Bunny Scratching Right Ear

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EdieRabbitsMom

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Hi,

Edie started scratching at her right ear tonight and keeps shaking her head wildly. This has been going on for the past 3 hours. I read about ear mites here and have put canola oil (its all I had) in her ear until I can do something about it tomorrow.Hopefully,theexotics vet is open tomorrow.

Does this sound like ear mites since it is only in one ear? Is there anything thatI can do to immediately relieve her itchiness? I feel badly for her. She looks so flustered! She is still accepting treats, though. :?
 
I'm sorry no one has responded to this yet.

I'm thinking, no it doesn't have to be both ears. Ivermectin is a goodtopical(?) to use for what you suspect is mites. Stillbest to have a vet determine what said parasite is before treatment.

Have you looked in the ears to see if there is any "dander" lurking about? If it's mites, or has been going on awhile, you will see this "residue". Let us know on that as well, will more likely indicate the possiblity of mites.


Here's our library thread on ear mites, see if any of this coincides and go from there. Keep us posted though.

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=11954&forum_id=10


Hopefully, others will be along with more advice. (I've not dealt with mites personally.)

Good Luck, keep us posted as well;).


 
No, her ears look clear. It was so late last night andI just wanted to see if there was anything that I could do to relieve her itch until I can get her to the vet today. Hopefully, she was not too miserable last night. I'm calling the vet's office as soon as they open. Thanks for writing back!
 
Hi,

It could be mites but it also can be an ear infection.....or both. I don't think I would put anymore oil in her ear. Mineral oil is one thing (that I don't like either) but a lot of these oils have things in them that might not be a good thing for the working parts of the ear. I don't think I would want that stuff in my ears....and there is not much difference between a rabbit's ears and ours.

You don't need an exoticsvet to diagnose mites....any dime store variety vet will do if they are willing to do it....even an entry level vet tech could do it. All it takes is a cotton swab and run it down into the ear canal. Put the debris on a slide and take a peek under a microscope. Sometimes the little bugs are visible with an otoscope or by the trail of debris they leave. They can also culture the same way if no mites are found....and again, any of the dime store vets can do that. The tricky part of that is knowing what antibiotics can be used with a rabbit. If it is mites, the most common treatment is using a drug known as Ivermectin. I usually inject it...but it can be administered orally or trans-dermally. I use Revolution on most of the incoming animals at our rescue (including some wildlife). Revolution is Selemectin which is a variant of Ivermectin and takes care of a wider variety of parasites and is administered trans-dermally. But the safest and most effective treatment I have seen for ear mites is Acarexx. It is also a variant of Ivermectin. It comes in two ampules per container.....one ampule in each ear (it's drops). It is a one time treatment (Ivermectin requires at least 3 treatments spaced 10 days apart). Another advantage is that you don't have to clear the ear of any debris....and that makes things less stressful on the bun. It works thru the debris.

Now if it is an infection....and mites can cause secondary bacterial infections....it needs to be treated immediately and aggressively. Untreated ear infections can and usually do cause the rabbit to suffer from a condition known as torticollis....aka wry neck or head tilt. Their head will twist around. Depending on the damage caused to the inner/middle ear, the tilt may or may not correct. Infections can alsoperforate the ear drum....we have several deaf rabbitsin our rescue that was caused by untreated/improperly treatedear infections. An ear infection is nothing to play and and time should not be wasted in treating it....and it should be attacked with all guns firing the big rounds. Unfortunately most vets, even the rabbit savvy ones, are far too conservative in treating ear infections. It should be an all out blitzkrieg and attacked on multiple fronts using a "cocktail" of drugs and support therapies. I have treated numerous ear infections in our rescue. I do not play around with ear infections.

I would concentrate on a proper rabbit diet of unlimited hay and limited pellets and make sure she is properly hydrated. If she has an infection, she will have a fever. Not only will that make her feel bad, it will also dehydrate her. Make sure she is drinking lots of water. And remember that leafy greens are mostly water and also help with hydrations (also remember that greens should be used in moderation to avoid GI issues).

Also, if you could put your location in your profile.....it will allow us to help you even more. That is especially helpful in dealing with conditions that might be regional or even climate related to a certain area. And I have contacts all over..including vets...and if any forum members live in your area, they can be a huge benefit for contacts like vets, hay and other supplies.

Randy
 
Thanks, Randy. I'm in Knoxville and I'm calling the exotics vet b/c he works with rabbits. He is open today and I'm getting ready to call and make an appointment. I'll let everyone know how it goes. She doesn't seem the least bit bothered this morning, but I'm taking her in anyway. Wish us luck!
 
Taking her in anyway is an excellent idea. With infections, they can present themselves and then the immune system start kicking in...but sometimes the infections can overwhelm the immune system and the infection comes back stronger. I like to stay on the side of caution. Keep us posted.

Randy
 
Hi - my bunny had the same problems before. I thought it was mites too but when i took him to the vet, turned out to be ear infection. My bunny had chronic "snuffles" so the vet said that the ear infection probably came from that.

The vet said for mites, theear would look really flaky and skin would be peeling off.
 
Well, the vet has no idea what caused her itchy earfit. She is fine now, and no mites or any sign of an ear infection. He sent me home with her and told me just to keep an eye on her and bring her back in immediately if shehas another episode. He doesn't like to giveantibiotics if he doesn't have to. So that is the update...we are clueless. Shehas beenher happy bunny self since this morning, except when I took her in to see the vet. She wasn't happy about that! :X
 
Just a quick word about ear infections...it is the rare one that something can actually be seen. I often treat these based on symptoms....if I have shaking ears with no signs of mites..l take a look at the body temp. If it is even the slightest bit elevated, we go on antibiotics. Maybe it was the weather ( I certainly have some issues related to allergies when the weather changes) or maybe a piece of hay got in her ear. Just keep a close watch on her.

Randy
 
Don't worry...I haven't left her all day! My husband thinks I'm nuts! BTW, her temp was normal. She hates me now, though. Funny, the vet thought maybe she had something in her ear too....could have been hay. I didn't see anything, but I couldn't really see that far down in her ears last night.
 
Oh gosh...I remember how Nutmeg had me going into a fit the first week I got her. She kept freaking out in her cage, scratching (not much, it just looked like it to me at the moment), and flicking her head...that was the part that worried me most, the head tossing.

Turns out it was binkies! She had no problems, and it stopped immediately. I'd let her out of the cage, and she would spazz out. I seriously thought she had mites or fleas. Some days she didn't do it, others she darted through the cage banging into stuff. She is absolutely fine, and atleast now I know she was happy!



Good luck with your bunny, hope she's just happy, butgood thing you checked her all out. :)
 
Yup, they know how to make you worry! Edie is such a laid back bunny. You can do practically anything with her and she just takes it all in and doesn't wig out, though she doesn't always like all of the attention that she gets. Ha! I feel so responsible forkeeping her as happy and healthy as she can be. I'm so glad that she seems to be all better. I hope she stays that way! I love my little bun bun! :bunnyheart
 
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