Through social networks, images of dogs with buttons sewn in their ears have gone viral, and for some, this might seem like a form of animal abuse, but the truth is that there is a health background behind this “trend.”
This technique of sewing buttons on the ears is used by veterinarians as a procedure to heal a pathology called “otohematoma or auricular hematoma,” which usually affects dogs with long ears. An otohematoma, also known as an auricular hematoma, is a condition of the ear that causes swelling in that part of the body due to hemorrhage, usually caused by a blow or shaking of the head due to an ear infection.
The surgical method to heal it is to make an incision to drain the accumulated blood and thus prevent the cavity formed from filling up again. Putting buttons on the wounds is a strategy to help close large wounds in places with a lot of movement; it also serves to prevent this blood from accumulating again because it helps to drain it and, above all, to join and close the open tissue of the ear again.
This surgical technique must always be performed by a professional because he must put your pet under general anesthesia, besides he must remove the blood clots, and analyze if he does not have a stronger infection inside his ears. It is very important that if you see a dog or other animal with these buttons, do not try to remove them until they are taken to an animal health professional because they could cause bleeding.
Generally, breeds with large ears are the ones that suffer from this alteration; however, it also occurs less frequently in other canines with small ears. To detect if your pet suffers from this pathology, you can check his ears periodically with great care because, if he suffers from it, it is painful, and you will see an important inflammation in his ear.
Story written in Spanish by Daniela Bosch in Cultura Colectiva