Dog Ear Hematoma

Question
Dear Patti,

My dog has an ear hematoma. I know that the cause is that she shakes her ears a lot!  That has happened in the past, and that is why even though the vet did his best, one of her ears does not look very well. Years have passed, and now she has an hematoma in the other ear. I do not have money to take her to the vet, and I do not want her to have surgery either. Do you know something that I can do at home to treat the hematoma? Thanks in advance!

Answer

Hi Maria,

I understand your problem, but there really isn't a way to home treat a dog's ear hematoma.

Small hematomas almost always get bigger. For that reason, when you first notice the ear swelling rapid treatment will result in a much faster and simpler healing process than if you wait until the entire ear flap is involved. Many dogs respond to high doses of prednisone with no other treatment, when treated early on. Your veterinarian's approach to treating this problem will depend on the severity of the dog's condition, so again, treating this early on can avoid surgery as the option.

Your dog may have ear mites, or an ear infection which causes her to shake her head/ears a lot. Allergies also can cause irritation to the ears. All these conditions should be ruled out, or the shaking will not stop, and the hematoma will get worse.

If you are having trouble affording veterinary care, first talk to your regular vet. Ask your veterinarian if he or she will let you work out a payment plan. Many veterinarians are willing to work out a weekly or monthly payment plan so that you do not have to pay the entire cost of veterinary care up front. If that doesn't work, contact your local shelter or Humane Society. Some shelters operate or know of local subsidized veterinary clinics or veterinary assistance programs. You could also check with veterinary schools in your state to see if they offer discount services to the public. You could ask your employer for an advance on your salary. If you happen to belong to a church or synagogue, they might have funds available to help members of their congregation in financial need.

When all else fails, you can apply for a special credit card that can be used for medical bills, including veterinary care. Read about this here:

Care Credit:  http://www.carecredit.com

Citi Healthcard:  http://www.healthcard.citicards.com

I hope I've been a help.
Best of luck,

Patti