Question:
Some time ago, you featured a column about cauliflower ear in cats. My dog has this problem, and I need your advice.
M.L.S., Swanton, Md Mar 13, 2011
Answer:
If you think your dog has a cauliflower ear (all swollen and crumpling), it may be too late to surgically correct it.
Cauliflower ear occurs in dogs that develop a kind of blood blister under the skin of an ear traumatized by a bite or, more often, from violent head shaking and scratching associated with an ear infection. Early treatment of ear infections is the best preventive. When the earflap or pinna swells, immediate drainage and plastic surgery (inserting compression buttons) to prevent the ear from filling up and to facilitate natural healing is called for. The longer the delay, the more the damage as scar tissue forms.
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