A Dog Ear Hematoma: what is it? what can be done with it?

A hematoma (aural) is when there is blood collected under the skin of a dog's ear flap. The tissue of the ear flap, or pinna, is very thin and when it's injured, blood vessels break, filling the area between the ear cartilage and skin with blood and this causes the ear to swell. The swelling can occur very quickly within minutes of the blood vessel breaking. 

The cause of this occurring is typically caused by overly aggressive ear scratching or head shaking. In the pictures below the dog had been severally matted and the ears were very heavy.  When the hair was removed, it caused the dog to shake his head due to the difference in the way his head felt after all the hair was shaved off.  For a dog with droopy ears, the treated ear is often flipped up and bandaged against the head to prevent head shaking during recovery.

The hematoma may heal on its own after the fluid is slowly reabsorbed by the body, but in some cases a vet may used treatment that consists of a surgical procedure that involves incising the skin on the underside of the ear, draining the blood, and then stitching through the ear with multiple sutures. 

The blood seeping through the thin skin

Using the Happy Hoodie to keep ears flat
to head. (hard to see on the white dog)

I use Happy Hoodies in the shop to both protect the ears from the sound of the dryers and when this happens.  

Before picture