12/05/2026
Ever noticed your dog suddenly develop a swollen, squishy ear flap? It may be an aural haematoma — a pocket of blood that forms between the layers of the ear flap (pinna).
Aural haematomas are usually caused by excessive head shaking or scratching, which damages small blood vessels in the ear. The underlying trigger is often:
• Ear infections
• Allergies
• Grass seeds or foreign material in the ear
• Skin disease or chronic irritation
Some breeds are more predisposed, particularly our long or floppy ear friends such as Pointers, Cocker Spaniels, Labradors, and Golden Retrievers, although any dog can develop one. Dogs with chronic allergies or recurrent ear disease are also at higher risk.
Most of the time dogs require surgical treatment to prevent the ear from repeatedly filling with blood and to minimize long term scarring or ‘cauliflower ear’, where the ear flap ends up thickened and lumpy.
The other important part of treatment is addressing the underlying cause — otherwise the haematoma often returns.
This is one we did recently on a pointer called Huxley. We place lots of little sutures to hold the ear flap together. He was also treated for an ear infection in that ear.
