Does your dog have a blood blister? Here’s What To Do – Top Tips For Dogs

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Blood blisters or hematomas are blisters that form on your dog and are filled with blood. If you ever see a blood blister on your dog, you may have some questions: What causes blood blisters?

Can blood blisters be prevented? Should I go to the vet if I see a blood blister on my dog? What, if any, should I do to treat a blood blister in my dog?

What is a blood blister?

Blood blisters are hematomas or blisters filled with blood that form under your dog’s skin. The most common area where you will see a blood blister is on your dog’s ears, but these blisters can form on other parts of the body as well.

The reason blood blisters are most commonly found on or near a dog’s ear is that dogs with ear infections or mites may scratch or shake their heads in response, causing the ear flaps to slam against their leader.

When done in excess, it can cause hematomas under the skin of the ears. This can lead to further scratching and shaking of the head and more hematomas.

Blood blisters are caused by irritation and excessive scratching; however, they can be painful and irritating to your dog.

If your dog finds blood blisters irritating and painful, he’s more likely to scratch the area of the blister, which can make it worse or become infected.

What Causes Blood Blisters in Dogs?

As mentioned above, blood blisters are caused when your dog has a spot or pimples that irritate him.

Scratching themselves repeatedly or shaking the head vigorously can cause damage to the skin.

If the skin becomes damaged, a blister can form where the blood pools under the skin.

Other symptoms of a blood blister include:

Swelling of the area
Redness of the area
Distortion where the blister is located
Avoidance of touch or pressure
Discoloration of the skin and surrounding area

Your dog may aggravate blood blisters if the dog repeatedly scratches or shakes its head, further damaging the area.

A damaged blood blister can rupture, causing your dog more pain and possibly an infection.

Blood blisters can also occur internally; however, they are more difficult to notice and diagnose by a veterinarian.

Internal blood blisters can be caused by damage to your dogs, such as an accident, dog fight, or other physical injury.

If your dog has an internal blood blister, it can damage the organ it rests on.

Even though there aren’t many signs you can see, your dog may experience the following symptoms:

epileptic attacks
commas
Neurological damage
organ failure
Pain
incontinence

Can Dog Blood Blisters Be Prevented?

Some blood blisters can be prevented, but not all blood blisters can be completely prevented.

If you notice your dog is scratching or shaking excessively because of irritation, you should see a vet to avoid a blood blister.

If your dog has an ear infection or skin infection, it’s better to treat it before your dog causes a blood blister.

By avoiding the blood blister and solving the first problem, you protect your dog from more pain and the chance of infection or worse injury.

To prevent your dog from developing an internal blood blister, try to keep him out of dogfights and away from physical injuries that could cause internal injuries.

Ways to do this include keeping them on a leash while walking or in a fenced area outside.

Should I Seek Veterinary Care?

While blood blisters can heal on their own, they can take a long time — several weeks or months.

Remember that they are most likely to cause pain to your dog and your dog is at risk of aggravating the blister or opening and becoming infected if he has left to scratch the spot or shake his head.

To avoid further harm to your dog, if you see a blood blister, see a vet. A vet is the best person to diagnose and treat a blood blister.

Not only can a vet treat the original problem that caused your dog to scratch or shake and form a blood blister, but they are also best suited to offer treatment. The different treatment options such as:

Option 1: Depending on the location and size of the blood blister, your vet may drain the hematoma from blood; however, sometimes draining is not a perfect solution as the area can fill with blood.

Option 2: To prevent blood from building up, it may be necessary to drain temporarily at the site of the blister.

Option 3: Surgery under anesthesia may be the next option, especially for internal hematomas near the skin. In surgery, the blood is drained, the clot is removed, and the area is sutured so that the blood cannot get back into the chamber.

Option 4: In the case of hematomas on the ears, the ears may be bandaged to prevent further hitting to the head, and your dog may need to wear an Elizabethan collar to prevent further damage.

What should I do to treat a blood blister in my dog?

Under no circumstances should you try to empty or burst a blood blister yourself. This will only cause more harm to your dog as you could introduce bacteria into the already damaged area.

Let’s say blood blisters are expected on or around your dog’s ears and you’ve talked to your vet about waiting for treatment. In that case, they may recommend that you use the Elizabethan collar to see if the blister goes away on its own.

This method of treatment is only recommended if the blood blisters are small, known, disappear quickly, you have already talked to your vet about this course of treatment and you know the potential risks of delaying treatment.

Frequently Asked Questions About These Blisters in Dogs

If you have any further questions about this type of blister on your dog’s body, the following answers should clarify them.

Remember, when in doubt, take your dog to a veterinary doctor.

What does a dog blood blister look like?

One of these blisters looks like a normal blister but is filled with blood. The area may also be red or swollen.

How do you treat a blood blister in a dog?

Never try to drain a blood blister yourself. You could be doing more harm than good. Pet owners should always consult their veterinarian before treating any of these hematomas.

The vet may ask you to wait and look at the blister to see if it clears up on its own. Or they may suggest surgically draining it. They would do that in a safe, sterile environment.

Why does my dog have blood blisters?

Your dog will develop a blood blister if one of his blood vessels bursts. They are most common when your dog scratches or shakes an area hard.

This irritation can in some cases damage the blood vessels or the skin.

Blood blisters are common in your dog’s ears because the blood vessels are more fragile there.