Ear Help

[BunnyandMoi]

Hey guys ... I need some help. I brought my 4.5 month old lop to the vet a month ago . He said his ears had the beggining of a mange. So he gave him an ivermectin shot. Anyways the vet also told me that if something came back to bring him back in to get him checked out. The problem is that he worsened. On his outer ears he has dandruff scabs and scratches them a bit. And i noticed when I went to play with him and right ear made a sound . A type of sound like there is wax biuldup. So what i wanted to know is if can i give him ivermectin in pill form ? Because i can get them manipulated here and what is the best thing to do about the ear? Im not sure if its an infection , and plus he keeps head shaking/tilting wich i knw is not a good sine...know its not a normal sound to be making. Im kinda really short on money.

 

[JBun]

After the first ivermectin shot, was there any improvement? Was only one shot given? Was a skin scrape done to positively identify the skin problem? Can you see anything inside the ear? Are you in the US or another country? Did you go to a good rabbit vet?

It might help if you could post a picture.

 

[BunnyandMoi]

Yes there was improvement with the first Ivermectin shot . No there was no skin scraping of the area done. No i live in brazil and yes the vet that i brought him to is excellent. No i cant see anything inside his ear i just hear like a waxy biuldup noise. Can i give ivermectin in pill form ? I will try to post a good picture

 

[BunnyandMoi]

you cant see dandruff but there is

 

[HiddlesKenway]

Sounds like ear canker to me. I hope your bun recovers soon!

 

[candice136]

Hope you get your bunny sorted soon xx

 

[JBun]

If only one shot was given, then that is your problem and why it didn't go away completely. Ivermectin only kills the mature adult mites, not the eggs. So after the first shot, you need to give a follow up dose 2 weeks later, as this gives time for the eggs to hatch and kill the mites before they can lay more eggs. Then typically a third dose is also given another 2 weeks later, for a total of 3 doses, just to be safe. Though sometimes a fourth and/or fifth dose may be needed if the infestation is very bad.

I wouldn't suggest using pills as this would be extremely difficult to dose correctly, and an overdose could be fatal. It's possible to use the injectable liquid and give it orally if you can get the injectable, but dosage needs to be absolutely precise, as again it is easy to overdose with this medication, which could be dangerous for your rabbit. I would still suggest discussing this with your vet. You may be able to just call them and tell them this didn't clear up and that you need more ivermectin, and ask about giving the doses orally instead of injected. You may be able to just go in and pick up the meds for your bun without a new appointment and bringing your rabbit in. You will need to start over and give 3 separate doses, 2 weeks apart for each dose.

http://medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Parasitic/earmite/Psoroptes.htm (WARNING: contains disturbing photos)

If you suspect an ear infection and it isn't crustiness from the ear mites, then you should bring your rabbit back in to the vet to have the ears checked for infection.

 

[BunnyandMoi]

Hey guys ! Thanks for the awesome advice. I will be bringing him to the vet on tuesday mornin. Talked to his vet today. I am just a little worried that it will worsen a lot . Its not horrible i just feel really bad about it. I do not want it to get bad. Anyways probably goin to start thr ivermectin shots or oral injections . I will keep you guys updated . And is there anything that i can do until tuesday to make it a little better for him ? Is there anything ? Thank you so much for the help