My dog has matted ears. How can I prevent painful ear hematomas?

I'm so sorry that you're dealing with this with Milo. Aural hematomas can be a challenge to manage. I have frequently bandaged ears after draining to prevent them from refilling, but the only way to do this is to bandage the entire head. Some animals tolerate this and some do not. Another trick that I have tried over the years is a Chinese herbal combination to prevent bleeding called Yunnan Bai Yao. Your veterinarian may carry it. So, I would ask your veterinarian about draining the ear again, bandaging it to the head for compression, and maybe adding Yunnan Bai Yao. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

If you wrap it too tightly, that can cut off the blood supply to the ear and make things worse, which is why I said no. I've seen owners wrap things and cause serious problems, worse than the original problem. It also doesn't help the hematoma. The ear will still end up misshapen and if the bandage slips, the dog may strangle.

This is actually filled with blood. This is a hematoma between the skin layers in the ear flap. They develop when dogs scratch or shake their heads excessively, usually from an ear infection or some type of allergy. Generally this requires a veterinary exam and surgical drainage. They will also check Dozer's ears to see if they are infected or try to find the cause of the hematoma. He will need to wear a cone probably until the ear heals. Without treatment the ear swelling will go down but it may take a month or more and the ear will scar up and become deformed. This can be uncomfortable and there is a risk of infection so I recommend veterinary treatment soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Dozer.

This looks like an aural hematoma which is where blood from a capillary bursts and fills up the est between the two layers are cartilage. You can purchase a "no flap ear wrap" online to help with the flapping of the ears. Most commonly this problem needs a procedure done by a vet to allow the blood to drain while the two layers of cartilage re-adhere to one another. Also there is likely an ear infection that caused the shaking of the head to begin with that will likely need to be treated. If the blood is not drained the ear flap will eventually scar down and become a "cauliflower" ear which won't cause too many problems except that it isn't very cosmetic and sometimes they can be more prone to skin infections in the crevices of the cauliflower ear so this isn't recommended. I hope this helps.

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 be cautious about heat or massage in the initial 2-3weeks as they are likely to encourage the pocket to refill and may encourage recurrence. Once resolved, it may help reduce scarring but the scarring itself although unsightly is generally not painful and helps prevent recurrence

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This is ear hematoma, most likely self-inflicted by Moose by excessive scratching or rubbing the ear. There are no remedies that you can use at home to help, I am afraid. Moose should be seen by your local vets again to drain the ear and ideally, place some stitches on the ear to avoid recurrence.