Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Male | neutered | 2 years old | 75 lbs
My dog got attacked on the ear by a dog today there is a puncture on the outside it’s not too big but it is bleeding a lot. He seems like his normal self just shaking his head a bit, I tried to put hydrogen peroxide on him but he won’t let me touch his ear. There’s also blood inside his ear, what should I do?
2 Answers
Published on March 28th, 2018
It's probably best to leave it alone for now. Ears tend to bleed a lot when they get cut, but it eventually stops and they don't bleed enough to be dangerous - unless he happens to have a clotting disorder. The more you wipe at the ear or agitate it, the more it will bleed. Also, hydrogen peroxide and other strong antiseptics can cause more damage than good, so it's best not to apply this to the wound. You can try cleaning the wound in 12 hours or so after the bleeding has stopped and he hopefully calms down. The first thing you should do is flush the wound using a syringe or other dispensing device with warm water for five minutes. This may not be easy, because dogs tend to hate water getting near their face. I recommend having someone help you with holding Cruise to make sure the wound gets flushed well. Infection is the biggest concern with these wounds; so after flushing, it's best to apply an antibacterial cream to the wound. In order to keep the wound clean, it's best to flush the wound 1-2 times a day and gently wipe away any big crusts - make sure not to scrub the wound, because this can make it worse. Apply the antibacterial cream after each flushing. If the ear starts to swell or have pus oozing from the wound, then I'd recommend he goes to the vet for treatment. Otherwise, the wound should heal fine over the next 2-3 weeks. I hope that helps and Cruise gets better soon.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Published on March 23rd, 2017
Hello. I am sorry to hear your little one has a cut on the ear. Ear wounds can be very annoying because they don't heal very well on their own and often get infected, and more annoyingly will bleed non-stop. If the wound is very small, and isn't bleeding and seems to be not bothering him or painful, you can just monitor it. Healing without surgery will result in a larger scar vs. surgical repair, so if he is a show dog this is sometimes important, otherwise I don't think your puppy will care about a scar. If the wound is bleeding and won't stop, it likely will need to be stitched up or else it will continue to bleed, and maybe stop for a bit and then bleed again all over the place when he shakes his head. If this is the case it will heal better if you get it sewn up right away vs. waiting for a couple days. If it is small and not bleeding, you can just monitor it and make sure it doesn't become swollen, or develop any pus or yellow/cream discharge. If these occur you will need antibiotics. I hope it heals up well!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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