Expert: Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf - 8/17/2004

Question
I have a chow/shepard mix, he has an absess on his ear.  It feels as though it is filled with water, and doesn't appear to be painful to the dog (Griz).  It is rather large, covering the entire top tip of his ear.  Do you have any idea what may have caused this?  Or how to cure it?

Answer
This could be an aural hematoma and requires surgical correction.  You should let your vet look at it to make sure.  Also, there is probably an ear infection in one of the ears that is causing the dog to shake its head violently enough to cause a ruptured blood vessel. When this happens, blood pools between the cartilage and the skin of the ear flap and that's what you are probably feeling.