How can you tell if a rabbit has ear mites or an ear infection?

Question

i need help

Answer 1

Ear mites in rabbits usually cause a lot of thick crusts, which will bleed if pulled off. They are very itchy. An infection is more uncommon, so if you see any discharge in the ears at all, have a vet diagnose and treat.

Answer 2

If a rabbit has ear mites, you will see a lot of brownish looking crusty stuff inside the ears. It can be small little specks on the inside of the ears, it can be large amounts inside the ears (depends on the severity of the infestation). You will also see a rabbit shaking it's head from side to side like it's trying to shake water out of it's ears. If you see this, get some mineral oil (you can get it from the pharmacy for about 3-5 dollars per bottle), an eye dropper, and cotton balls. To get rid of the mites, I usually put 2 drops of mineral oil in each ear (or just the affected one) twice a day (morning and night) for a week. You also have to clean the ears, and keep them clean during this time. To do this, take a cotton ball and dip it in a little bit of mineral oil. Dab some of the oil onto the crusts, and let it sit for a few seconds to soften the crusts. Then gently wipe the crusts away. Do this at least once a day (preferably each time you administer the drops). After the week is up, wait a 2-3 days and see if the crusts return. If they do, administer the treatment for another week. If not, then you have successfully gotten rid of the mites.

Ear infections are a lot less common in rabbits, but can still happen. If you see your bunny shaking his/her head like above, but cannot see any crusty spots, he/she could very well have an ear infection. The rabbit will probably also have a low-grade fever (although you wouldn't necessarily be able to tell without actually taking his/her temperature). The only way to know for sure is to take him/her to a rabbit-savy vet for an ear check. If the vet finds an infection, he/she will prescribe an antibiotic (also usually in the form of drops) and will instruct you as to how often and how much to administer. Follow the vet's instructions exactly.

Hope it helps!

Answer 3

Ear mites can appear out of nowhere it seems. I rarely have the problem with my rabbits but they occasionally pop up. I'm not a person who tends to rely on home remedies, plus I volunteer for an animal rescue group, so we have to be careful that we treat illnesses in conjunction with a vet. My best and easiest solution to ear mites is Revolution drops for cats - the flea/worm/mites drops you buy for cats, that you place on the fur at the back of the neck. I normally only use half a tube, and within two days the mites are gone, and one or two days more and any irritation or residue in the ear is gone. Using mineral oils etc can work, but sometimes can cause infections in the ear. I don't like to risk a hefty vet bill by pouring oil into the ear.

Answer 4

Ear mites are going to leave dark crusty residue in the ear canal. There may even be some discharge, depending on how bad it is. More than likely, the rabbit has ear mites, not an ear infection. You need to get some drops from the vet.

Answer 5

You can tell by smell if it stinks than it probably ear infection
if the rabbit scratches alot and has brown crusty looking stuff
in the ears than it is probably ear mites.

Answer 6

you might see litlle teeny tiny orange bugs crawling inside the ear, and to try and see that, you might need a little light. if it is just an infection, then you just might see some irritation, and no bugs. but im pretty sure that with ear mites, the ears might be a yellowish color. but either way, it's best to take him/her to the vet for a treatment. good luck!!!!

Answer 7

I think you should get your bunn checked out by a veterinarian who knows rabbits well. I've got lists of reputed rabbit-savvy vets that I've collected -
http://au.geocities.com/leaswebsite/links.html#bunnyvets
Check out all these links - just click on your country/state -
http://www.3bunnies.org/vets.htm
http://www.3bunnies.org/vets.htm#pets911_findvet
http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/PB_vets.html
http://members.shaw.ca/cocoasun/RabbitVetsMain.htm
http://www.rabbit.org/care/vets.html
http://members.shaw.ca/cocoasun/AustralianRabbitVets.htm
and I suggest telephoning them and asking them lots of questions - http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/vet.html

Have a read of these great detailed rabbit sites too -
http://www.muridae.com/rabbits/rabbittalk.html
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/rabbits/a/?once=true&
http://www.tagyerit.com/hopline/cold.htm
http://www.rabbit.org/
http://www.houserabbit.co.uk/
http://au.geocities.com/leaswebsite/bunnyhouserabbits.html - my own site - please have a browse and hope you learn a lot.

Very best of luck to you and your bunny.