involved with dozens of stitches in the ear, can include the insertion of drains for a period of time or can be quite minimal. You will want to discuss your own vet’s preferred technique and its applicability to your own dog. According to my former vet, who was unfortunately unavailable to us as we now live in a different state, some opinions exist that believe that hematomas are an indicator of compromises to the immune system. She also is of the opinion that many hematomas can simply be drained by needle rather than opening the pinna (ear flap) and treated with aggressive meds. Also, as I understand it, there is a certain danger that a hematoma will burst on its own and that creates quite a mess to heal that makes things much worse than going ahead and draining it by some means early on. Good luck to you and your dog. Gail Brookhart
: > : > Our 7 year old golden has developed a hematoma in his lower part of his : > ear flap. Our vet examined him and found no inner ear infection. It now : > appears that the hematoma will have to be surgically removed. What is the : > customary proceedure for this? Thanks. : We just went through hell with this on our 8 year old golden. The vet : operated three or four times, but the hematoma kept coming back. : Finally, the vet kept him sedated at the hospital for (I think) about : six weeks. He’s fine now, even though we cringe every time he shakes : his head. : If your vet wants to talk to an expert, have him/her call Dr. Wilson at : 817.281.3449. A lesser vet would have lopped off half of the dog’s ear, : I think. : Jim and Barbara : Dallas — = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = This post is Copyright 1997 by Gail E. Brookhart. It may not be reproduced without prior written permission from the author. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > I have been through the hematoma wars with my Airedale Terrier, Reuben. > He had the hematoma opened three times in order to clean and drain it and > it eventually healed after about a month. Repeat surgeries, as I > understand it, are the exception rather than the rule. > Various techniques exist for the surgery and can be quite involved with > dozens of stitches in the ear, can include the insertion of drains for a > period of time or can be quite minimal. You will want to discuss your > own vet’s preferred technique and its applicability to your own dog. > According to my former vet, who was unfortunately unavailable to us as we > now live in a different state, some opinions exist that believe that > hematomas are an indicator of compromises to the immune system. She also > is of the opinion that many hematomas can simply be drained by needle > rather than opening the pinna (ear flap) and treated with aggressive meds. > Also, as I understand it, there is a certain danger that a hematoma will > burst on its own and that creates quite a mess to heal that makes things > much worse than going ahead and draining it by some means early on. > Good luck to you and your dog. > Gail Brookhart > : > > : > Our 7 year old golden has developed a hematoma in his lower part of his > : > ear flap. Our vet examined him and found no inner ear infection. It now > : > appears that the hematoma will have to be surgically removed. What is the > : > customary proceedure for this? Thanks. > : We just went through hell with this on our 8 year old golden. The vet > : operated three or four times, but the hematoma kept coming back. > : Finally, the vet kept him sedated at the hospital for (I think) about > : six weeks. He’s fine now, even though we cringe every time he shakes > : his head. > : If your vet wants to talk to an expert, have him/her call Dr. Wilson at > : 817.281.3449. A lesser vet would have lopped off half of the dog’s ear, > : I think. > : Jim and Barbara > : Dallas > — > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = > This post is Copyright 1997 by Gail E. Brookhart. It may not be > reproduced without prior written permission from the author. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
I had haematoma in a cat, which was operated on, and healed very well. I also had it in a shih tzu and she was drained with a syringe and it never recurred. You were very unlucky. I lost the shih tzu with autoimmune haemolytic anaemia and the cat with cancer though, so your vet may have been right about autoimmune problems. Helen
Response:
> > Our 7 year old golden has developed a hematoma in his lower part of his > ear flap. Our vet examined him and found no inner ear infection. It now > appears that the hematoma will have to be surgically removed. What is the > customary proceedure for this? Thanks.
Hi I have beagles & recently had my 11 yr old with a haematoma. My vet operated & sewed buttons onto her ears. They had to stay there for 3 weeks. She also had a drain hole. I am told that Xray film is also used. It was a relatively painless procedure for her & the buttons on her ears didn’t seem to worry her. Now her ear is back to normal. The reason for the buttons is it stops the cavity from filling up with blood again. If it is just drained, apparently it can refill again. I have pictures on my homepage, if you are interested in seeing them. Cheers Julie — http://www.ozemail.com.au/~bobcam/gjs.html
Response:
My dachshund and my friend’s dachshund both had ear hematomas. We went to different vets to get them surgically removed, (under sedation) and both girls have been fine. No regrowths.
Response:
When my mixed breed had an ear job done the procedeure involved draining and stiching the ear to a piece of material similar to the plastic a gallon milk jug is made from. Looked like hell until the hair came back.
Response:
> When my mixed breed had an ear job done the procedeure involved draining and > stiching the ear to a piece of material similar to the plastic a gallon milk > jug is made from. > Looked like hell until the hair came back.
What did the ear feel like after the procedure. My dogs ear feels all lumpy… terrible scar tissue. I almost think the procedure was botched. Even tho my vet said he was pleased. C
Response:
My rabbit had a hematoma removed from his ear and you can barely see a tiny scar from it. His ear is fine and flat. Good luck. JP
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> When my mixed breed had an ear job done the procedeure involved draining > and > stiching the ear to a piece of material similar to the plastic a gallon > milk > jug is made from. > Looked like hell until the hair came back. > What did the ear feel like after the procedure. My dogs ear feels all > lumpy… terrible scar tissue. I almost think the procedure was botched. > Even tho my vet said he was pleased. > C
Response:
Our dog Kaine had this happen three years ago on his left ear. The vet we use was on vacation and his ’sub’ did the surgery. It was not the best surgery in the world. He tried to take a short cut and be quick about it. Then they put a bandage over his whole head and ears to hold them both down. Unfortunately he has a very narrow windpipe and it appears very sensitive and he was choking to death! We mentioned it to the vet before we left and he said ‘oh, he’s just not use to it yet’. By the time we got him in the car he couldn’t breath at all. Hubby picked him up as if he weighed two pounds instead of 68 and rushed him right back in. Vet says ‘be with you in a minute’ and hubby says NOW. Had to cut the whole thing off really fast. I told the vet to not worry about a bandage that I’d figure out a way to cover it at home. That night his ear filled up again and was dripping blood. Ended up taking him to the Emergency Vets at one in the morning and they had to go and re do the whole thing. She said the first vet should have done this and that and so on. She did a wonderful job of draining and stitching the ear flaps together so no more blood would pocket there. Also told us to massage the ear to make sure the drainage continued until healed. After that we also used vit. E on the scar tissue and gentle massage. There is still a ridge there but it isn’t visible. THEN last Christmas he had the same problem with his other ear. By then we had moved to RI and a new vet. She was really wonderful. I called and told her what was happening and that I knew what needed to be done and that it COULDN’T wait for the next day or next week. Took him in and it was like night and day as far as the vets went. She did a great job and he has healed very well. Lots more stitches but the ear looks great. Oh, the first vet? he told us it happened because Kaine had ear infections all the time. HA! he’s never had an ear infection!! The new vet here says it’s just because they shake their heads or roll on the ground and the little vessels rupture when bent. Not to worry because it’s very normal. His ears now both have this really cute look to them. He’s our pooch and no matter how many scars he has or gets he’ll be our baby.
Response:
> It just seemed like such an extravagant procedure.
There’s a whole lot of blood supply in there, yet not a lot of tissue. The trouble is taken so that scarring is kept to a minimum and no cauliflower ears result. Scarring doesn’t hurt, per se….. just ruins the look of the ear. I’ve seen ‘em hard, twisted, and contorted in all sorts of directions. If they say it looks good, maybe just be patient and all will be well. — Toni http://www.irish-wolfhounds.com
Response:
I believe it was a small incision with a single stitch…GG – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I’ve had three dogs with hematoma’s in the last thirty years and all > healed up > just fine…GG > Do you remember what the procedure(s) was? > C
Response:
My dog had this done several months ago. The area of the incision has healed up nicely but there is a permanent ridge on the inside of her ear. The ear in question now flops downward midway but I find it cute.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I believe it was a small incision with a single stitch…GG > > I’ve had three dogs with hematoma’s in the last thirty years and all > healed up > > just fine…GG > Do you remember what the procedure(s) was? > C
Response:
> And I see deformed ears everyday from inattention to, or botched treatment > of said ear hematomas. > No clear cut answers….. if you are unhappy with the way the dog is > healing, ask the vet that did the procedure.
It just seems like there is excessive scar tissue. But, the vet (just last night) said that he was pleased with how it looked. He removed the stitches and said that now that those were removed the ear layers would go even more back together. It just seemed like such an extravagant procedure. C
Response:
> It just seems like there is excessive scar tissue. But, the vet (just last > night) said that he was pleased with how it looked. He removed the stitches > and said that now that those were removed the ear layers would go even more > back together. > It just seemed like such an extravagant proceduure
2 things: scar tissue can go down over time. When you spay a dog, for instance, the incision will oven be very hard and prominent after it heals up, and over time the scar tissue will break down. Ask your vet if you can do scar tissue massage to help break the tissue down. Second, some dogs get hematomas very often, or when they get them they are very huge. The surgical procedure is usually chosen in this case (instead of just draining and injecting a steroid) because it prevents a recurrance better than the draining method. natalie — The turtle lives twixt plated decks Which practically conceal its sex. I think it clever of the turtle In such a fix to be so fertile. —Ogden Nash
Response:
> I’ve had three dogs with hematoma’s in the last thirty years and all healed up > just fine…GG
Do you remember what the procedure(s) was? C
Response:
> I’ve had three dogs with hematoma’s in the last thirty years and all healed up > just fine…GG
And I see deformed ears everyday from inattention to, or botched treatment of said ear hematomas. No clear cut answers….. if you are unhappy with the way the dog is healing, ask the vet that did the procedure. — Toni http://www.irish-wolfhounds.com
Response:
I’ve had three dogs with hematoma’s in the last thirty years and all healed up just fine…GG – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Has any been thru the experience of an ear hematoma in their dog? It’s been > one month since my golden had surgury on the ear. There is still > considerable scar tissue. And what I’m wondering is… will the ear ever > return to it’s normal size? > C
Response:
Has any been thru the experience of an ear hematoma in their dog? It’s been one month since my golden had surgury on the ear. There is still considerable scar tissue. And what I’m wondering is… will the ear ever return to it’s normal size? C
Response:
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