My dog has a swollen ear. Is it dangerous to wait for the vet?

This looks like an aural hematoma, a condition where the space between the skin and the ear cartilage fills with blood. It most commonly occurs secondary to an ear infection. While a veterinarian needs to be involved to treat the hematoma and the underlying cause, it is not necessarily an emergency and I think it would be okay for the dog to wait a couple days if necessary as long as he isn't too uncomfortable. If your neighbor is out of town for more than a couple days you should take the dog to a vet.

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.

It's hard to tell from the photo but if there is swelling in the ear flap it is likely a hematoma. This is a pocket of blood from a broken blood vessel inside the ear. Usually this is from shaking the head from an ear infection. While this is not an emergency it is very uncomfortable. I would recommend taking Kaiser to a vet soon to get him some relief. In the meantime, please do not give any medications over the counter until then. Good luck and kisses to Kaiser!

Unfortunately this may be a so-called othematoma, ie a severe bruise of the ear flap. This will need to be drained or possibly fixed surgically by your veterinarian. It is very important that your dog does not shake the ear and make the swelling worse. You can get an e-collar which sort of keeps the ear near the head and does not allow it to flop until you can take Ozzy to the vet.

Hi there. I can't say for sure without being able to examine him, but what you're describing sounds like an aural hematoma - this is basically a pocket of blood in the ear flap. It's usually caused by the dog shaking his head or scratching at the ear due to an underlying ear infection or other problem, which can cause a blood vessel in the ear flap to tear. If he does have an aural hematoma, this can either be surgically drained by your veterinarian, or managed with anti-inflammatory medication and time until it eventually resolves on its own. I would recommend taking Herbie to the vet when you're able to, to confirm the diagnosis and see what your veterinarian suggests as the best course of action.

I am sorry to hear about Dido. A photo of his ear may help us to better answer your question, to understand where the swelling of the ear is located. If it is swollen down inside he ear canal, this could be an ear infection. If the pinnae, or floppy part of the ear is swollen, this could be due to a hematoma https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951446 or pocket of blood the result of a ruptured blood vessel in the ear, due to trauma or scratching which can be secondary to an ear infection. I would recommend having your vet examine the ear to determine what treatment is needed.

If this presentation is due to a trauma and secondary localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria), a check up, appropriate disinfection and antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Yes I would recommend to have them prescribed by your vet. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any scratching. 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. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.