Lop Ear inflammation

Question
My lop rabbit has swollen ears.  They inflammation is on the inside of this ear and is now a bubble the size of a silver dollar, and is slightly warm to the touch.  He shows no other signs of illness, such as loss of appetite or sluggish behavior.  He has been this way for about 2 weeks and the "blister" has went down in size going from covering his whole ear to the size of a silver dollar.  What is wrong with him?

Answer
Dear Stephanie,

Lop bunnies are very susceptible to ear infections, and that's what this sounds like.  The ear canal is probably filled with pus, and needs to be cleaned and medicated with the appropriate antibiotics. Please read:

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

and find a good rabbit vet (it's essential that the vet be a rabbit expert for this problem!) here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

Some vets are now doing surgery on very stubborn cases, marsupializing the bottom of the ear so the canal is open and (1) easier to clean and (2) more open to air, so less susceptible to infection.  Your vet may mention this, so I thought I would, too.

I hope this helps.

Dana