question about possible ear infection

[Ang]

How can you tell if your rabbit is getting an ear infection? 

 

Reason i ask is Morelands ears are clean he shakes his head from time to time but i cant tell if its a binky or he just has an itch?  i was petting him last night and was rubbing the base of his ears and he shook his head.  he doesnt seem to be tilting his head extra hot or anything?  i dont really want to spend alot of money at the vet but if its a sign of an ear infection i will.

thanks in advance.

 

[Beka27]

ear shaking and scratching can be a sign, but it also might just be that he’s scratching or shaking his ears for another reason, or no reason at all. since Moreland is a lop, he has a greater chance of getting an ear infection over an uppy-eared bun, so if it persists throughout the week, i would suggest you take him in just to get his ears looked at. i don’t think there’s anything you would be able to see with your naked eye that would indicate to you whether or not it’s an infection. if it is an infection and you wait too long to get treatment, it can lead to bigger problems… so it’s best to take care of it sooner rather than later. another member just dealt with a bad ear infection with her lop. i think she was on meds for a couple months and it required several vet visits to get it cleared up.

[Sarita]

I agree with Beka – this could or could not be a sign and since he is a lop he can be more prone to ear problems. The only thing you might notice with a naked eye is ear mites but if you are noticing that then it is a very bad case (will look black). Other ear problems will need the otoscope to look down into the ear by a vet. He could also have a build up of wax which could turn into an infection if not cleaned properly.

[Ang]

okay when you say not cleaned properly do i do this or does the vet? i tried to just swab the inside with a q tip but he wasnt liking that and i didnt want to shove it in too far? is it okay to swab it? is this part of maintenance?

i know i sound retarded

[Beka27]

it’s a very good question. you can clean the ears with a solution that i believe you get at the vet. if you take him in, i’d have the vet or vet tech show you the proper technique b/c you don’t want to go in too far. there’s also the risk that if his ears are blocked up, if you swabbing around you can push the wax in further.

[Sarita]

Yes, what Beka said. I do not recommend you just use a swab because that can cause the ear wax to go further down and there is a solution that you will need to use to help soften the ear wax. I’m always wary of people using q-tips to clean ear wax in the ears after I’ve done this on myself and caused more problems because I pushed the was further down so I would not risk this with a rabbit.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Ditto the qtip advice!

I’d take him to see the vet just to rule out an ear infection/dirty ears. The vet can show you how to clean without hurting him too!

[bunnyluvr]

I was reading the book “Why does my Rabbit?” last night and it gives the advice to look in the rabbits ear – it should be clean and to smell it – it should smell sweet. If it doesn’t bun may have an infection. According to the book you may be able to smell the infection while it is still in the inner ear and before it gets to the outer ear where you can see it. I don’t know if it works or not but I thought I’d mention it.

[Ang]

Thank you! all for the information especially your tip Bunnyluvr! i took Moreland to the vet yesterday his ears were very clean just a few crusties which were not infection. she put this ear cleaner down in his ear and didn’t recommend q-tips or anything like that the cleaner just oxygenates and when he shakes his head or anything like that the wax buildup will come out. will make another post about some things that were checked and her opinion.

[brook]

Shaking of the head also seems to be how rabbits show they may be in pain somehow.  I have had 2 rabbits, one with tooth abscess and one with an infection in his leg and both seemed to shake their head often when in pain.  Be sure to check along the bunnys jaw line and all over his body for any signs of lumps as abscesses are common on any part of the body.  There are not many signs for a bunny to show when something is wrong, often until it’s too late.  Not to scare you, but if this is new behavior monitor his eating/drinking and even his droppings for any signs of change.  if this behavior is new and continues on, it might be a good idea to have him checked out just to be safe.  Our rabbit had a swollen foot and I thought it could be a sprain and thought about waiting a couple of days to see if the swelling would go down, but luckily we took him in because he had an infection in there and with a few more days without antibiotic we could have lost him. It is great that you noticed this change in behavior, just remember to keep a close eye on him.  Vet bills can be expensive and so many people decide to “hold off” to see if the behavior goes back to normal.  If you can afford it it would not hurt to just take him in.

Good luck, keep us posted!

[brook]

I’m sorry, I didnt read the post you just put about taking him to the vet!  Well I’m glad all is well, but you can keep my info in mind for the future! Sorry to jump the gun!

[LittlePuffyTail]

Glad to hear Moreland doesn’t have an ear infection. They are not fun to deal with (trust me, I’ve had to deal with a few with my lop).

As mentioned, lops tend to have more problems with their ears. I recommend buying a small flashlight or LED light (like a pocket flashlight) and once a week or during you grooming session, take a peek inside his ears with the light. This will help you spot any buildup, discharge or swelling. So if he does get an infection in the future, you can get treatment quickly. The more advanced it gets, the harder it is to treat.

[KatnipCrzy]

To add to what others have said- if you stick a q-tip to far into the ear on a dog, cat or rabbit you can rupture their ear drum/tympanic membrane.  With that type of damage to the ear- it takes longer to heal, is painful, affects their hearing and limits the use of some meds until it heals.

I have a horrible sense of smell personally, but I know that others can smell ear infections in their pet- the bacteria or yeast overgrow has a foul odor.

I have lops bunnies and fortunately they have not had any ear problems, and I do not, and would not do anything preventative unless my vet recommended it- because moisture can cause infections too.  So some over-the-counter ear cleaners, or home rememdy ear cleaners can make a healthy rabbit ear prone to infection by adding moisture and changing the natural PH of the ear.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Just thought I’d mention, I have read many times that it is a symptom, but have never experienced a foul smell with Bindi’s ears when they’ve been infected.

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