My dog's ear is bent after a healed hematoma. Is it okay like this?

Typically, when the dogs ear flap wrinklelike that they previously had a hematoma on that ear. If the ear flap was filled up with liquid previously this can happen. I would check to make sure Bella does not have an ear infection otherwise there’s nothing you can do to fix it and it won’t cause any issues. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There are a variety of ways to treat an ear hematoma in dogs (oral medications, draining it and instilling a medication, or a surgical "tacking", as well as determining what the underlying cause for the hematoma is). They do need to be treated by a veterinarian, as they do not typically resolve on their own, and can become very painful/infected. After treatment, the ear may be the same, or it may have a "crinkled" appearance. I would recommend your dog be evaluated by a veterinarian to determine what treatment plan would be best. Good luck!

They will likely not stand up again as the ear hematomas usually heal with a degree of crippling of the ears. Even tho she had surgery, there may not be enough strength or ability there to keep the ears upright. At the end of the day it is a matter of cosmetics, ie we humans think it is pretty when they are upright, but the dog could care less and it may be more humane to just leave the ears alone now.

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'm sorry Jonah is having this issue. Unfortunately, the ear flap (pinna) often loses it's normal shape after ear hematoma surgery which I am guessing you are referring to?? Sometimes it will flatten back out some once the sutures are removed. I strongly recommend you continue the laser therapy. I have seen wonders done with the laser in regards to healing these hematomas. There is no way for me to tell you whether or not the ear will regain it's shape. I wish I could tell you but only time will tell. I know it's disappointing but in reality, it is the nature of the disease. It is no one's fault and just the way his body responded. There are no guarantees when it comes to any medicine/surgery in animals or people. I hope this helps and the Jonah's ear goes back to normal. I will keep my fingers crossed.

I'm so sorry that Julia has this problem (and she is adorable BTW). Aural hematomas typically never resolve completely on their own. If left untreated (i.e. undrained) eventually the blood that's trapped between the skin and the cartilage of the ear will be reabsorbed, assuming the ear infection (which is causing the head shaking and thus the hematoma) is properly treated. However, typically this leaves a scarred ear, something called a cauliflower ear, and this can be avoided with proper treatment. First, make sure that the medication that has been prescribed is going to appropriately treat the ear infection. That means a vet needs to do a cytology (microscopic evaluation) of the debris inside the ear. Most ear infections are fungal in nature, and need antifungal treatments to completely resolve. Then talk to the vet about draining the blood inside the ear. This may resolve the problem completely, but be prepared that Julia may need surgery to reattach the cartilage to the skin and resolve the hematoma for good.

The outer ear of the dog (the pinna) is made of cartilage, and that is what helps Rolo's ears stand up. It sounds like she experienced some damage to her ears if she had a aural hematoma in them (what you referred to as blood clots), and there is the possibility that the cartilage was damaged enough that her ears will remain floppy. Over time, however, they may heal and her ears could return to standing up. Unfortunately I can't say for certain one way or another, only time will tell. Best of luck.