Linda (Pitt Meadows, BC Canada) on 08/14/2008
5 out of 5 stars

My lab cross had 2 aural haematomas the first one occured in April 2008. It was quite large the size of a fat sausage and we were concerned but the more research I did on the internet the more I discovered that the haematomas bother the owner more than the pet and if there is no obvious discomfort just leave it. Early May my dog got a second haematoma closer to her ear canal. I became worried and did more research and tried leeches...yes leeches ordered 8 of them from Niagra Ontario. It wasn't as bad as I had imagined but really wasn't the right treatment as although it caused no harm to my dog it would not and could not resolve the problem as the balloons of blood were not isolated but part of her regular flowing system so as you removed the blood more filled it's place and the leeches really only remove about a tsp each. It is now mid August 2008 and I am happy to report that my dogs ear looks as good as the day before she had the problem. There has been no cauliflowering or mishealing and she is happy not to have had surgery and face further complications that stictches etc. can provide. If she had another one I would leave it to heal again I think sometimes its best not to try and treat everything. Too quickly someone wants to take your money for an unnecessarry procedure. My dogs ear was very swollen and without any surgery is perfectly fine today. That was my experience.

Replied By Lynda (Mar Del Plata, Arrgentina) on 01/16/2009

i am so relieved to have read leeches and your kind visitors comments.......she let nature take its course.....im gong through the same problem with max my beautiful belgian shepherd even though he is being medicated at the moment the vet is pressing me to have him operated on as soon as possible and now from reading this article im going to wait.......here in argentina vet procedures arevery expensive and local vets are anxious to inflate their pockets!!!!!!!!!!!!.....again thanks for being on internet.........lynda

Replied By Ruth Foster (Wetwang, England) on 05/18/2009

I was very encouraged to see the info about the haematoma and wondered how Lynda's Beligum sheppard's ear is a my dog has the same problewm and the same types of ears as a belgium sheppard. My other dog had the same, he had surgery which I would like to avoid if possible as it was very distressing for him.

Replied By Christina (Grass Valley, Ca, Usa) on 07/28/2012

My dog had this a few years ago and the vet took care of it, but couldn't find a cause, no ear infection or mites or anything. The only time I had noticed her shaking her head was when she was shaking her floppy toys so I sadly took away her favorite toys and left her with the more compact variety and she has not had a recurrence.

Replied By Bpaisley (Chicago, Il, Usa) on 12/12/2012

I recently noticed a hematoma developing on my chocolate lab pup (10yrs old) and monitored it. I have been giving her Belladonna (30c) to no avail. Today I started with an oil blend of cypress and lemon which seems to help. I also switched her remedy to phosphorus 30c - waiting on the outcome. The ideal oil is Helichrysum, however I do not have this yet. I ordered four medical leeches and will try this approach when they arrive. It is uncomfortable to the touch so I am quite careful when applying the oils. I also started her on vitamin C in her breakfast. If the leeches are unsuccessful, I will put her on a Chinese herbal formula. I will let you know how it goes. Fingers crossed! I have ruled out surgery as I do not see this as a necessary means to the end.

Replied By Cam (Crewe, UK) on 12/30/2012

Your dog is in discomfort and you are waiting for enough leeches each removing a teaspoon? I'm not sure you have considered your dog's well being.

Replied By Sun (Australia) on 02/03/2014

Hi, I'm writing today because my dog was suffering a second haematoma on the opposite ear last week, the first ear cost us over $1000 in surgery. At the time of the initial surgery the vet was quite blaze about it, it made me blaze this time around and before doing anything thought I would look up online about it. This was one of the sites I came to. I did ring the vet last Friday, two or three days after the haematoma appeared. I had her scheduled for surgery yesterday morning, being Monday. I am a psychic and Friday night spirit was badgering me and telling me I would have to take her to the vet on the Saturday morn. I accepted that even tho we live in the country and there is a lot of travel involved, 3 hours of driving alone. I rang the vet and said I was concerned, she assured me she would be fine for her surgery on Monday, she was in no pain, a little discomfort, that was all. I still felt so unsure and asked if I could send some photo's which I did, they came back to say a second time, no she be fine till her scheduled surgery on Monday morning. Spirit woke me at 3.30 am Monday morn badgering me to go and have a cigarette, they hate me smoking and I had to get up early to take the dog. I got up anyway, had my smoke, saw our dogs feet sticking out from the underneath of our bar area, one of her favourite spots. They said call her, I did, nothing, she didn't get up. That's weird, I'm thinking, call again, same. I got up and went over to her started calling her name and shaking her, nothing..... I then stopped still for a minute to see breathing, no breathing, she was dead. We were then faced with burying our dog at 3.30 in the morn and it's safe to say the vet has copped it as well as myself for not listening to spirit in preference to a university degree.

Now, this is what no-one discusses here. If as a human you had that much blood near your brain, you would be hospitilised for fear of an aneurism or stroke, true. I feel my dog died of an aneurism, it could have been a large amount of blood in her ear or a tiny little clot but it found it's way to her brain and killed her. She died in her sleep, we had no idea anything was happening out of the ordinary for those last hours of her life.

Don't listen to everyone on here, don't even listen to vets that say it is not a serious medical condition, my dog was 6 years old, too young to die.

Listen to self and your animal, rely on your intuitive feelings. How can anyone say that would not be hurting, it's just stupid, if our ear was blown up like that full of blood, it would fricking hurt, it's just a load of bs.

Take a tip from someone who knows, get off forums on the internet telling you this and that and take your animal to the vet.

Sun

Replied By Theresa

(Mpls., Mn) on 02/04/2014

Theresa

The wonderful Theresa from Minneapolis, MN has been helping pet owners and their beloved pets around the world on Earth Clinic since 2013.

About Theresa

Theresa from Minneapolis was born and raised in the inner city, always wishing she had been raised on a farm.

Her love for creatures great and small began at an early age, starting with caterpillars - which continues to this day, along with an interest in all insects and 'creepy crawlies'.

Theresa's interest in pet health started with a bird keeping hobby at age 14, where she learned from another hobbyist that the simple addition of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in a bird's drinking water kept fungal infections away; she was able to share this with her avian vet who in turn prescribed it to her own clients; Theresa was surprised to learn that she could teach her vet a thing or two. This important lesson - that each of us can be a teacher - was a turning point for Theresa, and fueled her quest for the knowledge held in lore, and remedies passed by word of mouth. That quest for knowledge continues to this day, as new and old remedies alike are explored. She may not have experience with a particular issue, but she will research it to the best of her ability and share what she finds freely, in the hopes that you can heal or improve your pet's health.

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Hey Sun!

I am sorry for your loss.

Thank you for sharing your journey, and your emphasis to follow your gut instinct in taking your pet to the vet if you feel strongly something is wrong. You are so right; internet advice only goes so far, especially when one cannot look at a case *real time* to see for themselves the symptoms without them being translated via keyboard into the written word.

I have to say, however, that unless you had your dog necropsied [autopsy] that your guess of "death by aural hematoma" is wild speculation. Its very possible your dog did indeed die from a brain or cerebral aneurysm - but such a thing is not caused from an aural hematoma.

An aneurysm is: a localized, pathological, blood-filled dilatation of a blood vessel caused by a disease or weakening of the vessel's wall

A hematoma is: a swelling caused by a ruptured blood vessel after bleeding has occurred inside a tissue.

Aural hematoma occurs when a blood vessel within the ear flap breaks, and the ear flap swells with blood. The swelling can be partial or complete and in severe conditions may even block the ear canal totally. The ear flap can fluctuate, appear like a balloon and result in a significant change in the carriage of the ear.

Untreated hematomas may heal without any treatment over a period of time. However, this option is preferred only in cases where the dog cannot be given an anesthesia. Left alone, an aural hematoma can disfigure the ears giving them a shape that is commonly known as ‘cauliflower' ears.

I cannot find in any research that aural hematomas are life threatening. Aneurysms, however, are indeed life threatening. Common locations for aneurysms include:

The major artery from the heart (the aorta)
The brain (cerebral aneurysm)
In the leg behind the knee popliteal artery aneurysm)
Intestine (mesenteric artery aneurysm)
An artery in the spleen (splenic artery aneurysm)

If you step back and re-read your post it makes more sense to consider that your dog had a life threatening condition that existed in the first place [i.e brain tumor which very likely could result in a cerebral aneurysm], causing your dog to shake her head to the point of rupturing blood vessels in her ears resulting in the aural hematomas in both ears. The dual aural hematomas were the symptom of a bigger issue, and not the issue that caused her death.

Again, I am very sorry for the loss of your girl, and I wish you peace in her absence.

Replied By Ana (San Francisco, CA) on 10/17/2014

Hi! I'm having this same issue... I took my dog to the vet and they drained her ear twice... Second time it was ok for awhile then it became really swollen... She's almost 15 and I don't want to put her through surgery...

Replied By Iqbal (Delhi) on 11/18/2014

The cure for ear hematoma depends upon the cause.

If the cause is external injury, the remedy will be Arnica M. If the reason is not injury, the remedy is Lachesis.

Surgery is expensive and provides only temporary relief. And it is to be repeated many times.

Replied By Annie (Uk) on 06/12/2016
Iqbal, You are absolutely right, it worked for my Staffie.

I used Arnica oil from India and needed Lachesis (for internal injury) to reduce the swelling which took 7 weeks in total and was well worth the wait. Thank you very much for your helpful comment. Those who comment and say they need to see trials are ill informed and are not interested in solutions and do not care that the dog will suffer painful surgery. My dog went through hell when she had her other hematoma drained through surgery. My dog also broke teeth whilst she was under the care of the so called vet. I am glad I followed my intuition this time. I know homeopathy works and do not need to see trials.

I cured my dog of aural hematoma with homeopathy. I am very proud of that.

Replied By James (Los Angeles) on 04/10/2015

Simple solution, popsicle stick for support, duct tape for pressure. Let nature take its course.

Replied By Marti (United States) on 03/26/2016
Please do not put duct tape directly on the dog's skin! It could seriously injure the skin.

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Theresa