Aural Hematomas
 Meet Jazz! She was suffering from aural hematomas in both ears! A hematoma is swelling created by a broken blood vessel and subsequent fluid accumulation. Hematomas within the ear flaps - aural hematomas - usually occur when head shaking breaks a blood vessel. The ear flap may partially or completely swell with blood. The swelling may be so large that the opening of the ear canal is occluded. The extra weight of the ear flap may be uncomfortable and may lead to a permanent change in the carriage of the ears. This condition is more common in dogs, but can occur in cats as well. The ear flap will feel fluid-filled, like a water balloon.
To repair an aural hematoma, the patient is placed under general anesthesia and an incision is made in the ear flap 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 space, either partly through or completely through the ear flap. Bandages are applied post-operatively. Sutures are generally left in place for 3 weeks to allow good scarring to take place so that refilling will not occur.
 Usually there is a reason why a dog has been shaking his or her head: 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 (cytology), and medication.
If left alone, an ear hematoma will eventually resolve on its own. The fluid will be re-absorbed back into the body and the ear flap will again be flat. The problem is that not only is the ear often misshapen when finally healed due to heavy scar tissue, the healing process is a painful and lengthy one, sometimes taking several months.
The moral of the story? If your dog or cat is incessantly shaking his or her head, it's best to get it checked out. Shaking and scratching is not "normal" and is a sign of an underlying problem.
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