EAR MITE SLIGHT TILT

Question
I HAVE HAD A HARD TIME FINDING A VET TO EXAMINE MY YOUNG HOUSE RABBIT (3 MONTHS). KEEP IN MIND THAT I HAVE HAD HOUSE RABBITS IN THE PAST. I FOUND A VET WILLING TO EXAMINE BUT WHEN I SUGGESTED EAR INFECTION HE SAID NO.  THEN HE SAID EVEN IF HE THOUGHT THAT THE RABBIT HAD AN EAR INFECTION HE WOULD HAVE TO DO A HEAD SCAN TO FIGURE OUT.  NOW I HAVE HAD RABBITS AND ONE WITH AN EAR INFECTION FROM MITES AND I JUST NEEDED GEMAMICIN 15MG AND REVOLUTION TO GET EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL.  IT HAS NOW BEEN A MONTH LATER AND BUNNY HAS A TILT AND BENT EAR NOT EATING PROPERLY.  I PUT ON THE REVOLUTION AND MINERAL OIL IN THE EAR TO FLUSH THE MITES IF ANY (NO SIGN OF MITE INFESTATION).  SINCE I DONT HAVE A VET TO ASSIST WHAT ELSE CAN I DO TO HELP MY BUNNY FEEL BETTER.  HIS TEMP WAS 102.5 AND I PLACED HIM ON A FROZEN CORN BAG TO COOL DOWN.  THIS AM...THE EAR IS SLIGHTLY ERRECT AND HE ATE A PIECE OF CABBAGE.

Answer
Dear Teresa,

Please use the list linked here to find a rabbit-savvy vet:

www.rabbit.org/vets

It will be worth a drive to find someone who knows what to do.  The fever is a strong indicator that this could be due to bacterial infection, but gentocin ear drops will do little or nothing to truly address this problem.  In many cases, head abscesses will resolve with dual-acting Penicillin G Procaine/Benzathine, so ask the vet about this.  Please also refer the vet to this article by a rabbit expert vet:

www.rabbit.org/health/tilt.html

and for your own information, please see:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/tilt.html

There is nothing you can do with over-the-counter medication to make this better.  You need the help of a rabbit-savvy vet right away.

I hope this helps.

Dana