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Lump on ear

Published on: May 06, 2021 • By: Teri · In Forum: Dogs
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Teri
Participant
May 06, 2021 at 10:22am
Hi I was just wondering if anyone (vet) knows what this is. My German shepherd is allergic to grass and pollen and it effects his ears which causes him to itch constantly. We have medication for his allergy and for his ears but just noticed he has a lump on his ear and was wondering if this was caused by his excessive itching?? Its skin coloured and has hair on it so not a tick
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Liz Buchanan BVSc MRCVS
Keymaster
May 07, 2021 at 08:42pm
Hello!  There are as many sorts of skin lumps found on ears as over the rest of the body - benign ones, cancerous ones etc.  Ticks are usually obvious if you know what one looks like.  There are also lumps called aural haematomas.  This is fluid (blood) that forms between the ear cartilage and the tight overlying skin.  The fluid has nowhere to go to, so it forms a lump, which can get bigger or smaller.  Often, if a vet puts a needle through the ear-skin and 'sucks up' the fluid, it is seen to be blood - perhaps from a microfracture in the ear-cartilage, but if this is the case, the blood has often forced apart the skin form the cartilage, forming a gap that generally fills with blood again.  Another possibility is called urticaria - a swelling, often circular, in the skin that forms a raised area.  Whichever of these possibilities is the case (and there are more:  I haven't mentioned skin infections or oedema here for example), the deep-underlying cause is often allergy. In any case, medical intervention tends to be required so its worth calling for vets for triage for an appointment.
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