In the photo here, 3 hungry leeches are attached to a hematoma on an awake dog's ear. (A hematoma is a swelling from a bloody fluid.) The leeches anxiously attach to the ear, then remain attached for 20-40 minutes. During this time, they will suck a small amount of blood- nothing harmful to the dog- but their benefit comes from those chemicals that prevent the blood from clotting and forming all sorts of scar tissue that would have resulted in a gnarly ear when the hematoma resolves.
In most cases, the therapy is less expensive than surgery. No anesthesia is needed- the leeches also inject a numbing chemical into the site. It may take a month for the hematoma to fully heal, but the ear is usually normal in appearance afterwards. With all types of surgery, or even with no surgery, the ear usually becomes scarred and irregular in shape to some extent.
Leech therapy can also be used to treat other conditions. We've used it for thromboembolisms in cats- the kind that can leave a cat paralyzed in its hind end. In human medicine, it's used in plastic surgery, especially where trauma has occurred in order to encourage circulation to the site.
After the procedure, the leeches are retired and kept in a bowl to swim around.
Help! I am in Santa Fe, NM and am looking for leeches to treat my dogs aural hematoma. He had a surgical procedure and is still experiencing swelling at the tip of his ear. He is to old to undergo anesthesia and is now terrified of the vet clinic. He can't take anti anxiety medicine. I just want to try leeches as all my research tells me that this is the way to go.
ReplyDeleteHi Diane,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you found our blog helpful. Leeches are considered a medical therapy and should be undertaken with veterinary supervision. Also note that we hospitalize our patients for at least a few hours, as the leeches' saliva contains chemicals that cause bleeding to occur. This can be very messy.
You might want to ask your regular vet if s/he would be interested in working with you on this. We would be happy to talk to her/him about it. Leeches for medical purposes can be easily obtained by medical professionals. You can also see if you can locate a holistic practitioner in your area by looking at the referral list at ahvma.org. Good luck!
Hello Shelley,
ReplyDeleteI tried to call your practice at (302)762-2694 but however was told that this procedure could not be legally detailed to me further, however I am still interested in this as treatment for my own pet dog with an aural hematoma. Sadly, in Australia we do not have any vets that do leech treatment though I have found a leech therapist for humans and would very much appreciate any advice you could give me.
Kind regards,
Jess
Jessica- 1 leech per 5ml blood. Put in inside of pinna and leave on til done feeding (10-45 minutes per leech). Expect bleeding afterwards- and E collar is useful and keep dog in an area that can be easily cleaned! (for a few hours). Repeat daily x 3 days. Dog can't be wearing any pesticides (flea/tick products). The leech therapist should know the rest (handling of the leeches, enticing them to attach, etc. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteDear Dr. Epstein,
ReplyDeleteFor a large aural hematoma, would you combine the leech therapy with aspiration (needle and syringe; before or after treatment with the leeches) or just do it with leeches alone?