Dogs are the most adorable creatures in the world. They wag their tails, cuddle, and fill our life with happiness and love. What happens when they get an injury? It may break your heart to see them bleed or cry in pain. The ear is the most common area that can bleed profusely due to an injury. While minor cuts can be treated at home, a deeper cut may require proper dog ear wound treatment.
Here’s an article that sheds light on the common causes of ear injuries, effective treatment options, and aftercare. So let’s dive into the article and find out everything about ear injuries and infections.
Common Causes of Ear Injuries
Your little puppy has been very naughty, and that’s probably the reason why they got an ear tip injury. That’s not all! Ear injuries can happen due to many issues, including a bite, an ear infection, a foreign object entering the ear, tumor, mites, or excessive head shaking.
Ear infection can happen due to moisture, wax buildup, foreign objects, excessive cleaning, allergies, endocrine disorders, and autoimmune disorders.
If your dog has been shaking their ears recently, you may need to get it checked and get the proper dog ear wound treatment.
Excessive head shaking to expel a foreign object can lead to a burst of blood vessels inside the ears. In case this happens, it will lead to inflammation or swelling of your dog’s ear flap.
There are many other signs to know whether your dog has an ear infection. Keep reading to find out!
What are the signs of ear injuries in dogs?
Dogs cannot talk – at least not in our language. Instead, they try to convey their discomfort through sure signs.
If your dog has an ear injury, you will get to know about it through the following symptoms:
- Scratching the ear aggressively
- Violent head shaking
- Dark discharge from ears
- Pain (you may not know they are in pain, but a dog will express it through many ways)
- Itching
- Scabs or crusting in the ear region
- Unfamiliar/strange odor
Are you able to spot any sign of ear injury? If yes, then speak to your dog’s veterinary doctor. Precise diagnosis is required to offer the proper dog ear wound treatment. Dog ears are prone to ear infections, especially those with floppy ears.
In addition, you must ensure your dog’s ears are clean and do not have any mites. Besides this, you can ensure that your dog does not get into a fight with others as a severe bite from another dog can also cause a significant injury such as a bleeding ear flap.
How to stop a dog’s ear from bleeding?
Cleverpuppytraining.com has gathered some steps to stop the dog’s ear from bleeding. You would need a couple of things before you get started. Read all the steps and gather all the object/ingredients/medical aid mentioned here.
We have mentioned some of the substitutes too so it won’t be a problem to arrange them from a local store or a neighbor. Some of the things are available inside your home as well.
- Remain calm: When the dog gets an ear injury, the dog may cry out loud.
But this will last for few minutes. So the first thing you need to do is remain calm (and not panic).
It will bleed profusely simply because there is a potent blood supply in dog ears. In case you panic, your dog will also feel uncomfortable. They feed off a lot of energy from their parents, so you need to remain calm in this situation.
- Move the dog to a quiet location: If there is a wound on the dog’s ear, you must move them to a tranquil space.
The room should be free from other dogs or people who create a ruckus.
Give them some treats and ask them to lay down peacefully. Once the dog is calm, the procedure will be more effortless.
- Apply pressure to the injury: You can either take a gauze, a paper towel, or a clean cloth to apply pressure on minor ear cuts.
Make sure the pressure is firm because this step is helpful to stop bleeding.
After two minutes, you can lift the cloth or sterile gauze and see if the bleeding has reduced.
After five to six minutes, the bleeding will come down or would stop completely.
- Apply a clotting aid: Clotting aid is easily available in stores near you. You can use a puppy-safe powder and apply it to the wound. For small ear cuts, this step would work like a charm. Make sure your hands are clean, take some generous amount of puppy-safe powder and apply it to the wound. Repeat it till the bleeding stops. If you do not have puppy-safe powder, you can use cornstarch, baby powder, or flour. Do not use the usual powder that you have in your home.
- Clean up the area: Some pet parents use diluted hydrogen peroxide to clean the area. However, we would suggest you speak to your veterinary doctor before applying this solution.
- Call the veterinarian: So, the next step is to call the veterinarian immediately. Well, you can handle minor ear cuts at home, but if the bleeding does not stop and you are unsure about the severity, then a call to the doctor is necessary.
Seek a doctor’s assistance if the bleeding doesn’t stop, and the wound goes through the year.
If the cut is larger and bleeding keeps restarting, consider it an emergency.
Proper dog ear wound treatment is necessary in this case. Transport your dog to the clinic carefully, make sure the wound does not reopen and put pressure on a cloth or sterile gauze.
- Observe the dog in a quiet environment: Once again, you should ensure your dog is in a safe and calm environment. Too much hustle-bustle can unsettle them. They should not run or play after an ear tip injury.
- Try to keep the dog from shaking or scratching at the ear: Dogs tend to shake their head or scratch the wound. This could reopen the wound, and the bleeding may start again.
While treating ear tip injuries, you have to ensure your dog does not scratch or shake its head too much.
There is a major complication if this happens – aural hematoma formation. Blood vessels right beneath the cartilage and the skin will break and bleed. This will cause major swelling and would need expert intervention.
- Use an Elizabethian collar for two or three days: A deep skin tissue injury requires the right dog ear wound treatment. To ensure that your dog isn’t scratching their wound, you have to put an Elizabethian collar around their head. Violent dogs may not like this, but you have to restrain them from scratching or shaking their head too much. Make sure you put this collar on your dog for at least three days.
- Clean the ear: Dog wounds take time to heal, and you should ensure that the healing process is going in the right direction. Clean your dog’s ear and remove any debris or blood that may be inside their ear.
- Create a head bandage: Dogs love to flap their ears, and if this is happening, you must create a secure head bandage. Fold your dog’s ears over the head with the help of gauze. Your dog’s eyes and nose should be open. Next, utilize a stocking for wrapping your dog’s head. Cut the toe-off and then slide your stocking over your dog’s head. It should not be too tight and leave it on for a day. After a day, you must check your dog’s wound to see if it is healing, but do not touch it too often.
That’s all, pet parents! If you are able to follow these steps, your dog’s ear will stop bleeding, and there will be no repeat episodes.
How do you bandage a dog’s ear wound?
1. If your dog got into a nasty fight or cut their ears in a grooming center, they would be scared and anxious. Calm them down before bandaging their wound. This is an essential early step because they will not let you treat them if your dog is worried. Stay calm, and that will make them calm immediately.
2. Locate the wound and then try to remove any excess blood. Use sterile gauze or cotton cloth to get rid of extra blood. Put some pressure so that the bleeding stops. In case of a serious injury, you would need to call the emergency number of your dog’s veterinary doctor.
3. Place a sterile gauze pad behind the ear and fold the ear back on this pad. Now place a second pad on the inner region of the dog’s ear.
4. You must bandage the head and ear with a gauze wrap. Cover the gauze pads that you placed before. Secure it with medical tape so that it does not come off. If only one ear has been injured, make sure the other ear is free from the bandage.
5. Now, place an Elizabethian collar around your dog’s head. This will trouble them a little, but it is essential. Your dog may feel like scratching its head or ear, which could reopen the wound. Thus it is best to put an e-Collar around their head.
Note: In case the cut or abrasion is not too deep, you can also consider putting the best dog liquid bandage. In this case, you would not need to restrain the dog with an Elizabethan collar or put on an anti-lick spray. It is easy to use and is readily available in online stores and pet stores.
These were some of the essential steps for proper dog ear wound treatment. What’s next? You must also know about how to soothe itchy ears. Keep reading to find out!
How can you soothe your dog’s itchy ears?
Ear mites and different parasites could cause itchy ears in dogs. Ticks, fleas, and scabies can irritated your dog’s ears. Thus they may shake their head aggressively or itch with their foot. A foreign object in the ear or an ear infection could also be the reason for itchy ears.
What can you do? Well, in this case, you can use some home remedies.
1. Use a cleaning liquid to clean their ears.
2. Try to find ticks or fleas in their ears. Can you see it? If yes, try to remove it, and it might help.
3. Olive oil can help reduce itchiness. Thus, try to drop olive oil and massage your dog’s ears. This will provide some relief. Make sure you use a dropper or a teaspoon.
Note: Smell your dog ears – if it has an uncanny odor, it could be an infection. Speak to the veterinarian to get the proper dog ear wound treatment. Ear disorder wound care is needed in this case, so don’t try to treat it at home.
Earflap Injury Aftercare
Your canine companions will have a tough time living with an ear infection or an injury.
Dog ear wound treatment also requires proper aftercare.
You cannot leave your pet with an injury. Your dog’s ear flap injury will heal with proper care, and your puppy will be as good as usual!
- Remove the dressing – Not changing the dressing can lead to many more problems. Thus you should remove it gently. If the wound is still fresh, make sure you are very careful while opening the dressing. You can also use a scissor but be very careful not to cut your dog’s ear (this happens in many dog grooming centers).
- Disinfect the wound – Before replacing the dressing, you have to disinfect the wound. Make sure you do not scrub the wound because it is still tender and fresh. You can make a quick saline solution to disinfection the wound. Avoid using soap in this case. Take one glass of lukewarm water and mix one tsp salt in it. Now, use a cotton ball to clean the wound. Be gentle and calm your dog – tell them that they are going to be okay. You would be surprised to know that dogs understand that we are trying to help them. It is essential to calm them down while disinfecting the wound.
- Replace the dressing – The dressing may need to be changed every week or in few days. Speak to your veterinary. They will give you a topical ointment to apply to your puppy’s ear wound.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Does olive oil help ear infections in dogs?
The staple pantry oil is filled with numerous health benefits. Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats, and it has also proven to be effective in preventing diabetes and cardiovascular disease in dogs. It also contains healing properties, so if you want to ease or prevent dry skin problems, then you can mix lavender oil and olive oil. Now, this is just for their coat and skin underneath.
Many of you might want to know whether it is good for their ears. The answer is YES. There are some breeds like chihuahua and Bernese dogs who have ear infection problems. The skin around their ears gets dry, which could be a sign of an infection. However, they do get a yeasty smell which is just part and parcel of the ear infection. If you do not have immediate access to a good animal doctor, olive oil will provide instant relief.
Some people recommend using extra virgin olive oil, but you can use any that you have. It should be gently warm and ideally, use a dropper. In case you do not have a dropper, use a teaspoon tip. Make sure your dog is resting on the bed or a flat surface. Massage their ears and put a small drop of olive oil into the year. Make sure it goes deep inside.
Is apple cider vinegar good for dog ear infections?
If your dog has any skin allergy, they may develop an ear infection too. In this case, you can clean the ears with apple cider vinegar.
It also helps in rebalancing the dog skin’s pH level. Once you use apple cider vinegar for their ear infection, it will dry out the ear to fight bacterial and yeast infections.
First, make sure you use diluted vinegar (50/50) with water. Next, soak a cotton ball with this mix and wipe the dog ears. This will provide relief and help in curing the ear infection.
How long does it take for a dog’s ear to heal?
Dogs are different from human beings. In dog ear infections, you must provide relief with natural ingredients and take expert veterinary advice. First, they will clean your dog’s ear with a medicated cleanser (special formulation for ears). Then, a topical medication will be prescribed for you to apply to your dog’s ear. In case the case is severe, they may prescribe some antibiotics. You could read our article “antibiotic for dogs” for the common antibiotic that used to help heal the infection open wound.
Uncomplicated ear infections in dogs can get resolved within a week or two. But a severe condition requires proper dog ear wound treatment and may take months to heal.
In addition, self-diagnosis may not help to understand the severity of the situation. Thus, please speak to your veterinarian about it.
How long does ear cropping take to heal?
Some pet parents may opt for ear cropping (especially when they have pets with floppy ears).
A bleeding air flap is then cleansed, disinfected, and covered. Next, the veterinary doctor will tape the ears till it heals completely.
Aftercare is an essential part of the dog ear wound treatment procedure.
The bandages would need to be changed every week. The entire process could last between four to eight weeks.
Can you put peroxide in a dog’s ear?
Although diluted hydrogen peroxide can kill different forms of bacteria in the ear canal, a veterinary doctor recommends you to perform it under expert care.
We would not recommend hydrogen peroxide to cleanse your dog ears (not at home). It is a chemical, so it makes a bubbling sound once you put it in the ear.
Products with hydrogen peroxide can cause moderate to severe inflammation of your dog’s ear canal. Speak to the veterinary doctor – they would suggest the best product to clean the ears.
