Huskies and Ear Hematomas

While ear or aural hematomas are often more common in floppy-eared breeds, Huskies are equally as susceptible to them.

An aural hematoma is a collection of blood -- fresh or clotted -- within a dog’s ear flap (pinna), making the pinna appear very thick and spongy. The swelling may either involve the entire pinna or only one area of the ear. The external ear has a layer of skin on both sides, a layer of cartilage sandwiched between them, and blood vessels running just beneath the skin. Whenever something irritates the ear canal, your dog’s response is to scratch or shake their head. Excessive or violent shaking leads to the breaking of one or more blood vessels, causing blood to leak into the space between the ear cartilage and skin on the inner surface of their ear.

Most aural hematomas are the result of an allergy, bite wound, infection or some other inflammatory ear condition that results in excessive scratching and head shaking. In some cases, there may be a piece of foreign matter lodged in your dog’s ear canal, such as a piece of grass or a tick. In other cases, a foreign body might have caused the initial irritation only to be dislodged later on. Dogs with bleeding or clotting disorders may develop an aural hematoma with or without any prior trauma.

Never attempt to drain your dog’s aural hematoma at home since this can be both painful and predispose them either to an infection or a recurrence of another hematoma. An aural hematoma may warrant an urgent visit to your vet if your dog shows any of these signs: extreme ear sensitivity, an inability to settle or rest, a rapid swelling of the ear or a foul odor emanating from it. If, however, their hematoma bursts after hours or over the weekend, and the bleeding doesn’t stop within 10 - 15 minutes, call an emergency veterinary hospital for advice.

Given that there are several ways to treat an aural hematoma, ask your vet about the best option for your dog. While surgery can treat the hematoma quickly and effectively, the actual surgical technique varies from case to case, but always involves these basic steps:

Removing the blood from the pinna. Your vet will make a small incision at each end of the hematoma, pass a drainage tube through the hematoma and suture it to the ear to remove any accumulated blood or serum. Alternatively, your vet may cut the skin over the hematoma and open it completely.

Eliminating the space where blood collected. Your vet will place a series of sutures completely through the pinna, holding both layers of skin to the cartilage.

Stabilizing the pinna. If your dog shakes after the ear pinna is sutured, it may further damage that ear. To prevent this, your vet will either apply a bandage directly to the ear to support the pinna or bandage the ear against your dog’s head.

In some cases, your vet can treat an aural hematoma by draining it and injecting a steroid into the pocket. Since repeated draining is often needed, so are repeated vet visits. Oral steroids are often recommended as well. While this method may eventually eliminate the problem, it will clearly require more time than surgery to achieve the same result. Some hematomas are treated with oral steroids alone, depending on their location and size. If an underlying cause is found, such as an allergy, a foreign body or an infection, it will be treated once the hematoma has been corrected.

As for follow-up treatments: your vet may remove the drainage tubes and/or bandages after as few as three days or as many as 14 days. In some cases, there may be one or more drainage holes from the drain or incision, which will be left to heal naturally. The sutures may be removed after two weeks if the ear is completely healed; in severe cases, however, some or all of the sutures may be left for up to two weeks longer.

At home, should there be some discharge from the surgery sites before they close, clean the discharge off gently with a very mild soap. If you suspect the site’s infected, your vet may either ask to see your dog or prescribe a medication for you to use, then recheck your dog’s ear canal to ensure that the infection has been resolved. Otherwise, another hematoma may occur.

If left untreated, an aural hematoma may be slowly reabsorbed, but the associated inflammation will damage the surrounding ear tissues, resulting in a distorted, cauliflower-shaped ear that could ultimately obstruct your dog’s ear canal. This is one risk not worth taking. Aural hematomas are very painful and should be treated promptly.