ears

[hotchocolatewithsmarties!!!!!]

my bunny has really itchy ears but i can't seeany iritation or mites or anything that could cause it in hisears.

from a very much in need of help,me!

 

[pamnock]

A vet visit for an otoscopic exammay bein order. Mites can burrow deep inside the ear where you areunable to see them, or the rabbit may have an ear infection.The ear mites can lead to a serious secondary infection, so it'simportant to determine the cause of the irritation and have it properlytreated.



Pam

 

[Carolyn]

Welcome Aboard, hotchocolatewithsmarties,

Agree with Pam. Wouldn't wait, as Pamnock pointed out, parasites can lead to many bigger issues for your little one.

-Carolyn

 

[hotchocolatewithsmarties!!!!!]

Thanks carolyn!-still pondering about vet.

 

[*nepo*]

Hi, sorry I haven't been on.Anyway thinking about it Nepo scratches his ears alot. I've heardvegetable oil is good for bunnie's ears to protect them from mites. Isthat true?

 

[pamnock]

Ear mite medication for cats is less messy thanthe vegetable oil. Treating orally with Ivermectin horseworming paste (and rubbing a little in the ear) is also veryeffective. Ivomec injections can also be given at the vetoffice.

Pam

 

[Carolyn]

Hi Nepo,

Welcome back.

I've heard that it was mineral oil, not vegetable oil. I tried it andit was just as Pam said. Tucker had oil all over his face from diggingout his ears.

I really didn't want to give him a medication and all signs pointed tohim having ear mites. The mineral oil worked because it clogs the poresof the mites and suffocates them, but it was A Mess and that rabbit wasso mad about all the bathing he had to do.

The Ivermectin 1.87, as Pam speaks of, is a horse worming paste and canbe purchased at a feed store usually for $9-20. It controls internaland external parasites, but not fleas in their adult stages. It takescare of ear mites, fur mites, and worms. Put a pea-size amount on yourrabbit's lips or forepaws and they'll lick it off. Repeat thistreatment in 10 days to insure you got all of them.

Pamnock would always put a qualifier in here and I have to agree withher, any medicine you give could have an effect on your rabbit and youmight check with your vet first.

That said, breeders and pet owners alike, myself included, have had luck with this treatment for a few years.

If it's adult fleas the rabbit has, treat the little one with kitten flea powder.

You really need to find out what it is you're dealing with by payingattention to things such as dandruff, scratching often, shaking theirhead...

Keep us posted, Nepo.

-Carolyn

 

[*nepo*]

Thanks I'll keep looking at him to see if he really needs mite medication

 

[Carolyn]

Mites are tiny - making them very hard to see. (For more informationabout them, check out the site noted in the post above "A Cheat Sheetfor Rabbit Care.")

If he's scratching his ears a lot, it's highly likely he has some sort of parasite.

Left untreated, it could lead to infections and conditions attacking the organs, head tilt, etc.

I don't take parasites lightly with rabbits.

-Carolyn

 

[hotchocolatewithsmarties!!!!!]

itried the oil on clover but i usedcotton wool and dabbed at it so there wasn't oil every where,but ididn't find this worked very well

 

[Buck Jones]

You do have to get it down into the bottom of theear, usually by putting a goodly amount on the top/middle of the ear,then massaging it down into the canal. It is messy, but isknow to work.

There are other, less messy, methods to deal with the problem, but theydo entail costs in the neighborhood of $8.00 - $20.00, depending uponwhere you buy the supplies, but the cost would cover many, manytreatments if necessary in the future.

Buck

 

[*nepo*]

I don't think Nepo has mites. He doesn't scratch that often anymore