swollen ear

Question
my cocker spaniel has a very swollen ear and i have no money to take him to vet. the name of what he has starts with a h and it is a broken blood vessel and his ear is full of blood. is there any thing that i can do at home to drain this. please help

Answer

Hi Cindy,

I think the word you're looking for is "hematoma".  A hematoma on a dog ear is when blood vessels in the pinna, or the floppy part of a dog's ear, break. This causes oozing between the layers of cartilage in the dog's ear and the skin. Dog ear hematomas are often referred to as "aural hematomas".  An ear hematoma can be very painful for a dog. Not treating a hematoma, or not treating it correctly, can often lead to disfigurement of the dog's ear flap and the surrounding area.

When a hematoma is noticed, take your pet to the veterinarian's office so he or she can treat the dog's ear as quickly as possible.

The vet will check for any underlying problems that may be affecting the dog, like an ear infection or mites, and treat that first. Not controlling these issues may result in the hematoma reoccurring on the same or opposite ear. Your vet will let you know what options are available to treat the dog ear hematoma. The options will be based on the size of the hematoma and how painful it is for the dog. Vets will usually aspirate, prescribing a cortisone product, or remove the hematoma surgically.

If you are having trouble afford 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. Another option is to contact your local shelter or Humane Society. Some shelters operate or know of local subsidized veterinary clinics or veterinary assistance programs. If you happen to live within driving distance to veterinary school, check with them to see if they offer discount services to the public. There are two special credit cards to apply for which help with medical bills (including veterinary bills) read about them here:

http://www.carecredit.com
http://www.healthcard.citicards.com

There are organizations that provide financial assistance to pet owners in need. Please keep in mind that each organization is independent and has their own set of rules and guidelines. Therefore you will have to investigate each one separately to determine if you qualify for assistance:

http://www.imom.org
http://www.thepetfund.com
http://www.canineaid.org/
http://www.uan.org/index.cfm?navid=28
http://www.angels4animals.org/index.html
http://www.browndogfoundation.org/home


Best of luck,

Patti