Do it yourself ear cleaning?

[Michelle&Lolli]

Is there a way to clean Lolli’s ears myself?   I do not have money to take her to the vet as i’m on medical leave for my own medical problems.   She’s looking like a bum cause I need to brush her so I was going to put her on the table and brush her and hopefully try to clean her ears. 

[Free2Dream]

You can just take a warm damp cloth and wipe it gently along the inside of your bun’s ears. I’ve been told not to use cotton balls or q-tips because they can damage the ear canal.

[HummingbirdK]

Im also curious about this;
What do you guys think of the commerical ear washes for bunnies on the market?

[Michelle&Lolli]

What do you guys think of the commerical ear washes for bunnies on the market?

hmm..they have these? Guess it shows how much I pay attention at the pet store. LOL I just buy their food and hay and leave cause most of the stuff -such as treats – are crap. hehe

[KatnipCrzy]

I would never use an over the counter/pet store ear wash on a pet.  If you need to clean the ears- you need to see a vet as it indicates a problem that needs to be addressed and that OTC ear cleaner will not solve.  Depending on the ear issue- some cleaners can not be helpful at all.  If the ear drum is ruptured- you need a special ear cleaner.  Moisture can cause infections- and if the cleaner does not have a drying agent it can CAUSE an infection to start.  Some pet stores ear cleaners can be painful (like alcohol on a cut) and make the bunny scratch his ear and make the problem worse or cause a problem.

So I really do not recommend over the counter ear cleaner.  You should not have to clean your bunnies ears unless directed by the vet.  I have never cleaned my lops ears- if it is not broken- don’t fix it.

But if you ever do wipe out your bunnies ear- no Q tips– just put a tissue or cotton ball over the end of your finger and wipe the ear out.  Your finger width and the anatomy of the ear canal should not allow you to be able to get deep enough to rupture the ear drum (which is painful and another problem).

[Beka27]

I’ve also never cleaned either of my rabbits ears. They do a good job of keeping them clean. The most I’ve done is gently rub them with my dry fingers while grooming and just visually look into the ear. Is something going on that makes you think they need to be cleaned?

[Michelle&Lolli]

Lolli keeps scratching her ears, but I realized last night that she’s actually scratching behind her ears. I also rubbed her ears and they’re not dry or anything so I won’t be trying to clean them. lol

[Andi]

Unless you can see actual dirt in there, I’d not clean them. Rabbits can clean their own ears unless they have a hind end issue, and if you have more then one bunny in the group, most likely they clean each others ears.
As already mentioned just a simple whipe is sufficient as long as it’s not INTO the canal, and if there is smell/dischage/lots of gunk, it’s best to have the Rabbit checked by a Vet.

[Author]

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