by Heidi
(Las Vegas, NV, USA)
About a week ago, my dog developed swelling in one of her ears. There is no apparent trauma to the area. She frequently shakes her head, and suffers food and environmental allergies. The enlargement of her ear appears to be an aural hematoma.
She does not appear to be in any distress, but does display some slight discomfort when the ear is touched. She is still active, but is a bit more guarded of her ear.
We do not want to put her through the stress of having the “quilting” surgery (as is standard procedure by our veterinarian) if possible. If any medical intervention is actually necessary, we would prefer aspiration; however, we would like to allow the ear to heal naturally- if at all possible. We are not concerned about disfigurement of the ear. Aesthetics are unimportant.
What are your thoughts on allowing the ear to reabsorb the fluid/blood on its own? And if advised, what methods can you recommend to help speed the healing process and minimize discomfort?
We are confused as to our options because our veterinarian has stated that this is a harmless issue, and that the main issue is eliminating the allergen that causes the head shaking; however, he still wants to do surgery to “prevent a recurrence”.
She is a 12-year-old female pit bull, approximately 40lbs.
Thank you in advance for you advice. I look forward to hearing from you.
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