Possible Fur/Eare Mites – How to Ease Itching

[naodar]

Anais, my holland lop, has been shaking her head, scratching her ears, neck, and back. It’s terrible to watch how often and hard she scratches. It’s pretty likely that she has either ear or fur mites or both. No scabs or dandruff yet, so I think this is the early stage. There are no fleas on her, so what could it be if not fur mites, out of curiosity?

I have already contacted a vet for an appointment to hopefully get some Revolution for her.

In the meantime, what can I do to ease her itching or make her more comfortable? I massaged a few drops of olive oil into her ears last night but it didn’t do anything other than cause her to shake her head to get the oil out and be annoyed with me for a while, lol. Is there anything I can rub into her fur safely to ease the itching? It’s so terrible to watch her scratch instead of play. She’s only been with me for three days and I think the sudden change in environment probably set off the outbreak.

Please offer any tips you have. Thanks so much!

[naodar]

Also, if it is mites, about how long will it take for dandruff or scabs to appear? I didn’t want to ask at first because I’m afraid of the answer, but are mites fatal if not treated soon? What’s the maximum time it is safe to wait for a vet to see her and give a prescription before ordering Revolution myself?

[jerseygirl]

Welcome and congrats on your new bunny!

When you can see the vet & get Revolution is best. If you’ve only just gotten her, they can do a whole body health check while you’re there.

I would contact the people you got her from and check they haven’t given her a treatment before they sent her home with you. It’s sometimes routine of breeders and shelters to do this.
Important to know
1) because you’ll not want an interaction between treatments

2) she may be having a reaction to treatment if they’ve given her one.

The only other possibilities I can think of if not ear or furmite is bacterial or fungal skin infection or allergy. Allergy is not common though.
Are you using wood shavings in her habitat?

[naodar]

Thanks for your reply!

I already contacted the breeder and she did not give any treatment.
I am not using any wood shavings.

I took the earliest appointment I could with a local rabbit vet. It’s on Monday.

She’s scratching so much I’m afraid she won’t make it till Monday. Also, no crusts or dandruff yet.
Will a warm rinse of rice water help in any way? Or rubbing some olive oil on the beck of her head and neck?

[Bam]

If she’s scratching so much that you fear for her life and you have no possibility of getting to an ER vet: Could you ask your breeder if she has some metacam? Itching is pain-signals not strong enough to create pain. A painkiller can for this reason help. Antihistamines would also be a possibility, but I don’t know the dosage. Antihistamines like Benadryl or Cetirizin stops histamine from being released, histamine causes itching. This is regardless of the reason for the itching, i e whether it’s from an allergy or not.

For the ears you could use a very mild (1%) OTC cortison cream, that would also help against the itching, but you can’t of course treat the whole bun with cortison ointment (don’t try to). 

 

But if you fear for her life and you do have access to an ER vet, you should take her to the ER vet. 

[jerseygirl]

Is revolution prescription-only where you  know you said you havent found fleas on her but is it possible she has had flea bites?  Some animals are really sensitive to this.  Any evidence of “flea dirt”? .

[jerseygirl]

@bam, LBJ10 has used dilute benadryl for one her rabbits before. I just dont remember what for!

[naodar]

Thanks for the responses

I don’t fear for her life from the scratching, since she isn’t drawing blood or producing any redness of skin. I just don’t know how fast mites can become fatal. A timeline of a mites infestation would be helpful.

Instead of rinsing her with rice water, I waited for her to come to me to be groomed. Once she loafed in front of me, I groomed her with her brush and gently massaged a little rice water onto her neck, which is one of the places she scratches. It seems to have eased the itch because she got up and flopped back down. She hadn’t let me groom her for more than 5 minutes prior to this, but she fell asleep while I was brushing her back and drying her neck and still dozing now. Hasn’t scratched there for more than 25 minutes.

Revolution is prescription only at the local vet clinics, but I could order it online. However, it would take 5-8 days to get here so there’s no point since her appointment is in 2 days.

I will search for the dosage of Benadryl or Cetirizin.

Thanks for the suggestions! Any more are welcome

[naodar]

Oh, and I have checked her fur profusely and there are no signs of flea dirt. That was actually my first route of action when I noticed her itching but there are no fleas. Plus nothing has bit me and I spend a bunch of time near her so it’s probably not fleas.

[Bam]

Mites are not deadly in days, mange (scabies) can be deadly in weeks, but by then there would be sores and crusts. So the mites won’t kill your bun, I was thinking more in the line of her stressing herself to death by itching ceaselessly, like a crazy bunny.
A timeline for mites is not really possible to give since infestations progress at different rates depending on the bunny’s individual immune defense and how heavily it’s been exposed to the mites.

[LBJ10]

You can use Benedryl with bunnies. I just have what the vet prescribed (I found the note she gave me). We were using it to help dry up Wooly’s sinuses, but you could use it for other purposes. I got the children’s liquid benedryl, 12.5 mg/ml solution. It’s cherry flavored. The vet said to mix 1/2 teaspoon per 1 cup of water. Wooly was 3.4 lbs at the time (according to the sheet). So I’m not sure exactly what the proper dosage is, but that is what the vet prescribed for MY bunny.

Does your bunny have a rash like an allergic reaction to the mites? Benedryl may help with that, but I don’t think it would do much if it wasn’t an itch caused by histamine. I will warn you though, it does make them drowsy. I had no problem getting Wooly to drink it though, he probably thought the cherry flavored water was great.

[naodar]

Oh, that’s great news. This is the first time I’ve had a bunny with mites so I had no clue. I’m glad she’ll be okay until Monday. She stops scratching to eat, drink, poop, and rest. She hops around playing aimlessly a bit so she isn’t scratching ceaselessly.

Thanks for the Benadryl info. But I don’t know much she weighs yet. I plan to get that info at the vet’s office for future use. I think I will just wait it out with her until Monday and just make sure she eats and drinks and relieves herself.

Thanks!

[jerseygirl]

Good to hear she got some relief from the itching.

[Bam]

I’m glad to hear it too, it sounds like she’s doing rather well under the circumstances =)

[Author]

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