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What's this blood blister on my dog's ear? Any home remedies?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Male | neutered | 90 lbs

My poor buddy has a huge blister on the tip of his ear. It started small, but recently blew up into this huge thing. It's hard, but seems to be filled with blood. I plan to take him to the vet after the holiday weekend, but anyone have any advice on home remedies in the meantime or a cause? Thanks!

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on May 28th, 2017

Hi there. So sorry Leo has this issue. This is an aural hematoma - you are correct. It's basically a blood blister. He has broken a blood vessel in the ear flap and it is from some trauma to the ear like shaking the head or scratching. The underlying is usually an ear infection or allergy but I have seen some in dogs where I have found no underlying cause. Unfortunately, there is no home treatment you can do. You will just have to leave it until you can get him into the vet. The vet needs to check down inside the ear canal to see what is going on - if there is an infection, or a foreign body (a grassawn/seed or something in there bothering him) then that needs to be addressed first. Then they need to make a plan for the hematoma. When the hematomas are very small sometimes they will reabsorb on their own with no treatment. When they are that large usually surgery is required to get full resolution :( Some vets drain them and do laser therapy for the inflammation. Some vets drain them and inject steroids in them for the inflammation. Bottom line is there are a lot of different treatments for these - no right one way to do it. The main point is that you need to treat the underlying cause. I hope this helps. Best wishes for a speedy recovery! Dr. Amber

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Other Answers

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    Answered By David Darvishian

    Veterinarian

    Published on August 29th, 2017

    Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to see that Buddy has a problem. You are correct, this certainly is a aural hematoma caused by a ruptured blood vessel inside the ear, often times spontaneous but can be caused by excessive shaking or scratching from an ear infection. I'm not familiar with these methods of treatment but I can advise you seek out a cheaper form of treatment that some vets are using for these hematomas. Some veterinarians are using Prednisone to treat these but it often takes weeks to resolve and of course Prednisone has many side effects but those certainly get better the longer the patient is on them. You should find a veterinarian who has treated these with prednisone and has had good luck. Good luck with Buddy. Otherwise most vets do surgery on these and it can be quite expensive. Without good treatment the ear will be badly deformed and crinkled once it heals.

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