Scratching Ear...

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BunnyLover

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Hi!

I have a quick guestion. My rabbit keeps scratching her ear and when Itook a look at it I found that there were some "bumps" on it. They sortof looked like scabs. Does this mean she has fleas or something likethat? If she does what should I do to help her?

Lissa
 
Hi!I'm no expert on rabbit illness, but it is possible that your bunnycould have ear mites. Look inside the ear and see if you cansee any kind of dark ear wax. I believe this is one way thatyou can check for ear mites. But are the bumps/scabs on theinside of the ear or the outside?

A more learned person on these boardswill probably have more/better info for you, and info on how to treatit too.

--Melissa and Umbra
 
Pamnock: "Kitten flea powder should beeffective. Always be aware that *any* flea/mite/tickmedication, in rare cases, can cause a neurological reaction whenabsorbed through the skin. There are also risks with Ivomec"
 

Hi BunnyLover,

A rabbit with ear mites will scratch his ears and shake his head alot.If what you're seeing is dark and crusty, then that's a symptom. Youcan use mineral oil, olive oil, or vegetable oil and with aneyedropper, put a drop inside the ears for 2 days and see how things gofrom there. The mites will be unable to breathe through the pores oftheir skin because the oil will block it and they will die. Rabbits areprone to mites and they must be dealt with because if not, it couldlead to other illnesses. Some people use Ivermectin which they findvery effective against mites, fleas, and ringworm. They put a pea sizeddopple on the rabbit's paw so that the rabbit can lick it off. That'swhere Pam warns about giving medication to your bunny without checkingit with a vet first; advice I value and follow. I've used Eradimitefrom the vet that didn't require a perscription or a visit fee. I thinkit was $12 or so. I've gone the mineral oil route, which worked for me.Actually, VetRx for rabbits can be effective too.

If your rabbit has dandruff, that is commonly a sign of fur mites.There might be some hair loss, and certainly itching. Kitten FleaPowder or Ivermectin is also very effective for fleas. You want to becareful not to overdose; doing so can be fatal to your rabbit. If youwish to go the Ivermectin 1.87% route, you can get it at a pet supplystore under horse worming paste. It's anywhere from $9-12, I think.

Let us know how things work out. :)

-Carolyn
 
Good luck!!! My bun itches her ears a lot butthere doesn't seem to be anything there :) So I dont worry much ....she went from biting to sleeping a lot.... she's weird.
 
I actually havea question about Ivermectin. I noticed that at Petco, theyhave several different Ivermectin products for horses. Areall of them safe for rabbits? I mean, is there anyadded chemicals that could harm them? I was wondering thisbecause I think that when I get some more cashflow going in my life, Iwanted to purchase some Ivermectin so that I would have some if it wasneeded. I'm in no hurry, but it would be nice toknow.

--Melissa and Umbra
 
Actually, Melissa,

Truth be told: I was advised against using Ivermectin 1.87% by the vet techs because they said it was too strong for Tucker.

I went with the organic treatment of Tucker's ear irritation; and cameto find out that Tucker didn't have mites. His ears rub so closelytogether that it was causing skin irritation. Vitamin E Oil took careof my problem within 24 hours.

In the end, I was glad that I hadn't used the Ivermectin. One must becertain of the symptoms and diagnosis before treating their rabbit.

-Carolyn

If you wish to have something on hand in case of an emergency, I wouldmost recommend what Pamnock has said millions of times: Nutri-Cal.
 
The horse wormers are 1.87, higher than theinjectable commonly used for rabbits. Although I've used thepaste extensively in dwarfs and larger breeds, I agree with Carolyn'sadvice to use caution when treating your pet rabbit, and to consult avet for the right medication and proper dosage.



Pam N.
 
A fellow whom I respect a great deal has postedtime and time again, that for most rabbits the 1.87% horse wormingpaste should present no problems. It is the rare exception,in his opinion, that would suffer some sort of ill effect from thepaste.

Just be sure, by reading the label, that there are no additives and itis just ivermectin paste. Administer one pea-sized dollop byforce feeding, or simply placing on fore paw, nose, chin, someplacewhere, as Carolyn indicated, the bun, in its fastidious nature, willlick and clean it up, thereby ingesting same.

Repeat treatment in 10 days to eliminate any mites that may havehatched from eggs after the treatment expended itself. Iusually give one more treatment after yet another 10 days as insurancethat I gotten all the nasty little critters.

Some people routinely administer ivermectin at regular intervals as apreventive measure for fur mites, ear mites, fleas, ticks, andworms. I choose not to, "fix things that are not broken,"myself, but point out the practice as an indication of the substance'sefficacy.

Buck
 
Anything that Buck Jonesand Pamnock useson their rabbits, I consider safe to use on Tucker.In an effort to be thorough, I felt that I should at least put it outthere what was told me. I know a lot of people that useIvermectin and very few who have had problems, actually no one to thebest of my knowledge. I do agree that you must be careful ofoverdosage though, but that's true for anything.

-Carolyn
 
Thanks for theinfo. If and when I do decide to purchase it, I'll make sureit's just Ivermectin. I definitely need to get the Nutri-Calthough. That stuff sounds good to have mostcertainly. Again, thanks for your guys'input.

--Melissa and Umbra
 
Hi!

Thanks for all ofyour advice. I'm going to try what Carolynrecommended (mineral oil, olive oil, or vegetable oil) first and thenif it doesn't help I'll call the vet to see what they recommend.

I have a question about the oil. My rabbit is a Holland Lop will it stay in her ear? Or am I going to have a mess on my hands?

Thanks for all of your help.

Lissa
 
Hi Lissa,

It will stay in his ears if you put a drop in. Nomess. :) Just lift the ear and put the drop insidethe ear canal. That's where the mites stay. The oilwill kill them.

Thank YOU for the most helpful information about the Rabbit Railroad!

-Carolyn
 
Ok, I did the last drop today. She is soangry at me!!! When I put her back in her cage tonight she justkept shaking her head and thumping like crazy!:shock:I guessshe didn't like that too much:?. I hope she still likes me:shock:! JK!I know she will... eventually.

Lissa, BlueBelle, and CupCake
 


It's not you she doesn't like, Lissa. It's the treatment. :)

She'll never stop loving you. She knows in her heart you're trying to help her, she just hates the process.

I always give my little guy a treat after the dirty deeds. :)

-Carolyn
 
Sorry had to bump up this thread..... i havenoticed my bun has scabs on his ears just one on both im thinking aboutusing that olive oil...do you put it in his ear canal??!! I mean he isalways itching his ears and i just cut his nails...should i wait to seeif the redness goes away or treat him now??!! :?
 
Malathian 50% (not sure if spelled correctly),the garden spray for bugs. If you take a couple of spoonsfulof it and mix it with a pint of heavy mineral oil, you can put it in asquirt bottle and squirt it in the ear. When I had so manyrabbits, the cages were double decked, and sometimes I didn't seeeverything in the lower cages. Ear mites can get downrightugly. And, if I'm remembering right, they can actuallykill the rabbit if they get the chance to go clear around the rabbitshead/throat. The heavy mineral oil kills the mites that arethere and the malathian part kills the eggs. It does stink,but it does work.
 

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