Although Aural Hematoma’s are normally found to effect Dog’s and Cat’s it has also been reported to occasionally occur in Rats and as such we felt that it still needed to be mentioned since Aural Hematoma’s are known to be quite painful and do require prompt vet care to be treated successfully and with the minimal amount of pain to the Rat.
Aural Hematomas occur within the ear flap and are caused by a broken blood vessel within the flap. This broken vessel allows blood and serum to fill the ear, which in turn gives the ear flap the appearance of a “pillow”.
The actual cause is difficult to diagnose with any animal until a veterinarian has had a chance to have a good look in the ear canal. Even after the vet has examined the animal, actual cause may still be unknown.
The breaking of the blood vessel usually occurs because the animal continually flicks or shakes the ear. The flicking or shaking is normally caused by something within the ear aggravating the animal. Basically anything that causes the animal to shake or flick their ear constantly can cause an Aural Hematoma to form.
As far as we know, there is nothing you can do to prevent or cause an Aural Hematoma to occur. By doing regular checks on your Rats ears for foreign objects or excessive dirt you can monitor your Rat for any changes within the ear. If your Rat is shaking or flicking it’s ears frequently it would be strongly recommended that you take your rat to the vet for a general check of the ear.
Treatment for an Aural Hematoma consists of the rat having surgery, much the same as is performed on a Dog or Cat. An incision is made in the ear flap to allow the built up fluid to drain. Then stitches are placed all over the ear flap to reduce the risk of the ear flap filling with fluid again. The original cut made in the ear flap is left open to allow the ear flap to continue to drain until it heals by itself. The stitches are generally removed around 3 weeks after the initial surgery, at which point the ear should be completely healed.
