Why is my dog's ear swollen, purple, and looks like a balloon?

Question

What does it mean when his ear is so swollen it is like a balloon that is about to pop and turning purple. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Male | unneutered | 10 months and 25 days old

Linda G, MS, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello. This is an aural hematoma. A few blood vessels in Grumpy's ear ruptured either from vigorous head shaking or scratching, or somehow injuring the ear from playing ( perhaps a playmate grabbed the ear ? ). You do want your vet to take a look at this in the next few days to make sure there is no underlying ear infection. If not then you have two choices. One is to leave the ear alone & the blood will be reabsorbed ( the ear will not pop ). When this happens, the ear may heal with a bit of a crinkle to it, but will be perfectly usable to Grumpy. The other option is surgery to drain the blood & suture the ear so that it does not refill with blood. The downside to this is of course the surgery, cost & the small possibility of a complication such as an infection. So do not worry about the ear, do not try & drain the ear yourself, & have your vet take a look soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Why is my dog's ear swollen, purple, and looks like a balloon?

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