ears

[bobbles]

Ever since I got my Bun I have noticed that around her ears feels coarse. I keep thinking she’ll clean herself and thats the end of it. Well last night I really looked at what is there and what I saw was littl white flakes; dandruff like. Her right ear was more sensitive than the left. What I also noticed when I go her from my friend was that her ears hardly have any fur on them. Is there any relation? I have spent time looking on the internet, but not sure what to look up. She doesnt seem to have any poblems with it, but if there is something there I would like to know….fleas or something. There is the same amount of hair on the ears a when I got her.

[MooBunnay]

Hello!

It sounds like your rabbit may have mites. This is a condition that is definitely treatable, but you will want to address right away.  Mites often can looking like "walking dandruff" and I have attached a little something I found online describing mites here:

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=18&cat=1803&articleid=1597

I will do a little more research on the forums because I believe the proper treatment recommendation has come up before… Can you get the bunny to a vet? I believe that Revolution can be used to treat ear mites – however I would confirm this with a vet (or maybe someone online here can confirm as well?)  Also, a vet can confirm if it is ear mites. 

This is an important issue to address promptly – as ear mites can eventualy cause some pretty bad damage to a bunnies ears if they go untreated for a long time, however it seems that you are catching this early (good for you!)

 

[Gravehearted]

I’d second Moobunnay’s recommendation to get Bobbles into a bunny savvy vet, since it certainly sounds like mites. Dandruff near the ears is a classic mite symptom. If left untreated, ear mite infections can lead to secondary, harder-to-treat problems such as bacterial or yeast infections, or inner ear infections, so it’s important to get into a vet.  The treatment is usually either a round of ivermectin shots or a dose of  revolution.

Do you have a rabbit savvy vet? Many vets aren’t very knowledgable about rabbits, so  it’s very important to choose a bunny savvy vet. I know we have some other members in your general area, they may be able to make some vet recommendations.  You also might try one of the ones on this list.

http://www.hrschicago.org/articleslay2.html

 

[bobbles]

I will have to find a vet for Bobbles. Any one live nearby that has one that they trust? This is happening at the worst time…money. Anyone know if the vets will work with me with a payment plan?

[bobbles]

Im calling around for vets and the people Im talking to are telling me it sounds like a skin problem. Is there anyhing they will give if I go? Its just on her ears.

[Gravehearted]

Charlotta, it’s very likely ear mites – so the vet will give her either Revolution or ivermectin shots. Most vets will not give out meds without seeing the pet, and it’s a good idea to get her checked out.

I am not sure about payment plans, but most vets do take credit cards.

[bobbles]

Can a cat get the mites??? I did find a vet for $46 and then an additional fee for the tests and whatever else. Is that good? I think so..

[MooBunnay]

I did a little looking online and it appears that a rabbit and a cat can both get a variety of mites. It said that the rabbit or the cat may not show any signs, but that in a cat – since they groom so often – you can sometimes tell if they have mites from their feces, so you may want to ask your vet before your visit if you could bring in a sample of the cat’s feces and if he or she could tell from that sample if your cat has mites. I would imagine a cat and a rabbit would get similar treatments – but you’d have to ask a vet or someone who is more familiar with cats.

$46 for a vet sounds reasonable, and did you ask if they take a credit card? That might make things easier for you. The things about mites is they can spread on the rabbit and the rabbit can lose quite a lot of hair, and it can cause other problems, so its probably more inexpensive to treat the rabbit right away. I don’t believe the vet should have to run any tests for the mites, but you will probably have some fee to pay for the mite treatment.

Good luck – let us know what the vet says!

[BinkyBunny]

My understanding is the rabbit ear mites are different than cat ear mites, and that they are not contagious to a cat. However, this subject has been asked before, and now I can’t remember where or how I heard that info, so I will need to double check with some experts.

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