Cocker Spaniel MAJOR PROBLEM please help!?

Question

Hi Guys, well lately my cocker spaniel has been bitting her side for a few days now and the skin is totally exposed and the hair has been bitten off in one section. Now today I discovered upon petting her that her ear has a giant lump in it, and I'm not talking about the ear canal I'm talking about the part of the ear that hangs down with the fur on it. She shakes her head when I touch it and it feels like a large tumor. Please tell me whats wrong and how I can treat it. Those with past experiences with this please post, Thank you guys :(

Answer 1

You need to see your vet as soon as you can. The ear does sound like a hematoma, which as others have said is a blood filled pocket. This usually occurs when the dog shakes it's head so excessively it breaks the blood vessels in the ear and the blood pools up in the pocket between the skin. As you can imagine it is quite painful. Although it is possible it is a tumor, your vet will be able to tell you quickly. A hematoma is usually the result of an ear infection which is a common cocker problem (we've had these dogs all my life)
Hematoma's are treated surgically. The vet will drain the blood pocket, clean it out and then suture the ear together to prevent the pocket from forming again. The head is usually bandaged and an e-collar put on the dog. This problem requires alot of post-op care (cleaning ears, vet changing bandages, medication) and can re-occur easily if the vets instructions are not closely followed. If it is a very small blood pocket some vets may treat it without surgery by draining the pocket and bandaging the ear; but this is not as successful, prone to later re-occur and can be just as expensive as the surgery.
The biting and raw spot on the side is most likely a "hot spot". When a dog is extremely itchy (usually allergies) they can't help but itch and scratch (anyone who has had poison ivy can relate) and will chew themselves raw. This usually gets infected. The hotspot is best treated by shaving the hair from around the area and getting a good cleaning usually with an antispetic. The vet will also usually prescribe a spray to help with the itchy skin and some antibiotics to clear up the infection.
In the longterm you should talk to your vet about the possibility of your dog having allergies, there are a number of options such as allergy testing, anti-allergy medications, allergy shots, hypo-allergenic diets etc (depending on the type and severity of your dog's allergies). Also a regular ear cleaning regimen will help prevent later ear infections.
Good luck, I hope this was helpful.

Answer 2

The dog needs to be taken to the vet. The chewing on her side could be a lot of things most needing a vet. Did she start shaking her head before she got the lump in her ear. I ask because if she was doing a lot of head shaking due to ear mites or even a yeast infection she could have a hematoma. It is a blood filled mass caused from the shaking. It will need surgery if this would be the case. She could also have an abcess on that ear from an earlier injury that got infected. Maybe these things happened at the same time. Do you think she could have got herself into a scrap? Take her to the vet.

Answer 3

Torbay is absoulutely correct about the hematoma in the ear - VET, ASAP!

The chewing 'hot spot' issue is from allergies (& could be why she is shaking her head that caused the hematoma, or she may also have an ear infection - common with this breed, too). If you are not in an area that has had a hard freeze, it could be from grass or pollen. Or, it could be from household dust, to having used a chemical to clean carpets or your sofa, or spray or carpet deoderizer, to ???. Sounds like she may need to see a vet dermatogist to get proper treatment for relief, or you will be always fighting the symptoms - which is harder on your poor dog & more expensive in the long run!

Answer 4

I would talk with your vet about it. My lab had a similar problem many years ago and while I don't recall the name for it, the problem was essentially just fluid. The skin flaps of the ear had suffered some mild trauma and the skin separated and fluid filled that cavity. The fluid could be drained but generally the vet said it reappears in almost all cases. Best to rule out any possible malignant problems, however, with your vet.

Answer 5

Sounds like two different problems.

The lump in the ear is likely an aural haematoma (or blood blister) caused by scratching or shaking the ear. It needs to be surgically expressed by the vet.

There are so many reasons why a dog could be chewing itself, that you need a vet for this too. Even with a vet's help itchiness is somtimes difficult to diagnose.

In short, see your vet.

Answer 6

You've gotten a lot of great advice here - the common theme is tak your dog to the vet. Ears problems and allergies are a real issue with this breed. I have one who is 16 and we have "fought" her ears for most of her life. Keeping your dog well groomed can help with hot spots and less fur on the aears can help reduce ear infections since more ear can get in there and keep it dryer. Good luck and waste no time getting her to the vet.

Answer 7

She has a hematoma and nees to get to the vet ASAP!!!! This is a blood blister like thing that can be very painful. If not dealt with, the ear can become deformed. It usually requires surgery to open it up and suture it so it will not continue to fill with blood again.

Answer 8

The ear flap is called the pinna. It might be a cyst, it is probably itching her and that's why she's biting on it.

A trip to the vet will tell you if it's a cyst or something else.

Call the vet, tell them what you've found. I'm sure they'll schedule an appointment for you this week.

Answer 9

You need to see the vet about the ears. If they are bothering him that bad and smell then he obviously has a horrible infection which you can not treat yourself. As far as the separation anxiety, what I have done is to condition them to know that you are coming back. Throughout the day, go outside and come back 1 minute later. If he does okay during that time, do it again only come back 5 minutes later, then 10 then 20, etc. and do this until you can leave for a good amount of time without the dog freaking out. Any time he freaks out, go back to the amount of time that he didn't freak out. Just keep increasing the time over several weeks until he sees that you WILL come back. Sometimes that's all they need. Other times, if they are suffering from an anxiety disorder, that can be controlled with medication. That's something you can talk to your vet about.

Answer 10

you can give her a lot of attention so that she wony bite her skin or give her somehting to play with and the rest you can take to the vet