Mystery ear problems, please help!

[Asutt]

For almost a year now my rabbit has not tolerated his ears being touched and when they are touched (even slightly) he scratches them like crazy and starts breathing very heavily. They have a little bit of dandruff and the hair on top looks frayed/messy/lifeless and is easily pulled out but the skin itself does not look inflamed. I have lost faith in vets as I have taken him to several including a so called ‘rabbit specialist’ but to no avail.

One vet suggested it may be mites/some other parasite and took a skin sample but found nothing. Another claimed he had excessive ear wax and so he had his ears flushed which did nothing but cause him stress and discomfort. Despite the vets telling me he does not have any sort of parasite I had him treated as though he did (just in case) but no effect. I have also bought parasite treatments over the counter which have also produced no results. I briefly considered that he might have an ear infection but the vets have said there are no indications of this and he has been on bunny antibiotics before for other illnesses.

I am at a loss as to what it could be. The only thing I can think of now is that perhaps he has some sort of dry skin issue. I imagine rabbits can suffer from this as all animals seem capable of it but I’ve not heard of it in rabbits before. I have tried applying Vaseline but it gets stuck in his hair and does not spread easily.

Doe’s anyone know what it could be? Or have any suggestions for treatment? Also is there any moisturising cream designed for rabbits or any human/animal creams I could apply that might help? I have eczema myself and use oilatum (for adults), would that be suitable?

Here is a link to that product so you can see the ingredients:

https://www.chemistdirect.co.uk/oilatum-cream/prd-hq7?gclid=CLnSrpC5gNACFVIW0wodmXEAuQ

It basically contains paraffin but I’m concerned this could be bad for his skin or if ingested.

[Bam]

They can have dry skin. The Oilatum cream is ok, it’s as you say basically parafin. The tiny amount of Oilatum cream you’d be rubbing onto his ears won’t harm him if he ingests some.

To me it does sound like a possible mite-problem though, since the hair comes out easily. It’s very, very common for mite-tests to come up negative. You can treat empirically (=on suspicion) and Revolution (selamectin) is the best choice drug. A vet needs to prescribe it though. OTC anti-parasitics are most often not effective against mites. Advantix sometimes is, but it’s not as bunny safe as Revolution. Ivermectin works too. Whatever you use, be careful with dosage.

NEVER use any compound that has fipronil in it (Frontline, Sentry, Effipro and others). Fipronil is deadly toxic to rabbits. (I’m issuing this warning here, because we always do in discussions about antiparasitics for rabbits.)

I think you could try the Oilatum or other really fat cream first, and see if it resolves the problem. If it doesn’t, it’s probably time for mite-treatment.

Skin issues can also be food-related.

[Asutt]

Thank you! I will try with the the oilatum and if that produces no results then book him in to see my vet so they can prescribe him revolution or Ivermectin. I think the vet gave him a dose of ivermectin via injection last time but it did not seem to work…though he only gave him one course and I’ve heard you’re supposed to administer that in several sessions (correct me if I’m wrong).

If it was food related, would his dry food most likely be the culprit? Or could it also be his vegetables? His hay has changed recently and he has continued to have the same issue so I don’t think its that.

[tobyluv]

Did your vet ever consider ringworm? That can cause frayed or fringed ears. The treatment for that is an anti-fungal cream such as miconazole.

[Bam]

Ringworm does sound like a possibility, esp since he’s had ivermectin. Ivermectin should be repeated in order to kill eggs that have hatched, but there should have been a marked difference with the first round.

[Asutt]

No they’ve never mentioned ringworm before. There is no visible mark that I can see on or near his ear but I will raise that with them and see what they think.  

[Asutt]

I should add that every time I go to the vets they say his eyes are slightly inflamed and he often gets sleep (dried discharge) in the corners of his eyes. They don’t seem as itchy as his ears but a little bit itchy. This made me think allergies but his environment has changed a lot lately and the problem has persisted, plus his nose is not running. Can you give piriton to rabbits or something similar?

[jerseygirl]

I think the vet gave him a dose of ivermectin via injection last time but it did not seem to work…though he only gave him one course and I’ve heard you’re supposed to administer that in several sessions (correct me if I’m wrong).

That’s right, it supposed to be 3 doses, 2 weeks apart.

Ringworm is certainly a consideration though. It can affect around the eyes also. 

Or Less Common Fur Mites ? 

What are the inside of his ears like?

[jerseygirl]

Posted By Asutt on 10/29/2016 4:47 PM

I should add that every time I go to the vets they say his eyes are slightly inflamed and he often gets sleep (dried discharge) in the corners of his eyes. They don’t seem as itchy as his ears but a little bit itchy. This made me think allergies but his environment has changed a lot lately and the problem has persisted, plus his nose is not running. Can you give piriton to rabbits or something similar?

Yes, they can have Piriton. Mention it to you vet and they can look up suitable dose for rabbit.

[Asutt]

The insides look OK to me, no inflammation or scabs…. Some tiny amber dandruff like specs but other than that they look fine.

Is it normal for rabbits to have some sort of dandruff on their ears? He recently molted and when he does he gets dandruff everywhere. This has cleared up on his body but has stayed around the ears.

Have you heard of treating mites with home remedies like honey? I was looking up treatments last night and several forums popped up with people claiming to have cured their rabbit’s mite issues with drops down the ear. 

[Author]

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