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Ear hematomas are common in dogs; they are blood-filled pockets on the internal side of the ear flap. While ear hematomas may seem harmless, they’re painful for your dog and can swell, leading to further health issues for your pet.
Because of that, it’s crucial to treat a dog’s ear hematoma promptly and take your dog to a vet, who will probably perform surgery to get rid of the hematoma.
As you know, vet checkups and visits can be costly, so we want to provide you with more info about how much a dog’s ear hematoma surgery costs. Typically, a dog’s ear hematoma surgery costs anywhere from $300 to $2,000, but the price can be much higher in some areas. Read on to learn all the details.
The Importance of Removing a Hematoma from Your Dog’s Ear
If your dog has an ear hematoma, it’s crucial to react promptly and get rid of it, and we’ll explain why. However, before we get into the details of why an ear hematoma needs removal, you need to know how a dog hematoma looks and what causes it.
In a dog, an ear hematoma will manifest as a small lump that will grow over time, and many refer to this condition as the cauliflower ear. Other signs of ear hematoma in dogs include:
Typically, dogs unintentionally cause ear hematomas by scratching or shaking their heads too often and too hard. When that happens, the dog can hurt the blood vessels inside the ear, leading to a hematoma. This condition can happen to all dogs, although dogs with bigger ears are more susceptible to this problem.
One of the most significant issues of ear hematomas, and the reason you should remove a hematoma from your dog’s ear, is that there might be an underlying condition causing the hematoma to appear. If there’s a medical issue you don’t know about, you could jeopardize your dog’s health, which is something you should avoid.
Here are some of the possible medical conditions for why your dog has an ear hematoma:
As the ear hematoma in your dog is painful and could indicate that something else is going on, you should immediately take your puppy to the vet if you notice this problem.
How Much Does Dog’s Ear Hematoma Surgery Cost?
Typically, a dog’s ear hematoma surgery costs anywhere from $300 to $2,000, but the price can be much higher in some areas. The actual price of the surgery will depend on several factors, including:
When it comes to your location, the prices of dog ear hematoma surgery vary per region. Here’s a comparison of prices of this surgery per the area you live in:
When it comes to the severity of the hematoma, larger hematomas will be more expensive to treat and remove than a recent hematoma. Also, not all dogs can go through hematoma surgery, so they might need another removal method, typically drainage. If your dog doesn’t need surgery and can go through the drainage removal method, the costs will be significantly lower, typically between $200 and $500.
Additional Costs to Anticipate
Before your dog goes through the ear hematoma surgery, you’ll first need to visit the vet, who will perform several tests, and there could be additional costs to the final price of the procedure.
1. Vet Examination and Lab Tests
The veterinarian has to examine your canine and verify if the ear hematoma requires surgery or not. During that consultation, your vet will provide you with information about all possible removal methods along with their costs. This type of examination typically costs between $50 and $250.
Also, the vet will probably have to run several lab tests to ensure your dog’s healthy enough to withstand the surgery. The costs of those tests can vary from $100 to $200.
2. Anesthesia
If your canine needs to go through ear hematoma surgery, it will also need anesthesia for the procedure. Depending on your dog’s size and overall health, you’re looking at a price between $90 and $1,200 for the anesthesia.
3. Hospitalization
Commonly, after the ear hematoma surgery, the dog needs to remain hospitalized for a day. The hospitalization price can vary, but it’s typically between $600 and $1,200.
4. Medications
Depending on the pain your dog is going through, and if there’s inflammation, your dog might need antibiotics, pain relief medication, or anti-inflammatory medications. While the price of these medications varies per the brand, and the number of meds your canine needs, they will commonly cost between $25 and $200.
5. Follow-up Checkups
Once your dog goes through surgery, it will need to rest and recover for the next 2 weeks. During that period, your beloved friend will need follow-up checkups at your vet to verify the recovery is flowing smoothly. The costs for the additional checkups vary from $50 to $250.
How Long Will My Dog Stay at the Vet?
Commonly, if your dog has to go through ear hematoma surgery, it will need to stay hospitalized for one day, especially because of the anesthesia. That way, the vet will be able to follow your dog’s state and ensure that the surgery went well.
However, that can turn into multiple days if there were any complications during the surgery. If your dog didn’t go through surgery and had another hematoma removal method instead, it should go home with you immediately after the procedure is done.
Does Pet Insurance Cover Dog’s Ear Hematoma Surgery?
Pet insurance covers costs when your dog experiences minor and major illnesses and diseases. Depending on the type of policy you choose, your insurance company can also cover routine vet visits, examinations, and procedures. When it comes to ear hematoma surgery in dogs, it’s typically covered by the accidental injury policy, unless the hematoma is connected with a previous condition.
After the surgery, you can file a claim with your pet insurance company, and you should get reimbursement adequate to your premium and fees. Of course, while most insurance companies cover these costs, that might not be the case with all companies.
Because of that, it’s always helpful to get all the details before choosing a company for your pet insurance.
What Happens if You Leave a Dog’s Ear Hematoma Untreated?
If you leave your dog’s ear hematoma untreated, it will become larger over time, causing more pain and stress to your canine. Also, the inflammation happening inside could lead to your dog having a distorted ear with a weird shape, which could obstruct your canine’s ear canal.
Remember that ear hematomas bring discomfort and pain to your dog, so it’s crucial to react in time and remove the hematoma.
How To Prevent an Ear Hematoma in Your Dog?
While there are no strict rules on how to prevent an ear hematoma in your dog, there are several different things you can do to lower the chances of this health issue:
Conclusion
When it comes to the price of a dog’s ear hematoma surgery, the costs can vary, and the numbers go up once you include all the additional costs. However, you can apply for pet insurance which will cover these costs unless there’s an old condition causing the hematoma.
Featured Image Credit: Kittima05, Shutterstock
