Fluid in Outer Ear of My Dog

by Tom
(Arlington, WA, USA)

My 5 year old Red Nose Pit's ear filled up with some kind of fluid all of a sudden. The ear is not hot or warm. She does not appear to be in pain, but in my experience she never does.

The fluid has not gone down, and it seems to be filling up even more.

What's wrong with her? What can I do?

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Fluid in Outer Ear of My Dog

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My Online Vet Response to Fluid in Outer Ear Flap
by: Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

Hi Tom,
Your dog has a hematoma. This is caused by a rupture of the small blood vessels, or capillaries.
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The ear flap is made like a sandwich, with skin on the outside, and cartilage in the middle. The capillaries lie between the skin and the cartilage, when a capillary ruptures then blood begins to fill up the space under the skin.

It is usually not painful. Conventional veterinarians do not have a real explanation as to why they occur. Although sometimes it is associated with a dog ear infection inside the ear canal, but not always. It will continue to enlarge as gravity pulls more fluid/blood/serum into the ear flap.

To treat a hematoma, conventional veterinarians will do surgery, to lance the flap and drain out all of the blood/serum/fluid and then suture the skin and underlying cartilage together. Or they will insert a drain that will stay in for 3 weeks, to allow all of the fluid to drain out.

To a holistic veterinarian, this condition represents a chronic illness. Meaning that there is some underlying problem that made her susceptible to developing a hematoma. Determining what the underlying problem might be will make you dog healthier overall and prevent a recurrence of more hematomas.

To find a holistic veterinarian in your area click this link:
find a holistic veterinarian in your area

Please keep us posted by coming back to this page and clicking the 'click here to add your own comments' link below.

Take care,
Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

DISCLAIMER: This educational advice is based on the depth of your question and the picture you submitted. The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

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Submitted by: Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

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 <span style="clear:both;"> <div class="AdSenseBoxMid" id="mid_add">  <script type='text/javascript'> GA_googleFillSlot("OPD-sbi-c2-template-CONTENT-midleft-300x250-wrap"); </script> </div> </span> Hi Tom, Your dog has a hematoma. This is caused by a rupture of the small blood vessels, or capillaries.  </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </span> --> The ear flap is made like a sandwich, with skin on the outside, and cartilage in the middle. The capillaries lie between the skin and the cartilage, when a capillary ruptures then blood begins to fill up the space under the skin. It is usually not painful. Conventional veterinarians do not have a real explanation as to why they occur. Although sometimes it is associated with a <a href="http://www.organic-pet-digest.com/dog-ear-infection.html">dog ear infection</a> inside the ear canal, but not always. It will continue to enlarge as gravity pulls more fluid/blood/serum into the ear flap. To treat a hematoma, conventional veterinarians will do surgery, to lance the flap and drain out all of the blood/serum/fluid and then suture the skin and underlying cartilage together. Or they will insert a drain that will stay in for 3 weeks, to allow all of the fluid to drain out. To a <a href="http://www.organic-pet-digest.com/dog-vet-care.html">holistic veterinarian</a>, this condition represents a chronic illness. Meaning that there is some underlying problem that made her susceptible to developing a hematoma. Determining what the underlying problem might be will make you dog healthier overall and prevent a recurrence of more hematomas. To find a holistic veterinarian in your area click this link: <a href="http://www.organic-pet-digest.com/animal-care-dog-holistic.html#Locate">find a holistic veterinarian in your area</a> Please keep us posted by coming back to this page and clicking the 'click here to add your own comments' link below. Take care, Dr. Carol Jean Tillman DISCLAIMER: This educational advice is based on the depth of your question and the picture you submitted. The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

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