Othaematomas in Dogs and Cats

Share this post:

What is an othaematoma?

The “ot” refers to ear and “haematoma” is a collection of blood. This is a condition where blood collects in the ear between the cartilage and the skin, becoming tight and heavy.

Why do othaematomas form?

The bleeding happens in the ear when tiny capillaries/ blood vessels are ruptured because of excessive
shaking of the head, pawing at the ears or a traumatic incident such as a blunt strike or bite to the ear.
Most often, the dog or cat self-traumatises its ear due to an infection in the ear canal, causing pain and itching. This could be because of mites or because of a bacterial or fungal infection. Infections are much more common if your dog has an environmental or food allergy.

How are othaematomas fixed?

The only effective way of repairing an othaematoma with low chances of recurrence are by undergoing a
surgical procedure. The surgery takes the veterinarian long. The ear must be cut open, cleaned, and closed with multiple sutures to get the skin and cartilage to stick together again. At the same time, the vet will check the ear canal for infection, clean it and use antibiotic products (if necessary) to manage it.

Recovery

Post-surgical recovery is quite long. A buster collar must be kept on the pet to prevent pawing at the ear until the sutures have been removed. The ear will tend to leak clear to reddish fluid for days to weeks after surgery as it drains and heals. This will be messy and may mean more cleaning for you. The ear can be cleaned 1-2 times daily with warm salty water and cotton. A professional cleaning product can be supplied on request. Any white, yellow, or thick discharge is a cause for concern. Sutures may only be removed 3 weeks post-op.

Complications

The most likely complication is that your pet’s ear will form scar tissue as it heals, and it will never be
completely smooth and flat again. Other complications such as infection or ripped sutures will need to be
addressed by your veterinarian. If the underlying infection and/or allergy is not brought under control the othaematoma may happen on the other side.