Treatment of canine aural haematoma by UK veterinarians

ObjectivesTo survey the current treatment techniques of aural haematomas in dogs and investigate veterinary opinion regarding treatment success. MethodsTotally 2386 emails were sent to veterinary surgeons and practices inviting them to complete an online survey. Questions investigated treatment selection for initial and repeat presentations of aural haematoma in dogs and their opinion of treatment success to prevent recurrence and for good cosmesis. ResultsTotally 312 email addresses were invalid, 259 questionnaires were completed (125% response rate) and 251 were included in analysis. On initial presentation, treatments included needle drainage with local deposition of corticosteroids (43%), surgery (29%) and needle drainage without corticosteroids (16%). Surgical procedures included linear incision with sutures alone (35%) or sutures plus stents (24%) and an S-shaped incision with sutures (23%). The most common reason to select a particular treatment was previous success (76%). Recurrent haematoma was treated more commonly with surgery (67%) than that of the initial presentation. Cosmetic results with medical management were excellent and with surgical treatment were good. Clinical SignificanceThis study describes the relative popularity and perceived success of treatments used for aural haematoma in the dog. Surgery is considered more likely to definitively treat the condition with good cosmetic results.