Eventually, the hematoma may become firm and thickened, resulting in a deformed вЂњcauliflowerвЂќ appearance.Д¬oncurrent ear disease like infection or foreign material is common, but not always present. On a physical examination, a warm, fluid-filled swelling is noted on the inner surface of the ear. Left untreated, the swelling may eventually resolve on its own, leaving the ear deformed, a so-called вЂњcauliflower ear.вЂќ What to Watch For

The exact cause is poorly understood but any condition that leads to head shaking or ear scratching such as bacterial ear infection or ear mites may be responsible.ДЄural hematomas can be painful to the touch and may aggravate an underlying ear disease. They usually appear as fluid-filled swellings on the concave (underneath) surface of the pinna, which is the pointed or floppy portion of the ear. He will show it to anyone, anytimeвЂ¦.Aural hematoma, commonly referred to as вЂњpillow earвЂќ, is an accumulation of blood within the cartilage layers of the dogвЂ™s ear. Today, there is still a slight swelling, but it is causing him no pain or discomfort. Within a week the entire group had forgiven us, including Rocko and Mama Bear of the group, Lindsey.

Rocko was pretty mad at us that afternoon and the rest of group told us of their disapproval for upsetting their friend.В But the following morning the ear looked much better! He was happy to participate and made it clear when he was done by spitting in our face!В Eventually we were ready to lance the ear using a scalpel blade and allow it to drain. We spent three weeks training Rocko to present his ear and eventually to allow a light poke with a chop stick. He was given medications to help initially, but it still continued to grow larger. With positive reinforcement training we were able to look at the ear repeatedly and monitor it for signs of inflammation, infection, and pain. It bothered him immensely he was more than eager to show us his ear and get help. Rocko now had an aural hematoma on the tip of his left ear. However, a few months later a second injury happened, and it ruptured a blood vessel in RockoвЂ™s left ear. The ears healed really well and within a few short weeks, Rocko was strutting his stuff for the new girls like all the other boys. This is a very common interaction with chimps as aides in establishing dominance and is not about inflicting damage. The caretakers observed that both RockoвЂ™s ears had been bitten.

But with any new friendships, there are likely to be small arguments. For most of these boys it was the first time being around a member of the opposite sex.В Most of the group got along and found themselves fast friends. Recently RockoвЂ™s bachelor group was introduced to an all-female group. That was the case for Rocko, a 32 year old male resident at Project Chimps. This process can cause significant inflammation, which if you are a chimp and you feel something not right, you pick at, tear at it, and/or try to pull it off. As the body tries to fix itself, it sends a lot of its helper white blood cells and tries to remove the blood and repair the aural hematoma. If due to trauma, there could be bacteria trapped inside and potentially lead to an abscess. There is normally not a lot of space in this area of the ear so when it fills, it can be very tight and cause an uncomfortable amount of pressure. They occur most commonly associated with trauma, such as a scratch or a bite from another chimp. This is uncommon in chimpanzees based on their ear anatomy, which is similar to ours, but can occur.

How does it happen?ДЄural hematomas occur when a blood vessel in the ear bursts and bleeds into the space between the ear cartilage and skin. The most common type of hematoma in animals affects the ears and is called an aural, or ear, hematoma. AВ hematomaВ is a localized accumulation of blood that is confined within an organ or tissue, sometimes referred to as a blood blister.

Aural hematoma treatment