How do you clean your bunnies ears?

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Hermelin

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Hella everyone ☺

Tuesday I took Toste to a rabbit savy vet to check his snuffles and I noticed he seem to have gotten fur mites. During the examination they also noticed an inflammation in his right ear and a build up of wax. Which I had missed totally and he didn’t have it a month ago when we did the health check up. So it was luck, just thinking of him going a longer time with pain and I didn’t notice. I only noticed dandruff build up in his fur.

So I bought medicines for fur mites which both Odin and Toste are being treated for. While I also got metacam (anti-inflammatory and analgesic) plus a medicine for cleaning his ears.

I have done the cleaning of the ears, I fill the ear with the ear soloution and then massage the below/lower part of the ear and then let Toste shake his head. He struggle a lot because he will feel pain when you put a bit of pressure below his right ear and start to grit his teeth. So it’s not easy doing it and my family helps me to hold him while I fix the ear.

The vet told me I should be able to get up a bit of wax and should easily take it out when he shakes his head. I have been doing it everyday and still no sight of wax coming up.

The vet don’t know what caused the inflammation and the wax obscured the vision to look down into the ear. They tried cleaning a bit of wax but it was not enough. They told me it was a common thing for lop bunnies to get trouble with the ears.

So I wonder am I doing something wrong when I’m cleaning his ears. I truly want the medication to work and get the wax out, otherwise I need to fork out more money for an x-ray at the next vet visit which will be in 2 weeks. So they can get a better vision of the ear. I don’t have the income specially when I declined my summer job because of covid-19.

Last payment coming in will only be 500$ which is from working in april and study allowance. It’s too late for me to jump into a summer course and get a bit of money from that. I only have 1000$ at the side which I have managed save up.

I would gladly take a few tips on how to clean his ears.
 

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Cleaned the ears today, still not seeing any wax coming up 😣

I know how to clean humans ears and get wax out but with a bunny is a mystery for me 😱
 
Never had any problem with ears I am checking usually weekly with magnifier but I've read previously that some people using baby oil or other oils to clean inside when they have ear mites. I can't guarantee it is good or safe but I've seen that on many occasions from rabbit keepers maybe you can google it and get more opinions on that, they usually found in breeders forums. I am personally not sure and never tried myself, I could use some oil on q-tip probably, not pushing in but just letting it set for a minute and then rotating q-tip and moving it out slightly.
 
Never had any problem with ears I am checking usually weekly with magnifier but I've read previously that some people using baby oil or other oils to clean inside when they have ear mites. I can't guarantee it is good or safe but I've seen that on many occasions from rabbit keepers maybe you can google it and get more opinions on that, they usually found in breeders forums. I am personally not sure and never tried myself, I could use some oil on q-tip probably, not pushing in but just letting it set for a minute and then rotating q-tip and moving it out slightly.

I have been doing this method while cleaning Toste ears :

But I still don’t get any wax out from the ear, I feel scared trying with q-tip because it’s not even good using it on humans and it will be hard to judge for me if it go wrong 😅
 
I know! I would only use q-tip with more extra cotton wool added or even without q-tip just like in this video but not wiping but getting it as deep as you can and rotating it and pulling out slowly rotating. So q-tip would be covered with a lot of extra cotton wool.

But I think if you have this fancy cleaning fluid and doing as shown in video I think you just keep doing that, maybe leaving fluid in for a few more moments and massaging a bit longer, then pushing a cotton wool in and pushing a bit in and rotating inside then pulling out but keep rotating.

What is this fluid, is it oily? What ingredients
 
I know! I would only use q-tip with more extra cotton wool added or even without q-tip just like in this video but not wiping but getting it as deep as you can and rotating it and pulling out slowly rotating. So q-tip would be covered with a lot of extra cotton wool.

But I think if you have this fancy cleaning fluid and doing as shown in video I think you just keep doing that, maybe leaving fluid in for a few more moments and massaging a bit longer, then pushing a cotton wool in and pushing a bit in and rotating inside then pulling out but keep rotating.

What is this fluid, is it oily? What ingredients

I use otodine that have chlorhexidine (lipophilic solution) and TRIS-EDTA. I’ll try leaving it for a longer time and massage a bit longer. I just feel bad when he start gritting his teeth when I put a little pressure below his right ear. I hope it will work and I’ll get a bit of wax out from the ear.
 
The shaking of head and teeth grinding can indicate infection and pain too. Bun may have an ear infection or sinus infection that should be rules out. I cleaned out my bunnies ears but his vet went behind me with her light and very long swab and really got in there. She said vigorous head shaking can indicate ear congestion, ear mites, sinus, etc. as well.
 
The shaking of head and teeth grinding can indicate infection and pain too. Bun may have an ear infection or sinus infection that should be rules out. I cleaned out my bunnies ears but his vet went behind me with her light and very long swab and really got in there. She said vigorous head shaking can indicate ear congestion, ear mites, sinus, etc. as well.

I’ll see at the next vet visit if they can look down into his ears and the wax build up is gone. I notice today his fur have no longer dandruff in it, so at least the mites medicine cleaned it up.

The vet did the long swab but it was not enough to get the wax out that clogged their vision. The reason why I need to clean his ears and got anti-inflammatory/ pain medication hoping it will help or at least make them figure out how the inflammation look like in two weeks.

He often shake the head and scratch his ear, it have become more often than what it was before with shaking his head and scratching.
 
Since bunnies are silent, it amazes me how in tune all bunny parents become in body language. We vibe on them and they vibe on us and clues are everywhere to help us know what they are trying to let us know.
No bark or meowing in their case, just body language. I find that cool and its why our bonds run deep with our buns. So glad you take such good care of your baby. We bunny parents observe and fret and consult with each other and observe again. Bunnies cant take care of themselves like other animals, just makes me smile how concerned you are with his care!
 
My bunny uses Metacam for his arthritis, thats a nice pain med. Takes the edge off.

Don’t know if it helping because he’s still acting normal as before as long you don’t put pressure under his right ear.

But I have noticed his snuffles have gotten worse, I can sometimes hear him breathing and it can come white dischages from his right nostril. But he’s still happy and running around eating.
 
If snuffles are present too, you may need some Baytril. Once congestion present, it affects the ears too, just like people.
 
Since bunnies are silent, it amazes me how in tune all bunny parents become in body language. We vibe on them and they vibe on us and clues are everywhere to help us know what they are trying to let us know.
No bark or meowing in their case, just body language. I find that cool and its why our bonds run deep with our buns. So glad you take such good care of your baby. We bunny parents observe and fret and consult with each other and observe again. Bunnies cant take care of themselves like other animals, just makes me smile how concerned you are with his care!

That’s true and it can be really hard picking up the signs. He always acted normal, so it’s really a struggle to notice if something wrong with bunnies.

I joked with my brother that I would sell him if he keep on costing me so much money. But I have already a plan if he will need more treatment and worse case senario I will have to pay an installment. Truly regretting that I don’t have the expensive insurance. I was going to changes when the old one go out which would be after the summer.
 
If snuffles are present too, you may need some Baytril. Once congestion present, it affects the ears too, just like people.

It’s something only the vet can prescribe otherwise it will be impossible for me to get. So I will have to see later in two weeks on how Toste will be treated.
 
I was at the vet yesterday, there was no improvement of his ear. He still have a small swelling on his right ear, you can feel it as a small bump outside the ear. At least his snuffles have gotten better.

So we are put on queue for an X-ray of his ear and see what will have to do. He is still getting the same medicine and daily cleaning of his ears.

So for me It’s time to try find a new job. It’s quite hard during these time, when many other people are searching for new jobs. I’m starting to regret not accepting my job I had for summer 😅
 
The xray may show as well if bun has any infections in root of teeth. I hear you about job concerns.. I lost my job in February and am not employed. I worry to about how difficult that may be with so many in same boat. Bunny vet care is so expensive, you would think that more vets also work with exotics but not so.
I used one of those ear lights with the black tip that doctor's use when they look in your ears. My bun hates anything to do with the inside of his ears. I let the vet do it because I already know he hates it.
I admire how thorough you have been trying to get this resolved. Sending your baby healing vibes!
 
The xray may show as well if bun has any infections in root of teeth. I hear you about job concerns.. I lost my job in February and am not employed. I worry to about how difficult that may be with so many in same boat. Bunny vet care is so expensive, you would think that more vets also work with exotics but not so.
I used one of those ear lights with the black tip that doctor's use when they look in your ears. My bun hates anything to do with the inside of his ears. I let the vet do it because I already know he hates it.
I admire how thorough you have been trying to get this resolved. Sending your baby healing vibes!

They don’t suspect tooth problem if it’s tooth problem my insurance won’t cover anything 😣

Even though it’s only small sum of money, the insurance can at least cover a little bit of the cost. His problem with the ear is too high up and when they looked into his mouth he had beautiful molars at least those they could see. He’s a great hay eater and get sticks to chew on. So he have no selective eating or any complication with eating.

I have noticed his right ear always feel hot while the left can be cold or hot depending on how the temperature is. But I have vet time again the 15th, so I’ll just wait and see how it goes. They still don’t know how his ears look within because of too much vax build up 😣

I can at least borrow a bit of money from my little brother and I can pay an installment if he will need to go through an operation to flush out his ear.
 
Updates? I am interested to know how this one turned out.

After cleaning the ear reguarly for 2 months it went away. But If I don’t clean his ears 3 times/week it will come up again. I’m planning to fix an operation to fix his ears but it will have to wait until I’m working.

So I just reguarly clean his ears and make sure no wax builds up again 😊
 

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