A hematoma is a localized pocket of blood that develops within an organ or tissue, sometimes referred to as a ‘blood blister.’ Hematomas vary in size and location, but in the case of dog ear hematomas (aural hematomas), they appear between the skin and cartilage within your pup’s ear flap (pinna). The swelling from your dog’s hematoma could extend across the entire ear flap making it appear thick and spongy, or just in one area of the ear.
Ear hematomas can be very painful for dogs and, left untreated, may lead to uncomfortable scarring that blocks the ear canal and affects your Bull Terrier’s hearing. If your dog shows signs of an ear hematoma it’s important to book an examination with your veterinarian right away.
A network of blood vessels runs between the skin on your dog’s ear and the cartilage beneath. A hematoma occurs when these blood vessels become damaged and bleeding occurs below the surface of the skin.
Most ear hematomas in dogs occur due to self-inflicted injuries stemming from scratching or vigorous head shaking due to ear irritation.
Ear irritation in dogs can occur due to allergies, inflammation, parasites, trauma (bites or other wounds), foreign bodies in the ear, or immune-mediated disease.
If your dog has an ear hematoma you will first notice soft, warm swelling on the inside of your dog’s ear flap. In the later stages, this soft swelling will give way to scar tissue that will result in the hard, distorted appearance of the ‘cauliflower’ ear.
Each case is unique and your veterinarian is in the best position to recommend the treatment option that is best for your pup.
In some cases, dog ear hematomas will be drained and the area injected with a steroid. However, it is important to be aware that this form of treatment may need to be repeated over time.
Surgery is typically the quickest and most effective way to treat ear hematomas in dogs.
Draining the hematoma was tried twice without success. When the hematoma refilled, surgery was scheduled.
Small Incisions at each end of the hematoma were made. This allowed the blood that had accumulated in the ear flap to be removed. A drain tube, IV line cut in half lengthwise, was inserted and sutured above and below the two incisions. Quilting stitches were then made on both sides of the drain tube closing the area where blood had accumulated. Each of these individual stitches go through the skin on both sides of the ear flap and the cartilage.
Depending on the individual case, you may want to put an Elizabethan collar on your dog to keep him/her from disturbing the ear as it heals. Our experience was that the dog no longer had ear flap pain, so never bothered the ear.
The incision sites required little or no care. If needed, hydrogen peroxide on a cotton tipped swab can be used to gently clean any drainage or blood on the surrounding skin.
The drain tube can be removed. For the next few days as the two incisions heal you may need to express any accumulated blood or fluid. In this particular case the tube was removed and the incisions healed nicely with no fluid build-up.
(approximately 5 weeks postsurgery) Quilting sutures can be removed.
Ear flap incisions and sutures sites were completely healed. There was no swelling where the hematoma had been. A little thickness from internal scar tissue can be felt.
This photo shows what the internal and external ear look like post aural hematoma surgery.
Several months postsurgery there is no recurring hematoma and the ear remains totally healed.
A cutaneous histiocytoma is a proliferation of cells involved with the immune system called Langerhans cells. Histiocytomas often appear in young Bull Terriers, most commonly in dogs less than 6 years old, though they can occur at any age and in various locations. Histiocytomas initially grow rapidly over a period of one to four weeks. Then they often remain the same size until they spontaneously regress and disappear a few months later.
Histiocytomas are skin tumors that normally appear on the head, neck, ears, limbs or feet. They are solitary, raised and hairless. They may be flesh-colored, pink, or red and they often look like a small button on the skin.
While histiocytomas might not look great, these tumors are benign, meaning they are not cancerous and you SHOULD NOT PANIC, but proceed with caution.
Histiocytomas are often readily diagnosed by fine needle aspirate and cytology. Because they can appear similar to mast cell tumors, it is important to complete this diagnostic to confirm the type of lesion. If the lesion is a histiocytoma, no further intervention is necessary. It will regress and resolve on its own.
Most dogs leave histiocytomas alone and don’t bother them. But if your dog licks or scratches at a histiocytoma, it can become ulcerated and infected. Having your dog wear a BiteNot or Elizabethan collar (the “cone of shame”) and keeping the skin nodule clean and dry will often resolve the infection. A short course of an antibiotic or a topical medication that contains a corticosteroid, a broad-spectrum antibiotic and an antifungal, may also be prescribed by your veterinarian.
Depending on the location, your veterinarian may choose to surgically remove a histiocytoma. They may also choose to surgically remove a histiocytoma that continues to become infected or is not regressing on its own. This is typically a minor and straightforward procedure but it does require general anesthesia. Your dog will likely go home the same day that the procedure is performed.
It is unfortunate that the Bull Terrier breed does experience histiocytomas and there is no guaranteed way to prevent them. For most dogs, the presence of a histiocytoma requires nothing more than monitoring until it resolves. It will often disappear almost as quickly as it initially appeared.
Note: The information provided herein does not constitute medical advice. For an accurate diagnosis of your Bull Terrier’s condition, please make an evaluation appointment with your veterinarian.
An Interdigital cyst is a chronic inflammatory lesion found between the toes of the front or back foot. They are usually found in the third or fourth interdigital space, but any interdigital space can be affected. They are a tender, raised, round, red nodule between the toes and can be extremely painful to the point of lameness.
The term “Interdigital cyst” is a misnomer; cysts are a thin-walled sac that contains fluid. The painful lumps found between a dog’s toes are more accurately called a furuncle – also known as a boil – and is caused by an infected hair follicle. Your veterinarian may refer to this condition as interdigital furunculosis, interdigital pyoderma or interdigital pododermatitis. A hair follicle is a shaft or opening in the skin through which a hair grows. An interdigital cyst develops when a hair follicle becomes infected. These cysts most often develop on the top side of the webbing between the toes but can also appear on the underside of the webbing between the paw pads.
CAUSES OF INTERDIGITAL CYSTS
The most common cause of an interdigital cyst is trauma from the very hair that sits inside the follicle. An awkward step of dogs who have short, stiff hairs on the webbing between their toes, can drive one of these bristly hairs backwards into the hair follicle. This is called an ingrown hair.
This may seem odd, but hair is very irritating to the deeper layers of skin. The primary component of hair is keratin. When keratin enters the skin around the hair follicle, it causes an inflammatory reaction. The skin around the follicle becomes swollen and closes off part of the follicle. Bacteria inside the follicle become trapped and grow, causing an infected follicle and the formation of an interdigital cyst.
A misstep is not the only cause of traumatic ingrown hairs. Dogs who have varus (where the forelimb is rotated so that the elbow juts outward) or valgus (where the front paws are turned outward from the wrist of their forelimbs) – either due to their breed or an angular limb deformity – are more likely to develop interdigital cysts. Dogs who have varus or valgus are more likely to bear weight on the webbing between their toes rather than just the paw pads. This increases the likelihood of driving hairs back into the hair follicle, resulting in an interdigital cyst.
Dogs who are overweight are more likely to bear weight on the webbing between their toes when walking or running. So are dogs whose gait has been altered by osteoarthritis.
Interdigital cysts can also be caused by stepping on a thorn or a burr. Grass awns and foxtails can enter the webbing between a dog’s toes and cause an interdigital cyst.
Any condition that causes your dog to excessively lick his paws can also lead to the formation of interdigital cysts. This includes demodicosis, atopic dermatitis, and bacterial and fungal infections.
Interdigital cysts typically require nothing more than a physical examination to diagnose and treat. But if your dog has more than one cyst, has recurring cysts, or cysts do not respond to conventional treatment, then your veterinarian may order diagnostics to determine the underlying problem. These diagnostics may include a biopsy of one or more cysts, a skin scrape cytology to look for Demodex mites, or a bacteria culture and sensitivity to determine the correct antibiotic.
TREATMENT FOR INTERDIGITAL CYSTS
Single cysts may be treated with a topical antibiotic. Your veterinarian may prescribe a medicated cleanser, such as one containing chlorhexidine, to clean the cyst and the skin around it. Your dog may need to wear a BiteNot or an Elizabethan collar (the cone of shame!) to prevent him from licking the cyst as it heals. An analgesic should be prescribed to reduce your dog’s pain and discomfort. Having multiple cysts or a single cyst that does not respond to topical treatment may require an oral antibiotic.
Photobiomodulation (also known as PBM or laser therapy) and fluorescence biomodulation (FBM) are therapies that may be used in addition to topical or oral antibiotics to treat interdigital cysts. Both therapies use specific wavelengths of light to reduce pain and inflammation and stimulate healing. PBM is available at many general practices whereas FBM may only be available at specialty hospitals or veterinary universities.
Dogs who do not respond to medical management may require surgical removal of their interdigital cysts. Removing a cyst with traditional surgical techniques requires removing the skin around the cyst and may alter the conformation of a dog’s paw. Alternatively, interdigital cysts can be vaporized with a carbon dioxide laser (CO 2 laser). This allows for removal of only the affected tissue and has a better outcome but may require multiple treatments to fully resolve the issue.
PREVENTION OF INTERDIGITAL CYSTS
There are a number of strategies you can implement to minimize the risk of your dog developing interdigital cysts. If your dog is overweight, talk to your veterinarian about the most effective way to manage a weight loss program for your dog. Avoid walking through areas that contain thorns, prickers, grass awns, and foxtails. If your dog excessively licks his paws, make an appointment with his veterinarian to determine the underlying cause and appropriate treatment.
Keep your dog’s paws clean and dry; excess moisture can lead to bacterial and fungal skin infections. Your veterinarian may prescribe a medicated wipe that can be used daily. Inspect your dog’s paws regularly for any redness or small bumps so that issues can be addressed early before they become big, painful problems.
The information provided herein does not constitute medical advice. For an accurate diagnosis of your Bull Terrier’s condition, please make an evaluation appointment with your veterinarian.
Intestinal obstructions are frequent concerns in Bull Terriers. They (and other breeds) are notorious for swallowing inappropriate and undigestable objects. This can be life threatening and is one of the most common causes of death in Bullies.
Symptoms of intestinal obstruction in dogs may include vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, and an inability to defecate. If you notice any of these signs or if you have reason to believe your dog may have ingested something that could cause an obstruction, it's important to contact your veterinarian as soon as possible.
Intestinal obstructions are serious and can be life-threatening if not addressed promptly. Do not attempt to treat a potential intestinal obstruction at home, as this is a medical emergency that requires professional veterinary intervention.
Your veterinarian will likely perform a physical examination, conduct diagnostic tests such as X-rays, ultrasound and barium. Treatment will depend on the severity of the obstruction and the specific circumstances. If obstruction is confirmed, they will recommend surgery.
WAIT AND SEE can be a fatal decision. Keep in mind that the object(s) may have been retained in their stomachs for a very long time before exiting the stomach into the small intestine.
Depending on the size and shape of the object, it may not be able to pass through your Bullies digestive system. NEVER leave your Bullie unattended with toys; there are very few that can hold up to the power of a BT.
If you know that your Bullie has JUST eaten or swallowed something with potential to harm them, call your Vet as they have medications to administer and help your BT to vomit the object.
