SICKENESS/DISEASE

Question
my rabbit has ears that are getting worse, the ears are crusty on the edges and have slits on them.  do u know what this means? theres no other place on the rabbit that has fur problems.  also her nose gets cut and it looks like its hanging off.  she is in the cage and when she comes out of the cage i make sure there is no animal around, so therefor she is doing this on her own.  what do these signs mean? How can it be fixed?

Answer
Dear Kaleigh,

Your rabbit has ear canker, which is caused by microscopic parasitic mites.  Fortunately, this is easily cured with topical application of Revolution (selamectin) from your vet.  You can see "before" and "after" pictures of bunnies with ear canker and mange (also caused by mites) to compare with what your bunny has:

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

Some vets still use injectible ivermectin for this problem, but we find that Revolution is the best.  DO NOT use Frontline, as it can be deadly to rabbits.

Hope this helps!  Please write back if you have any other questions.

Dana