Ear Hematoma

This condition consists of a blood clot forming beneath the skin of the ear. It is more common in floppy-eared dogs but can also occur in cats.

An ear infection is the most common cause of an ear hematoma. Pets will scratch at the ears then shake their heads. The shaking causes the ears to flap which will break the capillaries under the skin. Blood will begin to fill the area between the skin and the cartilage of the ear.

Other than symptoms of an ear infection (shaking head, scratching ears, malodorous ears), the ear flap will be very thickened. When touched, the ear feels like an overfilled water balloon. This condition is somewhat painful to the pet.

The only effective treatment is surgery. An incision must be made to relieve the clots and the skin must be tacked back down to the cartilage. Other therapies have been tried such as draining the ear or placing a drain under the skin, but surgery is the only treatment that is effective. If surgery is not performed, the body will eventually dissolve the clot, but will also dissolve the cartilage within the ear. The ear will look very crumpled. Theoretically, once surgery is performed, a hematoma should never return in that particular ear. However, a hematoma can form in the other ear in the future if the patient develops another ear infection and shakes their head.