They’re normally left in place for about 2 weeks and the pet will have to use a buster collar to avoid them from interfering with the wound.Įven surgery isn’t always completely successful, especially if the underlying problem hasn’t been resolved. This prevents the haematoma from reforming. By suturing (stitching) these to the ear, we can get rid of any free space between the cartilage and the skin. This material can vary between being a type of sponge, small pieces of plastic tubing, buttons, and other things, but they all do the same job. Then we place some form of stenting-type material to help close the skin back onto the cartilage and avoid pockets of fluid and blood reforming. Normally we make an ‘S’-shaped incision on the underside of the ear pinna, over the swelling, and from here we can evacuate the haematoma contents. The surgical approach to aural haematoma differs between veterinarians because there are a number of ways to do the procedure. Often these aren’t entirely successful and we have to do surgery. Some veterinarians will make a small cut in the swelling, drain it and place a catheter-type object to allow continued drainage at home. It involves draining the fluid out of the swelling and giving the pet an anti-inflammatory medication to see if we can get it to resolve on its own. However, conservative treatment is only really appropriate for small-sized haematomas the first time they’re seen. Often we will try conservative treatments before resorting to surgery. These can be split into surgical and non-surgical solutions Non-surgical treatment options There are a number of ways to treat aural haematomas. This self-trauma is what causes damage to the blood vessels, creating an aural haematoma. These all cause discomfort and irritation within the ear, which leads pets to vigorously shake their heads, rub and scratch at their ears. That said, irritation can also be caused by an allergic skin disease or by a foreign body (often a grass awn) that’s gotten stuck in the ear canal. Many pets have an associated ear infection (known as otitis) caused by bacteria, fungi, or parasites known as ear mites. Whenever we see a pet with an aural haematoma, we must look for the underlying cause, otherwise the problem is likely to recur despite appropriate treatment for the haematoma. The blood vessels are broken by trauma, normally from excessive head-shaking, rubbing or scratching at the ear. This creates a misshapen ear pinna, not dissimilar to the so-called cauliflower ear that we may see in rugby players. In chronic or untreated aural haematomas, what can happen is that the fluid components eventually reabsorb, but some abnormal tissue or fibrin remains and the skin and cartilage knit back together with this fibrous scar tissue in between. This creates the typical soft, fluid swelling within the ear pinna that we associate with acute aural haematomas. With an aural haematoma, some of the blood vessels break open and bleed, allowing blood and tissue fluid to accumulate between the skin and the cartilage. The ear pinna, which is the outside ear flap, is made up of cartilage sandwiched between two pieces of skin. So, an aural haematoma is a collection of blood in the ear. The clue is in the name ‘aural’ means ear-related, whilst a ‘haematoma’ is a collection of blood somewhere inside the body that it shouldn’t be, often because of trauma.
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