Thin fur on ears

Question
Hi,
My rabbit has always had thin fur on his ears but this summer i have noticed that i can see lots of skin on his ears and the fur is very thin, the inside of his ears are fine so it's not ear mites he does scratch his ears but not excessively, is this just normal? is it the heat? shall we be doing something about it?
Thanks
Katie

Answer
Dear Katie,

A mild case of mites can cause fur loss and itching without excessive itching.  It could be the beginnings of mange and/or ear canker.  If this were my bunny, I'd ask the vet about getting him treated with Revolution (selamectin), a topical medication that lasts about 30 days.  It's much better than the older, more commonly used ivermectin, which is injectible.

Please also see:

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

I hope this helps.  Please write back if you have any other questions.

Dana