I've got a 3-yr. old natural-ear Giant Schnauzer female that has developed an ear (aural) hematoma. It's not that big, and doesn't seem to bother her. I took her to her regular vet who suggested waiting to see how it develops, and that it should resolve on its own. I took her for a second opinion, and of course got the complete opposite advice - second vet thinks surgery is needed as soon as possible. Anyone out there have any experience with this? Also, if I had cropped her ears when she was a pup would this have eliminated or reduced her chances of developing the hematoma.

Thanks

I've seen a good many, none of which resolved on their own, unfortunately. Usually it's caused by an undiagnosed ear infection or a foreign object in the ear that causes the dog to scratch at and/or shake his head, breaking the blood vessels.

So far as I know, ear cropping makes no difference in preventing it.

Thanks for the feedback. My dog rarely shakes her head or scratches her ears. We're quite active hikers, I wonder if all that running through and under brush/trees may have damaged the blood vessel in her ear.

Thanks for the info.

My work dog had one earlier this year. I originally thought he damaged his ear on an agility course when he ran into the side of a window jump. Apparently he had a DEEP ear infection that I didn’t catch the signs of. We had the surgery… the scar tissue formed flat so his ear now “flops” about half way up.

Just posting a follow up to my original message. I took my regular vet's advice, and had no surgery. The hematoma "healed" on its own. Her ear does have a bit of a crinkle. I took his advice after reading various web board discussions about failed surgical procedures, multiple surgeries, and hematomas that continued to return despite mutiple surgeries. My vet has assured me that I made the right decision, and that she is very unlikely to get another hematoma in that ear ...... I hope I made the right decision.

By the way, does anyone out there know of any dogs with cropped ears that have gotten a hematoma? I left my dog's ears natural, and was wondering if cropping might have avoided this issue. Thanks

no experience with cropped vs natural ear hematoma.
But from the other side, my simaese cats eat hematoma would NOT heal on it's own, and it got bad.

my vet instructed me to lance it, and i did it 3 times(it filled back up within 24 hrs each time), and he had to have surgery on it a few times, it kept filling back up...it was pretty scary.

afterwards, his ear never stood, he looked like half scottish fold cat, i had to clean it all the time, because it was folded over, that ear was really prone to ear infections...

i suppose i could have tapped that ear back up, but man o man, i was already trying that poor cats paitence, he never tried to bite me though.

I crop most of my dogs ears and out of over 20 dogs the only ones that got hematoma's are the non cropped dogs. Since shaking of head is what normally starts hematoma's, a cropped ear would not have much room to slap against the head. Maybe a ribbon cut like on dobes you might be able to get a hematoma but shorter crops would not have that issue. (not saying it’s not possible but I have never seen one)

If my dogs get them I just lance them with an 11 blade or use a needle to drain the blood out. Always a good idea to have them on antibiotics so draining them doesn’t infect it. I use to be a vet tech and so we know how to do this I would never attempt this unless you know what you are doing. I think surgery is a way for the vets to make money. Simply lancing it or using a needle to aspirate it should be enough. There are always exceptions.

Hematomas usually start with head shaking either from allergies, ear infection, or something in the ear canal. Something caused the blood vessels to break in the ear and caused it to pool with blood. After it heals you see scar tissue build up in that void. (Most of the time)

This is just from my experience with cropped dogs and non-cropped dogs and seeing what came in to the vet hospital.