My dog's ear was bitten. What should I do for a deep ear wound?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Willow has a cut on her ear. It is possible that she caused it herself by scratching, but if you did not observe it happening, she could have traumatized it on something else, or been wounded by another animal. Based on your description of the wound, I recommend bringing her to your local veterinarian to have her evaluated. At the very least, the wound likely needs to be cleaned and flushed with a sterile solution to prevent infection. Depending on how deep or infected the wound is, it may require more extensive management such as surgical closure of the wound, or bandages. Willow likely also needs an Elizabethan (cone) collar to prevent her from further traumatizing the wound. Unfortunately, dogs like to scratch at their ears and can make it very hard for wounds to heal. If the wound is superficial and Willow is otherwise healthy, you may be able to apply compression to the wound to get it to stop bleeding, and monitor it closely at home for signs of infection (redness, swelling, yellow-green discharge, foul odor). If you see any of these signs, Willow should definitely be evaluated by a veterinarian. Just a reminder, NEVER give dogs any pain medications that are intended for humans, as they can be lethally toxic to dogs. I hope this is helpful!

It's probably best to leave it alone for now. Ears tend to bleed a lot when they get cut, but it eventually stops and they don't bleed enough to be dangerous - unless he happens to have a clotting disorder. The more you wipe at the ear or agitate it, the more it will bleed. Also, hydrogen peroxide and other strong antiseptics can cause more damage than good, so it's best not to apply this to the wound. You can try cleaning the wound in 12 hours or so after the bleeding has stopped and he hopefully calms down. The first thing you should do is flush the wound using a syringe or other dispensing device with warm water for five minutes. This may not be easy, because dogs tend to hate water getting near their face. I recommend having someone help you with holding Cruise to make sure the wound gets flushed well. Infection is the biggest concern with these wounds; so after flushing, it's best to apply an antibacterial cream to the wound. In order to keep the wound clean, it's best to flush the wound 1-2 times a day and gently wipe away any big crusts - make sure not to scrub the wound, because this can make it worse. Apply the antibacterial cream after each flushing. If the ear starts to swell or have pus oozing from the wound, then I'd recommend he goes to the vet for treatment. Otherwise, the wound should heal fine over the next 2-3 weeks. I hope that helps and Cruise gets better soon.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is likely a hotspot which is a very inflamed focal infection. Usually these occur secondary to allergies, among other possibilities. It is very important to treat these infections appropriately and the sooner they get treated the better for the patient. I recommend that you have Buster evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They are likely going to prescribe anti-inflammatory medications and antibiotics. In the meantime, you can use an e-collar (which you may obtain from your local pet store), to avoid further self trauma by him scratching at it. Good luck and have a good night!

It seems a small trauma, which is healing fine and at the moment (looking at the pic) I cannot see any sign of infection. Disinfection can be done at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any scratching (if any). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I think it would be best to have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Usually traumatic injuries like bite wounds can become worse with time if not treated appropriately. Also, sometimes the external wound is just the tip of the iceberg and there is more to it internally or locally. Dog bites can also result in infections and antibiotics are often recommended depending on how deep the wound is. Good luck!

Hi, have you promptly disinfected it ? If so, you could give it a bit of time and disinfect it on a daily basis and see if it does heal on its own. If you haven’t it is best to see the vet as dog’s teeth carry a lot of infection and Bubba might need some medications. Hope goes well, I also have a Basset ! She was bitten on her ear last year and it did heal without any antibiotics but I must admit it does not happen very often ! Hope all goes well !

Ear tears are pretty common. They often look worse than they are and can bleed, a lot! Clean it up really well and if she is scratching put a cone on her so she doesn't make it worse. You can likely treat this yourself if it's minor but if you think it needs stitching or she needs pain killers or get infected then Off to the vet.