Possible Ear Infection – Need Advice

[Elrohwen]

What are the typical signs of an ear infection and when are those signs considered bad enough to visit the vet?

I’ve noticed Otto doing a lot of head shaking lately. At first I thought it was a lazy binky, being happy without actually moving his body, but he’s doing it frequently enough that I’m not sure it’s just for fun. He’s always scratched his face with his back foot regularly, but now it seems like he’s doing it very close to the base of his right ear.

Just looking in his ear I can’t see any goop or waxy build up. His eyes aren’t runny at all either. He’s otherwise happy and healthy with no behavioral changes and a good appetite.

Does this warrant a vet visit? If he continues these behaviors over the weekend should I make an appointment for Monday? Or is there another, worse symptom that I would see first? Obviously I wouldn’t want it to get to the point of head tilt.

Thanks, BBers!

[Sarita]

It’s difficult to really see down inside your rabbit’s ears – you really need an otoscope to see way down. I understand lops can be prone to ear infections so if you feel he is continuing to act abnormally then I would just to be safe.

If the behavior continues and you are concerned then you should take him to the vet. I always say better safe than sorry when it comes to a behavior that doesn’t seem normal, which you are the best judge of since you know Otto’s habits the best.

[Elrohwen]

Thanks, Sarita. I’ll keep an eye on him but if he keeps it up, I’ll definitely make him an appointment for next week.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Yeah I agree it would be really hard to see unless it was really bad -good idea to have your vet look at them

[Elrohwen]

Thanks, K&K. He hasn’t gotten worse over the weekend … if anything he’s better. He’s done the head flick a few times, but no scratching. I’ll keep an eye on him, and maybe call the vet to get their opinion. I don’t want to go in and have them say they can’t see anything and to just bring him back later.

[LittlePuffyTail]

I’ve dealt with several ear infections with my lop. The first sign with Bindi was always lots of pus looking goop in his ear. You might want to try having a good peek in his ear with a small flashlight. Also, check if there is a smell to his ear. Bindi never shook or scratched with his ear infections.

If he’s shaking his head, something is probably bugging him. Olivia was scratching and shaking and I brought her to the vet and it turned out to be a hard piece of wax deep in her canal that was bothering her.

[katie, max & penny]

mine sometimes stand up and shake their heads as a half-binky. but the first time max started doing this a lot, i took him to the vet just to be sure.

[Elrohwen]

Thanks LPT and Katie. He definitely doesn’t have any pus in his ear, which makes me feel a bit better, but I’ve been told that if it’s in his middle ear there wouldn’t be any pus on the outer ear canal. That’s a very good point that something else could be bothering him though.

And Katie, he definitely does that as a half binky too 🙂 Haha. It just seems like he’s doing it a bit more frequently (though I haven’t seen him do it much since Saturday) which made me wonder.

Overall, his symptoms seem a bit better and he isn’t bothering the ear as much as he was. I’m keeping an eagle eye on him though!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Rupert has a hard time cleaning one ear (his foot on that side is funny) and when it bugs him I just get a wet cloth and help clean it for him-might work for you He hates me for doing it (it’s only once in a while) but it always stops the flicking

[KatnipCrzy]

If the infection is deep in the ear canal- you usually cannot see any of the pus or debris- when vets look in the ear with an otoscope they are looking deep in the ear to see the ear drum- checking for debris and that the ear drum is intact (infection and trauma can rupture the ear drum- but it can heal when the infection resolves).

Sometimes the ears have a foul odor if there is an infection.  And I would look at the ear itself- if you notice any redness or scratches (like the pet has been try to scratch their ears too vigorously).  Those would be good signs that the bunny needs to be seen by a vet.

My bunnies almost always throw a “head shake” into their binkies.  I think it is a happy sign!

[Elrohwen]

Thanks K&K and Katnip! I’ve decided not to take him to the vet at the moment, because his head flicking is back in the normal range. He definitely does it when he’s happy, but for a day or so he was doing it a lot more than usual. Still keeping an eye on him though! He’s also stopped scratching at his right ear, which he seemed to do a lot for a day or so.

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