ear infections

Question
QUESTION: I have two 9 month old rabbits they have been starting to get ear wax in their ears and they harden fast because its so cold.  I have been trying to clean them but I have rex rabbits and they are a little temperamental when it comes their ears.  I heard that I can use baby oil to soften the wax enough to clean them without hurting them is that true? Or will that cause more damage.  i haven't done anything but use water to clean it a little not a lot only on cloths and cotton balls to dab it so I can get some of it off.  So far it hasn't totally hurt them, they still hear me since they come to me when they are called but I just want them health.

ANSWER: Hi Jessica,

Our buns don't like ear cleanings either.  We have to do it often with some of our buns since they have rear leg issues that prevent them from doing some of the cleaning themselves.  As far as cleaning, baby oil will help to soften the wax...but it's not my first choice.  We generally use a product called Epi-Otic.  It can be purchased at many vet clinics and is also used in dogs and cats.  It is gentle but effective.  A good squeeze in those ears, they shake their head for a moment and we dig the stuff out of there.  There is another product called Cerulytic.  It is designed to handle the really tough hardened wax and contains compounds that really breaks up the wax. Both of these products are made by a company called Virbac and are available without prescription at many clinics.  Not particularly endorsing these products...I do use them and have been very satisfied with them...but there are other companies that offer similar products.  I would suggest you contact your vet and see what they use to flush the ears of kittens and I would use that.  We use a q-tip to clean in the folds down deeper in the ear canal.  Most rabbits have a little pocket like structure down in the canal that will really collect wax.  You need to get deep...but be very careful not to get deep enough to damage the ear drum.  You can make this a better experience for your rabbit by offering a very special treat after the cleaning.  Most rabbits learn quickly that if they allow you to clean those ears...something special will be waiting.  Regardless of if you use the baby oil or the stuff found at the vet's....it helps to warm it up to about body temp...not hot, just warm to prevent the sudden shock of a cold liquid going into the ear.

One other comment....make sure what you are seeing is wax and not mites. If your rabbits are housed outdoors, be very vigilent about checking for mites.  They will usually create a brown scaly type material in the ear canals.  In some heavy infestations you might actually see the mites crawling in or near the ears.  You might also see some blood if mites are in those ears.

Randy

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QUESTION: if they are mites, is there a way to get rid of them

Answer
Hi Jessica,

If it is mites, they need to be eradiacted.  Not only are they uncomfortable, they can cause secondary ear infections and that can become quite serious and difficult to treat.  And those mites can also infect other pets and you.  Many breeders use either baby oil or mineral oil to basically drown the mites.  I am not a real fan of that one since there can still me mites outside the ear that it won't get.  This method has to used pretty much ongoing.  I prefer to use a drug called Ivermectin.  It is essentially a pesticide.  It is routinely used in many species for all sorts of things including fleas, mites and some other parasites.  It can be given to a rabbit either by mouth or by sub-q injection.  It can also be used transdermally, which is by placing the drug on the skin and allowing the skin to absorb it, but this is not as effective as the other administration routes.  This drug enters the blood stream and the mites are killed when they ingest the blood.  This drug is usually given in three stages at intervals of about 10 days apart.  The first dose gets the current population of mites, the second will get any eggs that have hatched and the third does final mop up.

A couple of warnings.  First, this drug can be purchased over the counter at most tractor/farm supply stores (in the US anyway).  But I would highly suggest that a vet take a look at those ears.  A rabbit savvy vet can verify mites (sometimes they can be seen by an otoscope and sometimes they will put a piece of ear debris under a microscope).  But the primary importance of visiting a vet is to properly dose the meds and to insure there is no infection brewing deep in the ear canals.  Remember, ivermectin is a toxin and if given in too high a dose can have undesired results for the rabbit and it would not be good.  And if there is an infection, proper treatment can be started in an effort to avoid the side effects of an ear infection in a rabbit.

Randy