A vet's quirky way of treating a golden retriever's ear has stunned internet viewers, with some saying that he is the canine version of animated character Coraline.
Dog owner Hailey Williams, 30, shared a video on TikTok (@archer_inspired) showing her adorable pup, named Jarvis, with eight buttons stitched into the skin on his ear. The poor pup could also be seen with a cone around his neck to stop him from scratching the buttons.
Jarvis had a hematoma, which is a mass of blood that pools in the ear flap. Williams, of Long Beach, California, told Newsweek that, if it wasn't treated, it could burst and cause "a huge mess." Alternatively, her pup could develop a "cauliflower ear," so Williams sought medical intervention to treat the hematoma instead.
Williams had already taken Jarvis to the vet once for a steroid injection, but that didn't seem to work. So, she returned to the vet, where they had the idea to cover his ear with buttons; this would in turn create scar tissue and hopefully stop the hematoma from developing.
"When we went back to Primary Care Animal Hospital, they gave him anesthesia and stitched buttons on his ear in a quilt format, which would create scar tissue to prevent the problem from happening again," Williams said.
"The buttons meant the stitches put pressure on the button rather than his ear. It had much greater success of healing because it didn't put any more stress on his ear, and it also created more surface area on the ear to create scar tissue."
VCA Animal Hospitals experts say that excessive or violent shaking can cause blood vessels beneath the skin to break. A hematoma is when there is bleeding into the space between the ear cartilage and skin on the inner surface of the ear.
Newsweek spoke to veterinarian Dr. Matthew McCarthy, who said it is a recognized surgical technique to treat an ear hematoma.
McCarthy, the founder of Juniper Valley Animal Hospital in Queens, New York, added that, in most cases, a vet will try to drain the swelling and inject a steroid first. However, if that fails and the hematoma fills again, surgery is the most-effective option.
McCarthy said: "During surgery, the skin over the hematoma is removed, the blood and clots are drained, and the layers of the ear are sutured back together. This is often done using multiple sutures in a pattern that covers most of the ear's surface, which creates the quilted appearance.
"The goal is for scar tissue to develop around the sutures, permanently holding the layers together. More sutures generally lead to more scar tissue and a stronger repair."
The healing process can take up to three weeks, and McCarthy added that the buttons are placed on the ear "to prevent the sutures from embedding into the skin" during that time.
Jarvis had to wear the buttons on his ear for two weeks, but internet users were in full support of his unusual new accessories. When Williams, a photographer, shared videos of Jarvis wearing his buttons, social-media users hailed him for looking like Coraline from the 2009 movie of the same name.
However, it wasn't that easy to look at; Williams said it gave her "the heebie-jeebies every time" she looked at them.
Having the buttons in his ear definitely helped, according to Williams, as she can feel the scar tissue that has formed since. While Jarvis was given pain medications for the first couple of days, Williams said he wasn't in any discomfort from the stitches, "just sadness because of the cone of shame."
"He's doing great now. It really bonded us even more, knowing his mama will fight for him. I'm just glad we got it handled," Williams added.
The Social Media Reaction
Williams had never seen a treatment method quite like this, and she thought it was worth sharing on social media. Indeed, internet users certainly agreed as the clip has generated more than 9.9 million views and almost 200,000 likes in just a matter of days.
Williams said: "We received so many Coraline comments. People found it fascinating, stomach churning, weird, awesome, crazy—you name it. People have shared a lot of similar stories as well which have been fun to read. Jarvis appreciates all the love and attention for his funky ear and lovable face."
The viral TikTok video has amassed more than 2,100 comments already, with many people hailing Jarvis for his undeniable bravery.
One comment on the post reads: "it's cute little ear piercings."
Another TikTok user wrote: "I would be forced to rename my buttons baby Coraline."
"I have never seen it done this way, interesting," added one social-media user.
Another person commented: "Ok now that's insane. I had my Dane's ears done & they didn't use buttons."
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
English (US) ·