My old cat's ear hematoma keeps returning. No surgery options?

I'm sorry to hear that Baby Kitty's ear has been such a problem for her! Surgery is generally the treatment of choice for aural hematomas, but these issues can also develop scar tissue over a period of at least 6-8 weeks. If Baby Kitty has an ongoing ear infection, this could also exacerbate any head shaking, preventing scar tissue from forming appropriately. No surgery ever offers a definitive guarantee, but it seems that surgically addressing the hematoma would be less invasive, less painful and likely less expensive than removing the entire pinna (ear flap). The only pinna amputations that I have seen have been due to cancerous masses on the ear because the surgery can be very painful and cause a significant amount of bleeding. Consider discussing this with your vet and have her ears checked to assure that an infection is not present and causing irritation. I'm glad to see that she has an e-collar on - keep it up! Avoid using the transdermal medication on her right ear for the time being and be sure to clean her left ear prior to each application. I hope that all goes well!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Aural hematomas are very frustrating because they often re-fill. I find the best way is to get a tube (like a toilet paper roll or a similar shaped roll that is smaller in size, depending on the size of your dog), and wrapping that in a layer of soft padding. Then place the roll on the inside of the ear, and then you have to wrap the ear around this, and then you often have to wrap this to the head and get an E-collar to prevent scratching the bandage off. You have to use proper bandage material to allow proper air-flow, as well as making sure the wrapping isn't too tight (the blood flow can be cut off and the ear can die and fall off) or too loose (the bandage just falls off). I recommend having this bandage applied by your local clinic. It is a bit of a challange, and even the best ear bandages often fall off and need to be replaced. Best of luck with the ear!

These can be so frustrating for pet parents and veterinarians alike. Eventually it will resolve and scar down on its own leaving the ear looking more crumpled than the other one. The only problem with this is that sometimes this can take weeks and the ear is sometimes uncomfortable. If you monitor just make sure the ear is not bothering her and you can talk to your family vet about having some pain meds on hand to use as needed. Did your family vet try placing an indwelling drain that can be drained at home until it scars down? A veterinary dermatologist is likely to be able to provide the best technique for this as they deal with these a lot. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I would recommend to treat it medically with a long course of prednisolone, i personally have excellent results with this protocol. it is also very important to treat the ear infection that is making your dog scratch and shake his head, without treating it it will keep coming back.

It's possible that it will go away on its own in the next 2-4 weeks, but there will be some scar tissue that builds-up under the skin - maybe like the other ear appears. It's also possible that it will grow to fill the whole ear, or get infected. If it grows and/or is not going down in the next 2-4 weeks, then it's best to take Opal back to the vet. The vet will be able to drain it and can do a different procedure to keep it from swelling back up again (these often swell back up after they are drained). The steroid injections only work in about 70% of the cases and unfortunately it didn't work for Opal. There is really not much you can do for this at home that is very effective. You can try applying ice to the ear for 15 minutes 2-3 times daily and can also attempt to bandage it, so it's not continually being shaken. Below is a link to a good video that shows how to bandage the ear. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FQ0JopKfY0 I hope that helps and Opal gets better soon.

I would not keep Milo's ears wrapped in gauze. That's not good for him, and all it will do is irritate him. Dogs develop hematomas typically from trauma to their ears, such as scratching it a lot or shaking their heads a lot. Dogs do this when they have ear infections or matted ears. To help keep Milo's ears clean, I recommend getting Epi-otic OTC from your vet's office to clean them on a regular basis. Make sure you have him groomed regularly as well to keep them from getting matted.

Poor Cinders! Ear hematomas will eventually resolve on their own without treatment, so watching and waiting is an option - the downside is that this can take quite a while in some cases, and the swelling may continue to be sore and uncomfortable for her in the meantime. It's also important to realize that in many cases, an ear hematoma is the result of an ear infection or other underlying problem which may need to be treated to allow the hematoma to heal. For this reason, it would be best to have her seen by a vet when you are able to. He/she can discuss pros and cons of surgery to drain the swelling vs. watchful waiting and help you decide what would be best.