My dog's ear is split from a cat scratch. Does it need stitches?

You can clean it the first time with peroxide, then just keep it clean with a mild soap and water. If it is small, it should close on its own. If the ear was split or if the cut is larger than about 1cm then it may need stitches.

Hello. I am so sorry for your worries with Margaret. If she seems comfortable, & is no longer digging at her ear, then you can just watch this for the next couple of days. The cause could be anything from self-trauma due to an intense itch in her ear, trauma from shaking her head & possibly hitting the ear flap on something solid, or rough play with another pet, if there is one in the home. At this point, I would just leave it alone to see if it becomes worse, or just fades on its own. You do not want to treat or put anything on the ear as this might just cause her to pay more attention to the skin. See how this is in a few days, & if it still concerns you, the best thing is to have your veterinarian look at the ear & deep into the canal to rule out any underlying causes. Best to you & Margaret & thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Many cats get their ears sliced during a fight and the ear usually heals by itself. Just watch for swelling, and oozing of pus (infection). If that occurs you will need to take your kitty to a vet. Do not remove the crust or put ointment on it. It should be ok.

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!

I hate to hear the pups got in a fight! Yes, I suspect Dega does need stitches. The photo makes it look like the laceration is pretty long and looks to be full thickness. The problem with ears is that they tend to bleed a lot. I think taking him into the emergency vet is a good idea to get the ear addressed. They may not sedate him and suture it tonight though. Sometimes they will place a bandage, start antibiotics and anti-inflammatories and then address it in the morning. The bandage will at least prevent further damage and help stifle bleeding. I hope this helps with your boy!

I would apply gentle pressure to the bump to stop the bleeding. Do not wipe the blood away from the bump as that disrupts the clotting process. Continue to apply pressure until the bleeding stops. I hope this helps.

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.