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Forum DIET & CARE Help! Ear mite infestation!

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    • FernFronds
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        So I really need some help right now. I am very distressed. My 6 year old Havana houserabbit has what I believe to be an ear mite infestation and I don’t know what to do. I am kind of panicking because it has also spread to her bum area. If I could afford to bring her to the vet (as well as whatever medications they will want me to buy) , I would, but I really don’t have the money for that at the moment. Please try to be empathetic about that. I am not being selfish or cruel, please do not tell me “if you can’t afford a vet, don’t have a pet”. It’s not a problem I had anticipated 6 years ago when I got her and had the money for that kind of thing.

        I need helpful, empathetic advice. I’m sorry if I seem rude, but it seems like no one can post a problem on a pet forum without being assaulted by people who make assumptions that the person with the problem is being careless or selfish.

        Anyway, I have read that using olive/vegetable/mineral oils can help with an ear mite infestation. Is that true/safe? Is there anything more reliable, and not too expensive. I have read about cat parasite treatments, but I am very afraid to use them on her and they are also extremely expensive (which is why I dont have a cat/dog right now). Also, should I leave the gross crusty stuff on her, or try to get it off. I can’t imagine it is very comfortable or sanitary, but I don’t want to hurt her. I am especially worried about it around her bum area. I would appreciate any advice to make her more comfortable as well. She’s an older rabbit and slightly overweight because she’s not quite as active as she used to be, so she has a little trouble cleaning herself. Would it be appropriate to wash the area at all (not getting her completely wet, of course.

        Also, how could she have gotten the earmites? She is strictly an indoor rabbit. Could her hay/bedding have been contaminated? Dealing with parasites wasn’t something I was expecting keeping her indoors.

        Really hope someone can help me and be respectful at the same time. I love my rabbit like a child and I have had her since she was 8 weeks old, but money is tight for a lot of people right now, and vet care is really expensive. I understand vet care is part of owning a pet, but things happen.


      • jerseygirl
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          Does she have the brown crusts developing in the ears?

          An economical and effective treatment would be ivermectin. You might find this at farm supply stores. Normally I would recommend Revolution (selamectin) as it is gentler on the system but this is often prescription-only.

          Moxidectin is another alternative for earmites. Advantage Multi  or Advocate *might* be suitable. I say that very tentatively as I havent looked it up from a reliable resource. 


        • Bam
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            Hi! The Binky Bunny Forums don’t approve of people assaulting each other.

            Don’t try to remove the crusts. It’s very very painful for a rabbit.

            There is a very effective drug against ear-mites, it’s called Revolution or Stronghold, depending on where you live, selamectin is the name of the substance. It’s prescription only in many countries but in some places you can still get it if you order it on line.

            If you can’t get Revolution, ear mites can also be treated with moxidectin, a common de-wormer that also kills mites. It’s sold as Quest or Equest and is bunny safe according to Medirabbit. Advantage multi also has moxidectin, regular Advantage hasn’t. I think Advantage multi is OTC in most places. The type for cats/kittens should be used and dosage is dependent on what the bunny weighs.

            You should try to treat this promptly because the risk of secondary infection in the sores caused by the mites is high.

            http://medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Parasitic/earmite/Psoroptes.htm

            Other members here may have more suggestions for you.


          • jerseygirl
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              Haha bam, i just came from medirabbit to verify. Thanks for posting that. I think Advantage Multi and Advocate might be the same thing…  Whoops.
              Looks like there is a kitten/small cat pack of Advantage multi.

              ETA:Im still unsure on the moxidectin. Medirabbit indicated it can cause skin irritation if used topically. Ivermectin is indicated to be orally or injected subcutaneously. I was sure that could be  used on the neck ::


            • Bam
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                Jersey =)
                Yes, it looks like it’s the same thing, but sold under different names in different countries. It’s imidaclopride and moxidectin anyway.


              • jerseygirl
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                  Softpastelgreen, you might be able to ask to buy kitten/puppy revolution from reception at a vet clinic without having had a consult.

                  Surely dog and cat owners pick it up that way if they discover their pet has fleas, for instance.

                  My friend gave me Avimec which is for birds but is ivermectin. Ive never used it though. I favour Revolution. 


                • FernFronds
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                    Thank you guys so much for your quick and respectful responses. I really appreciate it and I’m glad this place doesn’t support snapping at people about pet care. I have posted and seen posts on pet forums before and a lot of people have been snapped at and made to feel like a terrible pet owner for even small mistakes or being unaware of something, so I am very hesitant to post questions on forums like this.

                    I will look into everything you guys have suggested so far and see what I can do!

                    Any other suggestions and advice are welcome, though!


                  • FernFronds
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                      If I were to use ivermectin, do I buy the paste for horses? If so what would be the dosage for her? I don’t want to overdose her. She is around 13lbs (yes she’s a bigger girl). I would love a step by step walk through for medicating her. I’m very afraid of doing it wrong, I don’t want to cause her any more problems than she already has.


                    • Roberta
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                        It’s ok SPG, I went through a rough patch myself recently.


                      • Roberta
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                          There is a very good over the counter spray on mite treatment made by Vetafarm here in Australia. It’s a bit cheaper than the other topical products. What country are you in and I will see if I can find a similar product available in your general area.


                        • LBJ10
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                          16869 posts Send Private Message

                            If it is a vet that you have a history with, then they should be willing to sell you revolution without an appointment. People go into their vet’s office and simply pick up flea treatments all the time (which is what Revolution is viewed as). If they have your pets on record, then they just sell it to you. Now if your vet does not carry Revolution, then they can call another vet office and send a note over saying it is okay to sell it to you.

                            EDIT: Sorry, there was a bit of a delay in approving your last post. Hmm, I don’t have any experience with intervectin, other than the vet administering it by injection. Jerseygirl was the one who suggested it, so perhaps she knows about dosage.


                          • Bam
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                              Ivermectin is sold under different names for horses. Strenght may vary. For oral use, Medirabbit says 0,2-0,4 mg/kg, which in your case would be 1,2 – 2,4 mg since your bunny is 5,9 kilos (13 lbs).

                              You would have to calculate how much this would, be given the strenght of the ivermectin preparation. A common one is Ivomec paste. The kind I find info on has 18,7 mg ivermectin/ per gram of paste. So as you can see the dose for a rabbit would be very small.

                              http://www.medirabbit.com/Safe_medication/Anti_parasitics/safe_antiparasitic.htm


                            • jerseygirl
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                                Are you able to describe a bit more about what you’re seeing in her ears and around her hind end? Is it’s really obvious case of ear mites? And yes, it can spread to other areas as you’re aware. Does she have crusty lesions around the bottom?
                                If it’s not the typical look of ear mites, maybe it’s a grooming issue if she’s become less mobile or having some dental troubles.

                                I still really advocate Revolution (selamectin) as it’s a topical treatment. Do you know any cat or dog owners that use it? You can divide up dosage to suit rabbits.

                                I’ve only ever had ivermectin injected by the vet. I just dont know the risk of using it orally tbh. Yes, there is potential for overdose. Also, could be problem if a rabbit has an underlying condition. So I guess it’s not without risk.. I supposed no med really is.

                                What else is in the horse paste? Rabbits can be so sensitive and I’d hate for her to become ill because of something I suggested.


                              • jerseygirl
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                                  Also thought I’d mention CareCredit. It has veterinary option. Have you looked into that? Many members on here have said that it has really helped them out.


                                • FernFronds
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                                    Jersey girl, I am 99% sure it is ear mites based on what I have seen in Internet searches. She’s got crusts in her ears (though not severe enough to take over her ears like some pictures) mostly in about the lower half. If I look close I can see the little mites moving. In her bum area it’s similar, though looks a little worse probably because she can’t clean herself as well so it’s gotten matted. She’s also molting at the moment so that’s getting stuck and it’s a mess. I don’t want to touch that area because I don’t want to hurt her, so I haven’t done anything to clean it. She does still seem to be going potty as normal, though. So that’s a good thing. Overall she doesn’t seem too incredibly distressed, just uncomfortable. She’s still being sassy and attention seeking as she’s always been. She gets really upset if I touch her ears or back end though, but I don’t blame her. I’m gonna be deep cleaning her stuff as soon as I am able to (I am not able to be home until monday). I have a feeling she may have gotten the mites from the hay I got. A friend gave me a box of hay she didn’t need anymore, but I think it was from a local farm, could that be the source? Regardless, I’m gonna be throwing out the remainder of it and buying a new bag for her.

                                    I’m looking into my options right now, kind of between a rock and a hard place at the moment. She doesn’t seem to be at emergency status right now, so it’s not incredibly urgent, but I do know it needs to be taken care of sooner or later. I just need to get things sorted out. I’m dealing with a number of other personal situations at the moment too.

                                    I feel awful about this, though. I wish I would have been more prepared. I have had many small pets over the years and they have all been very healthy and problem free, so I have never had to treat anything like this before.

                                    I also have a hamster, I know this is a rabbit forum, but is he in any danger of getting the mites, or do they only live on rabbits? My rabbit free ranges in the room he is in usually, though they do not come in contact with each other.


                                  • jerseygirl
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                                      No worries. I believe other mammals can host psoroptes cuniculi. Hopefully some of the other other hammie owners can confirm.

                                      Here’s a couple links to some knowledgeable people who can probably give you some more information on treatment for your rabbit.

                                      Dana Krempels
                                      http://www.allexperts.com/user.cgi?m=4&expID=35789&catID=703

                                      [edit] I tried find contact there for Randy Atkinson also but I think he may no longer be active on that site.


                                    • Bam
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                                        I googled and found this video by a person who’s used ivermectin paste for horses for ear mites on her rabbits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSZ2a626A_E

                                        (Never mind the comment below the vid that says to remove the crusts with a q-tip.)

                                        This is a good article on ivermectin and rabbits: http://www.medirabbit.com/Safe_medication/Anti_parasitics/ivermectin.PDF

                                        Please read. Overdosing with a 10-100 times higher dose than the recommended 0,2-04 mg/kg often leads to ataxia and depression.

                                        (The other ingredients in Ivomec besides ivermectin are 

                                        hydroxipropyl cellulose, titanium dioxid, hydrated castor oil and propylene glycol.)

                                        When you decide (or have to) treat a bunny yourself for some reason, you should do lots of research. We can’t tell you what to do, of course, we are not vets and can’t give veterinary advice.

                                        I found this article to have good info on ear mites: http://www.pet-informed-veterinary-advice-online.com/rabbit-ear-mites.html

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                                    Forum DIET & CARE Help! Ear mite infestation!