Does my cat really need a hematoma surgery or can I treat her myself?

[belinda12]

My cat has an ear hematoma related to severe ear- mite infestation.  I went to the local vet and he quoted $650!!!!

The breakdown included:
Clavamox Drops (Quantity: 2) among a surgery etc.  

Does anyone out there think that I should forego the surgery, purchase the clamox and Revolution?

FYI: she is an indoor cat that has recently started to explore the back yard.  Its become part of her morning and night routine...tht is how she got mites

[KNH3]

Our cat, Pip, had one and the vet wanted $1200 to do surgery... My husband is a zoologist and decided to further research.  He found the best option is to leave it be and let it reabsorb.  Don't poke it, don't try to drain it.  Just leave it be.  The pet owners are more uncomfortable than the kitty.  Pip's ear took about 30 days to reabsorb and it looks a little wrinkled.  The surgery would have left him with a wrinkly ear as well but only after a lot of trauma and discomfort.  Here is a great video of a vet talking about why he no longer operates on cat/dog ear hematomas.  

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Zt8hJz6IrFw

[opus88]

thank you very much KNH3 for that info and for the video too, I very much agree with the NON surgical approach!

[DLattig]

The problem with surgery is it leaves the cat with a flappy ear. Unfortunate because cats communicate by ears and a lowered ear is always going to cause a fight. I would try the needle first with syringe. Otherwise the ear will never be the same after surgery.

[crazydazyz]

I had a cat who had a hematoma and we drained it at least 5 times and it kept coming back. We treated it with pain medication and my poor baby had to wear a cone for weeks! Finally, I said "enough" and the hematoma went away on it's own. I would definitely get it drained at least once so they can test the fluid, but if it reoccurs over and over, see if it will go away on it's own, given that it's been treated with ear meds.

[CML2014]

I think a visit to the vets for additional drainage might be in order. That is a lot of pressure your little one is dealing with. Is he on antibiotics?

GCMLood luck, and keep us posted, K?

[teddykayle]

My cat Teddy got a hematoma of the ear last week we had it drained the day after we noticed it at the vets office. Within two days it was full again and now bigger then before. He is scheduled for surgery next week and I am just hoping its ok to wait that long. Its so full fluid is oozing out through the skin on the back of his ear. His was due to ear mites

[kasper24]

Hey there ..my cat Casper has the ear hematoma its been more than 1 month and I took him to vet every other day ...but its not working every time vet takes the fluid out of his ear it come back automatically  we have try every single thing but thing is working ..I want to know if there is some medicine that I can put in his wound and get rid of this hematoma thing ....plz responce to my question

[navila78]

I am still collecting liquid in my spine, even after having surgery to remove absess.  Has anyone had this issue, and if so, what was the outcome?

[Jade59]

I can't take too much credit since all I did was copy and paste :)

[LindaTX]

Well, that was an excellent detailed explanation to the problem above and I might add....welcome back to you too!  Missed you on here a lot :)

[Jade59]

Belinda, I am in complete agreement with Linda.  Just using Clavamox won't do a bit of good in in itself alone.  The clavamox was included in the breakdown to be used AFTER the surgery to avoid infection.  Here is something I got from a google search which I hope will help.  This condition is very painful for kitty and unless it's very small (in which case, it can be drained so this site says) it looks like unfortunately you're looking at surgery.  

********************

An ear hematoma (also known as aural hematoma) is a localised collection of clotted blood from broken blood vessels on the ear flap (pinna). This hematoma trapped between the skin and the cartilage of the ear.
What causes an ear hematoma?

When the cat scratches or shakes it's head it eventually causes a blood vessel to rupture, resulting in a hematoma.

There are several causes of ear hematoma including;

    * Trauma
    * Violent head shaking or scratching of the ear. This could be caused by ear mites, ticks, fleas, allergies, otitis externa (infection of the external ear canal).


Ear hematomas are extremely painful & require prompt veterinary attention.
What are the symptoms of ear hematoma in cats?

Swelling of the ear. This may be partial or the entire ear may become swollen & filled with blood. The ear will feel soft, warm & fluid filled. Failure to seek treatment could cause the swelling to lead to permanent disfigurement (cauliflower ear).
How is it diagnosed?

Your veterinarian should be able to diagnose an ear hematoma based on appearance, however as tumours & abscess can also have similar symptoms to ear hematomas your veterinarian may need to differentiate between these conditions. He may perform a fine needle aspirate, which involves drawing out some of the fluid from the ear & analysing it under a microscope. If it contains blood, this will confirm an ear hematoma.

He will also need to determine what caused the hematoma, for example does the cat have an ear infection, parasites etc?
How is it treated?

There are several methods for dealing with ear hematomas in cats. These include;

The simplest method is to use a needle to remove the fluid from the ear. Cortisone is then injected into the ear. This method is best for small hematomas only. This method isn't always effective & the hematoma may recur.

Larger hematomas require surgical treatment. Typically this involves making an incision & draining the fluid & blood clots from the ear. The incision will either be left partially open to allow for drainage of any fluids that may continue to leak or he may place a drain in the ear. He may either place multiple sutures in the ear & or bandage the ear to prevent further damage & avoid the hematoma recurring.

Finding & treating the cause of the itching/scratching that lead to the hematoma. Ie; eliminating parasites, treating infection etc.

Best of luck!

[Ashley_Aleigha]

This is great i work for a animal rescue part time and vet clinic the remainder of the week i was leaving rescue last night around 8pm about 10 degrees F out and a cat carrier with a big white un-neutered male cat and a ear hematoma was sitting outside the door i took him home with me last night and he is coming to the clinic with me today most likely for surgery but your great information was very helpful last night when trying to understand my new foster cats condition. Thank you!

[LindaTX]

Hi Belinda and welcome to the cat forum.  You can treat the ear mites but the hematoma definitely has to be dealt with by a Veterinarian.  There's just no other way around it.