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My dog's ear flap is swollen and feels fluid-filled. Vet needed?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Bulldog | Female | spayed | 85 lbs

My dog has a swollen ear flap that feels like it’s filled with fluid! Do I need to take her in for this?

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4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on October 29th, 2017

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. This is not an emergency, I would suggest scheduling an appointment with your veterinarian to have this looked at. This will need to be drained and treated to prevent it from refilling. The technique I use is draining the ear and injecting a steroid medication into the ear flap where the swelling is. Sometimes this takes two or three times to resolve the problem. This is what we call an aural hematoma. And happens when the ear flap is hit against something hard and the blood vessels on the inside of the ear flap burst and leak blood into the ear flap filling it like a balloon. If draining the ear flap and using the steroid injection for treatment does not work after 3 times then I typically resort to a more surgical approach by placing a drain into the earflap itself. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please feel free to contact me with any other additional questions you may have. I am also available for consultation if needed.

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6Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Other Answers

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    Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on October 24th, 2017

    Based on the photos and your description, it sounds like Duke may have something called an aural hematoma - this happens when a blood vessel in the ear flap bursts, causing the ear to swell up with blood under the skin. It usually occurs when the dog is shaking his head more than normal due to an ear infection or other problem. This problem normally isn't dangerous, but it is annoying and uncomfortable for the dog - so I would recommend taking Duke to the vet for an exam when you are able to. He/she can discuss treatment options for the hematoma with you, which include surgery to drain the blood and stitch the ear down flat to help prevent recurrence, or more conservative treatment with anti-inflammatory meds until the swelling resolves on its own. If he has an ear infection or other problem that caused the hematoma to form in the first place, this will need to be treated also.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on July 25th, 2019

    Hello. This sounds like Keira has developed an aural hematoma. This is where some small blood vessels have broken in the ear flap causing the ear to puff up. You should consider having your veterinarian look at her ears because an underlying infection or allergies can cause her to shake her head hard enough to cause the bleeding under the skin. Once the underlying cause is found ( if there is one ) & treated two things can happen. You can have the ear surgically drained & repaired, or you can just leave things alone to heal. Doing nothing, the blood will be reabsorbed leaving the ear slightly deformed. This is called a cauliflower ear, but is only a cosmetic issue & will not affect her hearing. But you do want to have your vet take a good look in the ear canal to make sure there are no actual problems with the ear. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on January 15th, 2019

    It sounds like Charsie had an aural hematoma, which is when blood fills up between the layers of the outer ear. This can be caused by trauma, or when a dog shakes their head a lot or scratches it a lot due to an ear infection. You will need to take her into the vet to have this treated, as aural hematomas often fill back up. The vet can also check to see if she has a concurrent ear infection. Please take her into a vet today. Best of luck.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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