# Ear Hematoma



## shepherdbydesign (Mar 7, 2007)

Our Famtom has suffered a Hematoma to his ear on Friday and was wondering if anyone had heard of treating this problem with steroids. Our vet said that this can be treated this way. Just a bit concerned about the steroids. Any advice would be greatly appreciated


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## GSDLVR76 (Aug 6, 2007)

When Skye had one our vet never mentioned anything about steroids and she had a pretty severe one. We took her in and they sedated her and put a chunte in her ear. We had to put her in the bathtub twice a day and massage her ear and drain the blood. She now has some pretty serious scar tissue in that ear. I would be interested and hearing why your vet would prescribe steroids for it??


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## shepherdbydesign (Mar 7, 2007)

She told me that they use to do surgery on the ear and have found that steroids help cure it. This is new to me so this is why I'm asking for everyone to comment on this


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## Brightelf (Sep 5, 2001)

Be sure Fantom has lots of water to drink, as the steroids can make him thirsty. Some dogs, not all, but a few get more aggressive/irritable on steroids. I might be careful of who Fantom is turned out with to play with for a few days. I bet the steroids help bring that swelling right down. Sending good thoughts for Fantom to be feeling much better soon, and for that ear to respond nicely to the steroids!


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

If you search the health section for "hematoma", you will come up with a past thread on which I'm listing the different treatment options for aural hematomas.

What you're describing sounds like your vet wants to aspirate (drain) the hematoma and then inject it with a steroid? This is done in some vet clinics. They use a large needle to drain the hematoma, usually under light sedation, and then inject the pocket with dexamethasone. 

I have read that this type of treatment is successful in only about 50% of cases, with the other 50% needing surgery. 

If the hematoma is large, I would probably opt for surgery. There is one type where they cut it open to train, then stitch it down so it cannot fill up again.


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## angelaw (Dec 14, 2001)

I've had 2 dogs, one just last week actually. Took her in on Saturday. My vet inserts a needle a drains the blood out. Then injects cortisone in the ear. All we did was muzzle and hold her head, no need to sedate most of the time. She was feeling better before we even got out of the office. Leave the ear alone, it will take a couple wks to completely heal, the ear is usually softer, but I haven't had one collapse (done it twice now). I think this is a more viable option to try instead of doing surgery and cutting the ear or surgery to insert a drain. My vet said that was old school ways of doing it. This way is a more modern way of doing it, easier to do and less trauma.


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## shepherdbydesign (Mar 7, 2007)

The Vet gave us 5mg of Prednisone 4 tablets a day until the Hematoma soften up and then 2 tablets a day for 10 days and then cut it to 1 tablet a day until the vile is gone. She didn't say anything about draining the ear or anything like that, but I do have to bring him back on Friday to have the ear looked at again and then I will ask more questions.


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## angelaw (Dec 14, 2001)

See I don't have any of that. The steroid Oxana had before and now Duchess is injected directly in the ear. Normally doesn't need to be seen again.


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## ripgretchen (Jul 29, 2008)

I had a shepherd that had hematoma's in both ears (at different times). Each time we went to a different vet. They drained the blood and then they put buttons in her ear. Actual buttons. I think there were like 18 buttons all together. It keeps the blood from pooling. My dog recovered well. No need for steroids. The only downfall was the crimping of her ears. Not a good solution for a show dog I guess but for us it worked fine.


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## angelaw (Dec 14, 2001)

That's what the steroid injection in the ear is to help prevent is the crimping. Oxana's is still normal 3 yrs later, just softer at the tip.


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## shepherdbydesign (Mar 7, 2007)

The vet didn't inject anything into his ear but instead gave him it in pill form. Do we have to worry about the ear not standing normally? We take him back on Friday.


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## shepherdbydesign (Mar 7, 2007)

Well last week we took Fantom back in for ear surgery, it has been a week so far and on monday we take him in to get his stiches out. They sewed a x-ray film on the outside of his ear and was told this is done to prevent his ear from shriveling up as it heals.

Do we have to worry about the ear standing after all this?


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## angelaw (Dec 14, 2001)

It's a good possibility it won't. I have to take Duchess in again Saturday to redrain hers. Her ear is now flopped. Oxana's didn't, but hers did. Sadly, Duchess's ear refilled with blood.

I've seen 4 or 5 dogs that have had hematoma's. One was a surgery, it was def. more soft afterwards. Would be up and down, but more in between.


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## shepherdbydesign (Mar 7, 2007)

Thanks Angela, My concern is whether or not the ear will stand or if taping it would help, of coarse we have to let the ear heal first.

Other advice would be appreciated


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## Brightelf (Sep 5, 2001)

Where is the stitching, Chuck? What about doing a soft roller as support, if needed afterwards-- you know, support the ear from within, once it's healed-- for maybe a few weeks? Just an idea. I hope more people with experience chime in on this! Bumping your post up for exposure...


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## Brightelf (Sep 5, 2001)

How do dogs get hematomas of the ear? Dogfight? Or shaking the head and the ear strikes a hard surface?


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## shepherdbydesign (Mar 7, 2007)

All I can figure is that he shook his head and hit his ear on the side of his run.
He is kind of enjoying the house time right now though. The vet want to put a roll of gauze inside his ear and then taping the outside right after the stiches come out, but I fear that it maybe a problem doing it so soon.


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

> Quote:How do dogs get hematomas of the ear? Dogfight? Or shaking the head and the ear strikes a hard surface?


A hematoma is basically a pocket that is filled with blood. It's caused when blood vessels are broken and the blood doesn't have any place to go but create a skin pocket for it to go into.

There are a lot of things that can cause a hematoma, basically anything that would be enough force to break a blood vessel in the ear: playing or fighting with another dog, shaking the head, that sort of thing.


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## Brightelf (Sep 5, 2001)

Handsome Fantom!







I'm not a vet, but Chuck that gauze roll as soon as the stitches come out just might be a good idea. The gauze roll would help support as the tissues firm up and heal. Just a thought. If he would still be in the house, you could keep an eye on him as he becomes adjusted to the gauze roll-- being sure he wouldn't paw at it etc.

Here's hoping everyone who's had a dog heal up following ear hematoma surg will weigh in with ideas for keeping that ear standing-- safely.


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## angelaw (Dec 14, 2001)

And ear infections. the only 2 hematoma's I've had to deal with on 2 dogs has coincided with a stupid ear infection.


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## shepherdbydesign (Mar 7, 2007)

Angela I'm sure that it was an ear infection that originally cause this problem. Being so busy with my wifes treatments for breast cancer probably caused me to over look his ear. That and having kennel help that didn't know that he had a problem in the first place. Well now she is gone and I have no choice but to watch all the dogs closely myself will hopefully stop this from happening again to others here in the kennel.

Patti, Fantom is in the house until he completely heals up and is enjoying that except for the cone on his head LOL.
I can only hope that the roll of gauze will help, our vet call yesterday asking how he was doing and telling me what she wanted to do after the stiches come out. It really looks funny with the x-ray film on the outside of his ear, We had a client come by and ask why the film was there and I joked with him and said that he was trying to revert back to a Lab LOL, then I told him that Fantom had a hematoma in his ear. and I got a grin out of him.

Also I almost forgot you asked where the stiches were, they are on the inside of his ear and was told that there was a lot of scar tissue they had to remove. Why I don't know.


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

If the ear remains floppy after all the stitches have been taken out, there are always ear implants. I don't know if they do them in this situation, but if you want the ear to stand and it doesn't, it's worth looking into.


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## shepherdbydesign (Mar 7, 2007)

I was told about this procedure from a friend of ours. And yes it would be worth it as Fantom is a gourgous boy for sure. I am wondering how expensive it is for that though.


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## Brightelf (Sep 5, 2001)

Sending good vibes that Mr. Handsome Fantom recovers and is as good as new in no time. Wish I had experienced info to help you with.. but I am sending good vibes that his ear heals strong and proud! Grimm's gigantic clodhopper paws are crossed for Fantom!


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Arwen is going through this now. 

Last summer when she was pregnant she not only got an ear infection, but she got a hematoma. I refused to use steroids as she was pregnant, and the ear fell and though it healed without surgery, that ear is folded over. 

Sunday night Arwen's other ear went down. I looked and sure enough a small hematoma was there. I through anamox in the ear, and gave her a cephalexin, and called the vet the next day. I had prednizone for Dubya and knew we had used this in the past successfully with her. (She has had a lot of ear infections and has had the scope to clean out the inner ear. That worked for quite a while too. Changing foods helped a lot as well. changes to the new food formula has not been appreciated.)

They told me how much. I have been giving her 1 20mg twice a day for three days, then 1 once a day for 3 days, then 1/2 for three days, then 1/2 every other day. This is the third day. Yesterday the ear stood again. Today it is still standing. 

I am continuing with the steroids. I have her set up for saturday for them to scope it, clean the canal, and pack antibiotics in there. I HAVE to be aggressive with ear infections. They blow up fast. Over the weekend, I can have her inside the whole time.


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