my dog’s ear (pinna) has swelled up and seems to be fluid filled. what is this and how has it happened?

An aural haematoma (blood filled pinna) results in a fluid filled swelling in the dog’s earflap. The blood vessels in the earflap burst, resulting in bleeding between the ear’s skin and cartilage. This occurs from direct trauma to the ear or from consistent head shaking. Most commonly the root of the problem is an ear infection that has caused the dog to shake its head, thereby resulting in an aural haematoma. The ear infection requires treatment.

There are different ways to treat an aural haematoma. If the haematoma is small and the dog is not bothered by it, you can wait and see if it resolves on its own. The other option is that the vet removes the blood from the earflap via a needle and syringe and at the same time injects cortisone into the earflap. The risk, however, is that the ear fills up with blood again. If the dog has recurring issues, or if the haematoma is severe, surgery may be advised whereby the earflap is emptied of blood and stitches are placed to prevent the earflap from filling up with blood again.