sore ears

Question
my rabbit has got crusty sores on its ears,its skin on the ears is very dry and flaky also.i have taken it to the vets where he gave her an injection to stop the itching and gave me some fuciderm cream to apply twice a day.there was an improvement at first but it seems worse than at the start and it has gone on to both ears and is starting to go inside the ear. what should i do


Answer
Dear Deb,

Your rabbit has a bad case of ear canker, which is caused by parasitic mites.  You don't name the medication the vet injected, but if it was ivermectin, it should kill the mites.  However, a really bad infestation should be treated with two or more injections, once every 10-14 days.  The initial injection kills only adults, and the ones now causing the infestation were probably only eggs when your bunny got the first shot.

A much better medication now available is Revolution (selamectin), a topical liquid that lasts 30 days and should nail those little buggers once and for all.  Please see:

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

for complete information on this problem (with before and after pictures) and please ask your vet about getting some Revolution for your bunny.

I hope that helps!

Dana