Help! I think our bunny may have ear mites

[JDro]

Hi All,

We noticed our bunny scratching her ears a lot and noticed her skin in her ears looked a bit dry.  Looking further in to the ear then it looks even worse.  We are thinking ear mites?  We aren’t sure how this happened since she hasn’t had contact with any animals other than our (indoor) cat in weeks.

We will take her to the vet when we can (closed today, so will try to get an appointment asap), but what can we do in the meantime?  Are there any products people recommend?  We’ve also read we can just use some oil.

Thanks in advance!

Justin

[DanaNM]

Revolution is a common and effective treatment, you can get it from your vet. I can’t speak to any “home remedies”, I would just get in to your vet when you can. She will be OK if she has to wait a couple days.

Sometimes bunnies can have very low levels of mites and not show symptoms, so it isn’t always possible to know where they came from.

. . . 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.  

[JDro]

Thanks Dana! Maybe she has had them all along or picked them up from the vet.  Who knows!

We read that baby oil can help so we did put a little bit in her ears and she has actually left her ears alone for the last couple hours.

[JDro]

Update on this… we are scheduled to take her in this Friday.  Her behavior hasn’t changed at all.  We were able to get a little bit of baby oil in the ear lobe and it appears to have helped a bit with the flaky skin.  This seems to oddly be isolated to one ear.

Because of the one ear thing, is it possible this is just an ear infection?  We have some antibiotics left over from her spay (1 month ago).  My wife thinks the ear in question is warmer than the other and also more pink.

 

Thanks,

Justin

 

[DanaNM]

I’m not sure, but I wouldn’t give antibiotics unless they were prescribed for the specific issue. There are different antibiotics used for different things, and usually outer ear infections are treated with an antibiotic drop vs. oral.

So keep your vet appointment, I’m sure the vet will clear things up. 🙂

. . . 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.  

[JDro]

Thanks!  We were able to move the appointment up a day.  She still seems to be behaving normally but she does favor her “good ear”.

I hate that she may be uncomfortable but I think she should be fine until we get her to the vet on Thursday.  My wife thinks things have gotten worse with how the inside of her ears looks (I don’t really think so).  At what point would people recommend going to an emergency clinic?  I don’t think we are anywhere near that point but I’m assuming that as long as her eating/drinking/bathroom behavior is normal that things aren’t that dire.

 

Thanks!

[DanaNM]

I don’t think this constitutes an emergency based off what you’ve told me, but if you notice a change in appetite, poop, changes in behavior, or any symptoms of pain then I would recommend getting her in sooner. Same if you notice any head tilt, or anything like that.

It can help to take a picture for your own reference to see if things are progressing quickly, as it can be hard to tell whether you are just paying closer attention or things are actually getting worse. You could always keep checking in with the vet each day to see if they have any openings (sometimes there are cancellations). Some vets will also reserve same day appointment spots that are available if you call first thing in the morning.

Can you post a picture here of what you’re seeing? If you add the pic to your profile it will show up in your media library, and you should be able to add it to your post.

. . . 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]

I agree with Dana. She may be uncomfortable, but it probably isn’t an emergency. As long as she’s still eating/pooping, you should be OK to wait until the vet appointment. Baby oil may temporarily relieve the itch, but it won’t cure the ear mites. And yes, ear mites can affect one ear before spreading to the other and inflammation can make the offending ear look red and feel warm to the touch.

[JDro]

Thanks everyone.  This makes me feel a bit better about waiting another day+ for the vet.

[JDro]

This is the picture of her ear.  Shockingly she has not been paying a ton of extra attention to it.  Her other ear looks normal.  And also no head tilt.  She was just running around her cage happy before my wife calmed her down to get this picture.

[LBJ10]

Oh yes, that looks ear mite-y to me!

[DanaNM]

Agreed! Most definitely ear mites!

. . . 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.  

[JDro]

Confirmed ear mites!

 

The vet was suspicious of how she could have gotten ear mites.  They didn’t seem to think they could have been dormant or unnoticed for a while.  They may have screened her for mites when she was in for her spay last month but I didn’t ask.  They were sooner pointed to possible mites in a bag of bedding than her having an unnoticed mite problem.

[BZOO]

Glad you got your answer.  Know how frustrating the wait can be.

Seems all vets are VERY busy these days.

Bee-u-tee-ful bunny you got there.

[LBJ10]

Ear mites could come from contaminated bedding or hay, but I think that is less common. Factories don’t tend to be breeding grounds for ear mites. Mice, yes. Ear mites not so much because they need a host to survive. Depending on the temperature, they generally only last a few days off of a host.

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