How to Care for a Dog's Torn Ear - Having the Ear Assessed by a Vet

1. Bring your dog to the vet’s office. With the head bandage controlling the bleeding, you can now seek veterinary attention. Phone the vet clinic, tell them what has happened, and arrange to take the dog in to be assessed.
- The vet will address issues such as wound contamination and infection, and will determine if the tear needs suturing.

2. Ask your vet to assess the bleeding. There are occasions when the bleeding will persist once the head bandage is removed. In these cases, your vet may need to sedate your dog or give him an anesthetic. The vet will then ligate the bleeding vessels and then suture the wound to protect the ligatures.

3. Have the vet determine if the ear needs sutures. Some tears in the ear flap heal without intervention provided the bleeding stops and the dog does not scratch the ear. However, some wounds do need suturing in order to heal. If the tear extends through the entire ear, your vet will probably recommend suturing the wound.[32]