Applying ear drops?

[Tate]

What is the best way to apply ear drops? Fievel has an ear infection so we havethe meds but I know that the vet isn’t experienced with rabbits (regular vet isn’t available for 2 weeks). She said just put the drops in the ear… Is that right or is it best to use a cotton ball? The infection is deep down so I’m not sure if a cotton ball is possible. I’m just more cautious about ear and nose things!

[KatnipCrzy]

put the drops into the ear as far as you can see, then massage the base of the ear canal to work the meds down into the ear. You don’t want to use a cotton ball- that will just waste the meds. Are the meds a drop or ointment?

[Tate]

Ok, that’s what she said. They are drops! I just wanted to make sure that was correct because rabbit medicine is often so different than other animal medicine.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I think the massaging is key-we all know how gross that water in the ear feeling is after a shower…so it’s nice if you can kind of massage them back to comfort

[Tate]

I will definitely do that massage! One more question: I bought an ear cleaning solution from the vet for maintenance… She said it doesn’t need to be done too often, so I’m think maybe once or twice a month? I do worry about Fievel’s ears, as he is a lop and he is still separated from Velvateen so no one grooms him (he’s quite lazy anyways ) And is it safe to put a few drops of liquid in his ears every month? Are they more sensitive to it? Thanks!

[LittlePuffyTail]

I have lots of experience with lop ear infections with my Bindi Loo.

Is it an outer ear infection? What is the name of the drops and the cleaning solution?

How often you clean the ears will depend on two things: how much wax production there is and the type of solution you are using. Bindi gets so much gook in his ears that I have to clean them about every 2 weeks. If there isn’t much build-up, there is really no need to clean them often. Over-cleaning can lead to too much moisture as well as the ear going into over-drive and making more wax to protect itself. I have a small flashlight I use to check his ears at least once a week for build-up and redness. If your bunny gets one ear infection, it’s very possible he will get another down the road.

The method I use to clean them is pretty much the same as putting drops in. Fill the ear with the solution. Gently massage and then wipe out as much of the solutions as you can using a kleenex and/or cotton ball. I always like to wipe the outer ear with a cotton ball after applying medication drops as well, that way if he sticks his foot in his ear to clean it, he won’t end up getting liquid all over his foot. Sometimes when I have very thick drops to apply, I thoroughly saturate a Q-Tip with the drops and then gently dip it into his ear and massage.

[Tate]

Yes I believe it was an outer ear infection. The medication is called tresaderm.
His ears never seem dirty… In fact the vet said they LOOKED totally normal but the culture came back positive for “bacterial rods” (????). I’d like to get on some sort of schedule because this one happened without any “real” signs other than head shaking but you make a really good point that too much cleaning can be counter productive.
Thanks for the info on how to apply! That makes it much easier.

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