If you take your dog to the vet and he comes out with buttons sewn onto his ear, the first thing you would think is: “What on earth have they just done to him?”
Well, let me tell you that it isn’t. On the contrary, this could save his life. Veterinarians came up with this solution for a more common problem than we might imagine: an aural hematoma. It happens when a dog scratches so much or shakes its head so vigorously that it ruptures a vein inside its ear, and the blood becomes trapped between the skin and cartilage, forming a hot, heavy pocket.
Breeds with long, floppy ears, such as the Cocker Spaniel, Basset Hound, or Labrador, are the most prone.
If left untreated, that blood hardens and the ear becomes permanently deformed, creating what is known as cauliflower ear. That is why, under anesthesia, the veterinarian drains the fluid and stitches the ear from side to side, using buttons to distribute the pressure so the thread does not cut into the skin. They remove them after two or three weeks, and the ear heals as if nothing had happened. What you should never do is touch it, squeeze it, or wait for it to go down on its own: it hurts, and even the calmest dog may bite.