Bunnies ears

[Rebecca]

Hi there,

My bunny Annie has developed scaly ears over the past couple days. She seems to be itching them quite a bit.

I brought Annie to the vet about two weeks ago because I noticed she had beed scratching at her ears. The vet said her ears looked perfectly clean, and she did not suspect ear mites. (Although we treated her with revolution (for ear mites) just to be on the safe side)

Now that she developed this scaly skin I am a bit more worried.

I contacted the vet but she can not get back to me until tomorrow.

Does this look like a case of dry skin or something more serious?

She is eating, drinking, pooping and acting totally normal.

 

Thank you!

It is not flaking like dandruff. It is pretty scaly and stuck to her.

[LBJ10]

The scale reminds me of a fungal infection. Did the vet check for ringworm or a similar fungal infection?

[Wick & Fable]

It could be the start of some sort of fungal infection– and that’s treatable, so don’t worry. It can be stubborn though.

Also, did she go through any stress lately? Sometimes the immune system can be tired after a stress, making a rabbit susceptible to a fungal infection. Fungal spores are ever-present in the environment and can be on any surface, so the idea of cleaning to prevent it is…. impossible, in my non-professional opinion. If your rabbit has a fungal infection, I wonder what might have triggered it, or if this is just a one-time phenomena!

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[Rebecca]

Hi there,

Thank you for your help.

No the vet did not test her for any fungal infection when I brought her in 2 weeks ago.

I should be hearing back from vet today (as we have just been conversing over email so far because of covid). I assume she will want to see Annie to test for possible infections.

[Rebecca]

Hi Wick,

Yes she was spayed right before she developed all of these symptoms.
She was spayed on May 4, and I brought her back to vet on the 6th because the ear symptoms developed.

I really think it might be a fungal infection but have no clue how she would have caught that.

I hear back from the vet today.

Thank you for your help.

[Wick & Fable]

It could be the spay stressed her body (which is absolutely natural), so it created a window where a fungal infection could “stick”. Younger rabbits are more prone to fungal infections (if I recall my past research correctly when my Wick went through a fungal infection) since their immune systems are still developing. It’s impossible to figure out where she got it from (fungal spores are everywhere!), but ideally if it is a fungal infection, it can be treated and by the time treatment is over, her immune system is back in full swing and she is combating the fungal spores as usual!

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[DanaNM]

It could also be fur mites (different from ear mites). Fur mites can show up in that location sometimes. Same as with a fungal infection, they can flair up if a bun gets stresssed or has a weakened immune system.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[LBJ10]

Yes, I agree that it would be difficult to pinpoint the source of the infection. These things just happen. Unless, of course, she was in direct contact with another rabbit with a nasty ringworm infection. But I assume that is highly unlikely. Most fungal infections are “spontaneous” and can come about due to stress or a weakened immune system.

It certainly doesn’t hurt to have the vet check it out. At the very least, it will help you eliminate something from the list. The photos do look a bit like a fungal infection to me though.

[Rebecca]

Yea she has had no contact with any rabbits at all. I’m assuming maybe she caught it in the vet when she went in for her spay surgery and stayed there for most of the day.
I have read more on ringworm and I assume that is what she has:(
I still have not heard back from the vet which is frustrating….but I am going to call again in the morning.

Hopefully this will get figured out.
I will keep you all updated.
Thank you all!

[DanaNM]

Do you have a blacklight handy? Ringworm will fluoresce under a UV light.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Rebecca]

Unfortunately no I do not 🙁

[Rebecca]

Hi everyone,

Turns out Annie has a fungal infection (ringworm).

I have been treating her with with a spray, but it seems to be really irritating her.  After two days of spraying her (fallowing the correct use instructions) her ears are flaming red, and very warm to the touch.. and I can tell that she is in discomfort.

I tried to rinse her ears with cold water bit that doesn’t seem to help.

This has been one thing after the other and I am quite frustrated.

Dose anybody have advice? Of course it is Saturday so I cannot get in contact with the vet, but I am going to stop the treatment until I speak to the vet.

 

 

[Wick & Fable]

There are different treatments, so I would communicate with your vet about this adverse reaction. When I treated Wick for his ringworm, there was an oral medication and topical. I documented a lot here, if it would be helpful:  https://binkybunny.com/forums/topic/update-fungalringworm-tx-no-actual-worms-involved/

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[LBJ10]

What are you using? It isn’t unheard of for anti-fungals to cause irritation. They can “burn” already angry skin.

[Rebecca]

She was prescribed a spray called “Douxo Pyo Micro-emulsion Spray”.
Yes that is what he ears are appearing like… as if they are burnt.
I rinsed her ears and have been trying to apply a cool compresent on them.

I am unsure of what else to do…

Poor thing…. 🙁

[LBJ10]

OK, this isn’t what I was expecting. When I said anti-fungals can “burn”, I meant they can irritate and cause a burning sensation on already angry skin. What you have here is not an anti-fungal (although it has anti-fungal properties). It’s a 3% chlorhexidine spray. I’m not sure why the vet would prescribe that. I’ve never heard of it being used for ringworm. From what I have read, it doesn’t cure fungal infections… it just cleans the area.

Chlorhexidine is considered safe for rabbits, but it needs to be diluted. It can literally cause chemical burns if it’s too strong: http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Chemical/Chlorhexidine_en.pdf (Warning: Contains graphic photos)

So yes, I agree with the others (below). I would stop using it and talk to your vet after the holiday. You may need to let the area heal. Then use an actual anti-fungal cream like Miconazole or similar.

[Rebecca]

Hi there,

This is very interesting.
I will be contacting the vet again tomorrow to sort this out. I’m going to demand that they see Annie in person (rather then just over the phone/email… I understand their covid precautions but this to me is now an urgent situation)

I am very frustrated as you can probably tell…. I just feel bad for poor Annie.

Thank you all….

[Wick & Fable]

I would stop applying it and request a different medication from the vet.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[SweetPotato]

I definitely agree with Wick, especially since it sounds like she is in pain. Cool compresses seems like a great thing to help soothe her ears 🙂

[Rebecca]

Hello Everyone,

I figured I would update you all on Annie, since you were all so helpful.

I brought her into the vet today, and turns out she has a pretty bad ear infection in her right ear.

I am very upset about it all since I try my best to stay on top of her and any issues she is having.

I had brought her into the vet about 3 weeks ago (whenever she first started having ear irritation symptoms), and the vet said there was no sign of anything wrong. Weather it was unclear at the time, or missed… it is very frustrating as I have been treating her for things she doesn’t even have (ear mites/fungal infection).

The balding and flaky skin was all a result of her scratching and picking at her ears due to the irritation from the infection she has.

I was very shocked to find this all out because she has been acting totally normal other wise… Poor thing 🙁 I feel awful.

The vet said it is a pretty bad one so I hope she pulls through.

Thank you all for your help.

 

[Wick & Fable]

Thanks for the update! Although late, ultimately it is great that the problem’s root was identified, and it was thanks to your vigilance and effort! Ear infections are definitely not uncommon for rabbits (ears are their most notable feature, after all!), so there are many resources and cases documented online that can aid hopefully both you and your vet in making the best treatment decisions. I have not personally treated a rabbit for ear infections, but I’ve heard that a big piece for more inner-ear/serious infections is ensuring you are conducting the treatment long enough.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[Author]

Messages