Bula's Lady Posted November 11, 2007 Report Share Posted November 11, 2007 Kramer has been scratching his ear a lot lately, so I have been checking it to make sure he hasn't any bites or mites or something visable. Today I was petting him on his ear and found this huge pocket, maybe has fluid? it is kinda hard but not lump hard, his ear was a bit warm, there are no marks on it, and it is only on the underside and not the topside where the fur is. It doesn't seem to hurt him, just itch. I will call the vet in the morning to have him looked at, just wondering if this sounded familiar to anyone here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted November 11, 2007 Report Share Posted November 11, 2007 Sounds like a hematoma, or a place where blood has pooled under the skin. I think it's usually caused by a blow of some sort and, rather than being a bruise (or blood within the tissues), the blood pools between layers (like the skin and cartilage). Maybe one of the vets, vet techs, or vet students can explain this correctly. Best wishes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1sheepdoggal Posted November 11, 2007 Report Share Posted November 11, 2007 Sounds like a hematoma. If it is, it is full of blood. I run cool water over those that i see in my shop, and if they dont go away, they at least tend to stop them filling with more. But ya have to get the dog to not scratch it or shake the head. Im not sure that it causes any discomfort, as ones that I have seen dont seem to be in any pain over it, more like just bothered by a different sensation. Hope all goes well for the poor kid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted November 11, 2007 Report Share Posted November 11, 2007 Hematoma, and if it's not a small one they do need to be drained. Get up early and be prepared to leave your dog for the day so they can sedate him, drain it and sew it together. Try to stop him from scratching or shaking his head, that will make it worse. Does he have allergies? Definitely find out why his ear is itchy and fix that or he might do this again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaporflowers Posted November 11, 2007 Report Share Posted November 11, 2007 Agree with the guess of hematoma. Definitely take him in ASAP. If you catch it early, it might resolve with steroidal treatment. Vets usually prefer to go that route rather than surgery first if it is a small hematoma. A hematoma is a separation of the ear flap from cartilage that fills with blood. Surgery doesn't just involve draining it, it actually involves removing clots as well and scraping at the cartilage, and then lots of sutures to tack the ear to the cartilage again. Recovery is somewhat uncomfortable because the dog's ear is bandaged to the head to prevent the ear from flapping around when the dog shakes. Half the sutures are removed at the first suture removal, and then the rest are removed the second time. It's not a picnic but definitely worth getting done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bula's Lady Posted November 11, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2007 That describes it, a seperation of the layers of the skin. Him and Bula rough house a lot so maybe she bit and bruised it. My friend just reminded me its Vetrans day holiday tomorrow! I was going to put marks on it to see if it was getting bigger. Thanks for the info! I'll get him in as soon as possible! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaggieDog Posted November 11, 2007 Report Share Posted November 11, 2007 If you've got a spare E-collar, put it on now to reduce any further trauma. My parents' cat got a hematoma from scratching his ears (they were infected), so i'd be willing to bet that's what has happened with your guy. My parents' cat had to have surgery and his ear was pretty stiff and oddly shaped after it - they actually sutured it to his head for a week rather than wrapping it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted November 12, 2007 Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 And do get it treated--left untreated it can end up causing what I call "cauliflower ear," with the ear crumpled and hard from the scarring. I know this because I adopted a dog who used to have beautiful pricked ears that were injured, causing hematomas to form, which were then left untreated and ever since his ears have been crumpled up cauliflower ears.... J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthBelle Posted November 13, 2007 Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 My Ruth dove into a snowbank while chasing a bouncing ball and wound up with a large, nasty hematoma on one of her ears. Don't know what she ran into (a chunk of ice perhaps?), but her entire ear looked like an overstuffed pillow the next day. The vet said if I didn't have it drained her ear could possibly do the cauliflower thing. I opted for the draining. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bula's Lady Posted November 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2007 So $220 and 5 stiches later.... He has to go back in two weeks to get the stitches out. His ear looks all funny shaved, and its a little limper than it was. We shall see. I was amazed when I weighed him on the scale and he is 50lbs! Thanks for all the help and thoughts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bexie Posted November 15, 2007 Report Share Posted November 15, 2007 Did the vet find any cause for his itching or was it the hematoma itself? How's he coping with the stitches and all? Poor guy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bula's Lady Posted November 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2007 They are just itchy now anyways, since we started the woods stove, need to get some moisture in the air. I don't think he knows he has them. The night he came home he did wake me up to go outside, which he rarely does...I went back to bed and told my DH, you know that seen in Leauge of there own? With Tom Hanks peeing for a couple of minutes, that was Kramer...never seen a dog pee so much at once, must have been from being under. They did give me a cone head for him but I can bear to put it on him. If him and Bula start playing too hard I put them in their crates with treats and they chill out. I don't know if we will make it two weeks though.... I hope he doesn't get another one! I think his ear might flop a little different now.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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