My dog's ear is torn and bleeding. How can I relieve his pain safely?

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.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Jack Russel Terriers can get infections in the ear despite no trauma to the ear. It is usually caused by an overgrowth of natural bacteria or yeast flora. If he continues to scratch and shake his head it can lead to a condition called an aural hematoma that can need surgery to fix. I would recommend getting an E-collar for him tonight, and bringing him to your vet first thing in the morning. Disprin/Aspirin (Acetylsalicylic Acid) in high doses can be very toxic and is not recommended to give. In some dogs it can be safely used at 10mg/kg (so ~ 50mg for a Jack Russel Terrier). Best of luck with Mac.

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!

Poor Thor! Cropping a dog's ears can be very painful, and seeing a vet would be the best thing for him. Unfortunately, there are no safe human pain medications you can give him, as many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. I would find a vet to see him who can check to make sure his ears are healing correctly, and can prescribe some pain medication for him.

Poor Cooper! I'm sorry to hear that he has a swollen ear. As long as he is acting normal otherwise (eating and drinking fine, active, etc.) this would not normally be considered an emergency. But if you feel that he's very painful or uncomfortable, you could certainly opt to take him to an emergency clinic for quicker treatment. I would not recommend giving him aspirin, as this can cause severe stomach issues in some dogs. It will also severely limit your veterinarian's treatment options on Monday, as no other anti-inflammatory medications or steroids can be given until the aspirin is completely out of his system (usually 3-5 days). If he is scratching at the ear, you can place an e-collar (plastic cone) on his to keep him from damaging it further until you are able to see the vet.

Poor Viper! I don't recommend giving over the counter pain medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen or Tylenol as these can have serious side effects in animals. It will also limit the type of pain medication that your veterinarian can prescribe and may result in Viper not getting adequate pain control. Unfortunately there is nothing over the counter that can be given to dogs for pain control, so if he is acting very painful, I would recommend taking him to a vet tonight if you can. If you are unable to, I would recommend taking him as soon as you can tomorrow. Most bite wounds will get infected and they almost always need oral antibiotics. The veterinarian will also make sure the wound isn't worse than it looks. Bite wounds can appear small on the surface, but can penetrate deeper than what we see or tear the skin from underlying tissue so that a pocket is created under the skin. These pockets can fill up with blood or pus and need to be drained. Good luck and I hope that Viper is feeling better soon!

I am very sorry to hear that Lucki was in a fight and had an injury to her ear. If the ear is bleeding continuously or Lucki seems in a great deal of pain please take her to the veterinarian immediately. If the ear is swollen it could have internal injury to the cartilage of the ear pinna. This can result in a painful condition called aural Hematoma. This is a collection of blood between the skin on the ear and the underlying structures, which requires a veterinarian to surgically drain. Dog fight injuries often lead to infection due to traumatic introduction of bacteria under the skin. For this reason and the ones mentioned above I would have Lucki examined by a veterinarian. The vet will clean the wound, prescribe pain relief and antibiotics if necessary. As well as any further treatments needed. At home you can start with the following to help Lucki, Place a cone or e-collar on Lucki so she doesn’t scratch at her ear and possibly cause further damage Apply a cold compress for first 24 hours Switch to a warm compress after 24 hours