If you have been following our Social media Posts, you probably have seen my 'blow-up-ear'? I don't know, I just woke up looking like an elephant. Maybe it has to do with mom's great love for these big Weimaraners. (I am sure they are Weimis, just oversized) Anyhow, we had to go to Claudia (my Vet) and she told me that I have an AURAL HEMATOMA. An aural what? Oh well, whatever it is, it ain't fun and Claudia put a huge needle in my ear and sucked out all the blood and puss. At least it did not hurt, so I was okay, but let me tell you a little more about this aural issue. And just so you know, I still have to keep on going back to Claudia to drain the ear every other day. I just hope it will heal by itself, as otherwise there is some sort of operation and my ear will never be pretty again. I would be very sad... They call it cauliflower ear, sounds rather bad. Wish me luck and keep your ears clean and away from trouble! If you notice that you are shaking your ears more often than usual, than you might have an infection - so better go and see your vet right away. Woooof, your Cooka

WHAT IS AN AURAL HEMATOMA? A hematoma is a fluid-filled swelling created by a broken blood vessel. Hematomas within the earflaps (“aural hematomas”) often occur when severe head shaking breaks a blood vessel within the earflap. The earflap may partially or completely swell with blood and create a ‘blown up’ ear. Sometimes this swelling can be so large, that the opening of the ear canal is closed. The extra weight of the earflap may be highly uncomfortable for the dog and often feel hot to the touch.   WHY IS AN AURAL HEMATOMA A PROBLEM? A small hematoma may not cause a problem and does not always require interference. But there are several situations when the hematoma should be treated by your VET: • The hematoma is so big that the ear canal is swollen closed. If this is the case, the ear cannot be checked for an infection nor can any infection be treated. In this situation, the hematoma must be relieved before the ear canal can be accessed. • The hematoma is in a location where natural healing will create scarring in such a way that the ear canal will be permanently narrowed. A permanently narrow ear canal can cause a lifetime of ear infections. • The hematoma may be repaired to maximize the ability of the ear flap to stand up straight after hematoma resolution or to prevent excessive scarring in the ear flap for cosmetic reasons.   WHAT DO WE DO TO RELIEVE IT? There are many ways of correcting ear hematoma and the treatment usually depends on the opinion of your vet. These are the most commonly performed procedures: ASPIRATION – This treatment involves simply using a syringe to remove the fluid contents from the swollen part of the ear. The problem is that a space is left behind when the fluid is removed and this space readily refills with more fluid leading often to only temporary results. Aspiration is relatively easy to perform but the disadvantages are that it may introduce infection and often require multiple attempts. If the clot in the hematoma is already on its way to scarring, there may not be much fluid left to aspirate and the technique may not work at all.   PIE-CRUSTING SUTURES Here, an incision is made in the earflap surgically. The hematoma is drained of fluid and blood clots. To prevent the hematoma from refilling with fluid, multiple sutures are placed in the hematoma area either vertically or horizontally, either partly through or completely through the earflap, with or without ear cartilage removal. Sometimes bandages are applied post-operatively. Sutures are generally left in place for 3 weeks to allow for good scarring, so that refilling will not occur. The earflap is essentially 'quilted' to close any space where fluid might refill. Sounds not very exciting, I must say...   TEAT CANNULA PLACEMENT OR PENROSE DRAIN PLACEMENT – A teat cannula is a small device used in the treatment of udder inflammation in cows. YES! It can be placed in the opening of the teat to allow drainage of milk or infected discharges... But teat cannulas can also be surgically placed in a dog’s aural hematoma if the earflap is large enough to accommodate the device. The hematoma is drained of fluids and allowed to heal over the next several weeks. This method is generally successful but does involve the your dog tolerating a “gadget” inserted into the earflap for several weeks, as well as accompanying fluid drainage.   WHAT IF THERE IS A CONCURRENT EAR INFECTION? Usually there is a reason why a dog has been shaking his/her head more often: an ear infection. This means that the ear infection must be treated along with the hematoma. The ear will need cleaning, microscopic examination of the discharge, and medication. Sometimes ear shaking just happens and there is no underlying infection but one should always check for a possible infection.   WHAT IF WE LEAVE IT ALONE? If left alone, an ear hematoma will resolve by itself. The fluid will be re-absorbed back into the body and the earflap will no longer bulge. The problem is that a lot of scarring is associated with this process and the ear is often not cosmetically appealing afterwards. Resolution of a large hematoma can take several months during which it may be uncomfortable for your doggie.