SWELLING OF THE EAR (AURAL HEMATOMA) IN CATS AND DOGS

LAST NIGHT AT 5:30 I TOOK MY DECEASED BROTHER'S THIRTEEN -YEAR-OLD CAT, ZIGGY, TO THE VET FOR TREATMENT OF A HEMATOMA OF HIS LEFT EAR WHICH DEVELOPED ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO. ZIGGY LIVES IN OUR CAT SHELTER AT THE WAGGING TAIL. WE WERE TREATING IT WITH ZYMOX EAR SOLUTION. WE WILL CONTINUE TO USE IT POST APPOINTMENT AFTER CONSULTING WITH THE VET.

OTHERWISE, WE WILL TRY TRESADERM.

HEMATOMAS OCCUR ANYWHERE ON A CAT OR DOG WHERE BLOOD VESSELS BURST, USUALLY UNDER THE SKIN. IMMEDIATE TREATMENT IS ESSENTIAL TO AVOID FURTHER COMPLICATIONS. IN PETS IT OFTEN AFFECTS THE EAR FLAP AS IN THE CASE OF SWEET BOY ZIGGY. WHAT I DID NOT KNOW IS THAT IT IS VERY PAINFUL WHEN THESE POOLS OF BLOOD FORM A MASS OUTSIDE THE BLOOD VESSELS. THE SWELLING BULGES BENEATH THE EAR FLAP BETWEEN THE TWO LAYERS OF CARTILAGE AND CAN FEEL FIRM AND FLUID-LIKE. HEMATOMAS CAN FORM ANYWHERE IN THE BODY, IN ORGANS OR IN THE BRAIN, RESULTING IN SERIOUS COMPLICATIONS. THEY CAN APPEAR BECAUSE OF TRAUMA TO THAT AREA, RUNNING INTO SOMETHING, ROUGH PLAY, BITING OR SCRATCHING. EAR HEMATOMAS CAN RESULT FROM SCRATCHING THE EARS DUE TO CHRONIC INFECTIONS, ALLERGIES, EAR MITES, FLEAS, OR

INJURY. (DOGS WITH LONG HEARS ARE MORE APT TO GET AN EAR HEMATOMA.)

IN ZIGGY'S CASE WE SUDDENLY NOTICED ONE EAR FLAP WAS HANGING DOWN TOWARDS THE BASE OF HIS EAR. ON EXAMINATION WE NOTICED THE BLISTER LIKE SWELLING. AFTER A FEW DAYS OF OUR TREATMENT, WE REALIZED THE NECESSITY OF TAKING HIM TO THE VET. DR. FANZIER AT PARKWAY TOOK HIM IN THE BACK WHERE THEY LANCED HIS EAR TO RELEASE THE ACCUMULATED BLOOD. THEN SHE INSERTED SOME STEROID INTO THE EAR. SOME VETS WILL BANDAGE THE EAR AGAINST THE HEAD FOR SEVERAL DAYS AS A CAUTIONARY STEP. SOMETIMES THE EAR WILL HEAL ITSELF, LEAVING A THICK CAULIFLOWER APPEARANCE. USUALLY, THE EAR WILL SIMPLY REFILL WITH BLOOD AND SURGERY UNDER ANESTHESIA WILL HAVE TO BE  PERFORMED. THE BLOOD WOULD BE DRAINED AND ANY CLOTS WOULD BE MOVED AND THE AREA WOULD BE SUTURED OVER LEAVING NO SPACE FOR FURTHER ACCUMULATION OF BLOOD. THE PROBLEM WE HAVE IS KEEPING A CONE COLLAR ON ZIGGY FOR THREE TO FOUR WEEKS AFTER SURGERY. A POSSIBLE SOLUTION WOULD BE TO LET SCAR TISSUE FORM WHICH WILL FORCE HIS EAR TO BE PERMANENTLY ARCHED OVER. TRULY I THINK HE WOULD ADJUST BETTER TO THAT THAN TORTURE HIM WITH ISOLATION AND A CUMBERSOME COLLAR. AS AURAL HEMATOMAS ARE KNOWN TO RECUR,  IT IS IMPORTANT TO MONITOR THE PET AND IDENTIFY ANY POSSIBLE CAUSES SUCH AS EAR DISEASE AND ALLERGIES.

I CONSULTED TWO ARTICLES ON THE INTERNET TO ASSIST ME IN WRITING THIS ARTICLE. FIRST VET.COM AND WWW.PETCAREX.COM..

IN CASE I HAD NOT MENTIONED IT, I CAN NOW (BESIDES HER BARK APPEAL HARNESS) GET A GOLD PAW FLEECE TOP AND SEVERAL DIFFERENT STYLE COATS ON MY RESCUE-FEAR BITER-EBBY. ONLY BECAUSE SHE RESPECTS THE CAN OF PET CORRECTOR! AND MAYBE SHE TRUSTS THAT I LOVE HER DESPITE HER FLAWS.

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