Use of the Combination Therapy of Recombinant Feline Interferon-Omega Injection and Oral Prednisolone for Canine Aural Hematoma: A Retrospective Case Series

This retrospective study described clinical outcomes of combining local recombinant feline interferon-omega (rFeIFN-ω) injection with oral prednisolone in the management of canine aural hematoma. The medical records of dogs presented to a private veterinary hospital between January 2019 and January 2026 were reviewed. Thirty-one dogs underwent the treatment protocol, of which five were lost to follow-up, leaving a final cohort of 26 dogs. The protocol involved a local intralesional injection of 10.0 MU of rFeIFN-ω without fluid evacuation alongside concurrent oral prednisolone (1.0 mg/kg once daily) without anesthesia at 1-week intervals. Complete initial resolution was achieved in 21 dogs (80.8%) with a mean of 2.37 ± 1.14 treatment sessions, whereas 5 dogs discontinued therapy prematurely prior to complete resolution because the owners declined further treatment visits, leaving their final outcomes undetermined. Recurrence was documented in five of the 21 complete resolution cases (23.8%), spanning from 2 weeks to 1 year post-resolution. Two of these dogs underwent re-treatment and achieved complete clinical resolution during the available follow-up period. No clinically relevant adverse effects occurred. While the independent therapeutic efficacy of rFeIFN-ω remains unproven, these preliminary findings suggest that the combination protocol may represent a feasible, non-surgical outpatient option for managing canine aural hematoma.