EARS PROBLEMS

Question
Hi Dana
i need your help. I'm sure u can help me.i live in Mexico we don't have very good vets for rabbits.
i took my rabbit with the vet last Tuesday  my rabbit  was shaking his head all time and Dr said he got ears mites, Dr did clean his ears and put some treatment.
But the same day  later, i realized my rabbit cant hear. i make noises and he doesn't have any reaction, i called the Dr and he told me it was normal and i should wait for next day, and i did wait. But next day everything was the same.
today i took my rabbit again with the Dr, and he found one of craigs hears have some abscess and he gave me a tears drops, he said he can hear, but he is in pain and his behavior changes.
i don't know if i should believe him or not.
the drops he gave me is a Mexican product, ingredients are
enrofloxacina 5mg
tiabendazol   40 mg
dexametasona 1 mg
i want to know if is good for rabbits and why my rabbit cant hear is normal?
I'm to scared of losing him


i hope U can understand my English
thank U Dana

Answer
Dear Marisa

The very first thing I would request from the vet is a culture and sensitivity test on the pus in the ears:

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

Without this, the proper antibiotic to treat the problem cannot be truly known.  The medicine drops your vet gave you are safe for rabbits, but simple topical application of these drops is not likely to be enough to cure this serious problem.

Whether the hearing loss is permanent cannot be known until the infection is gone, but pus in the ears can certainly block his hearing!  Ear flushings will help.  Please ask the vet about this.  Lukewarm water and Chlorhexiderm flush are very helpful.  I usually instill slightly warmed liquid into the ear, squish it around by gently massaging the base of the ear, and then *gently* and *carefully* suctioning out the liquid (and rinsed pus) with a pediatric ear bulb.   These should be available at most pharmacies, or they can order one for you.  Here's what they look like:

http://shop.tps-online.com/browse.cfm/4,803.html

In many cases, bicillin injections every 48 hours can really help with infections like this, but **ONLY IF** the bacteria causing the problem are sensitive to penicillin.  (Note that oral penicillins are deadly to rabbits, and must never be given; injectible Penicillin G Procaine plus Benzathine (= bicillin) is fine)  You can find more information here:

http://www.rabbit.org/health/abscess.html

Please feel free to share any of this with your vet.  Good luck!

Dana