Treating Ear Mites in Rabbits Download Article
- Clean everything the rabbit has touched. Ear mites are very contagious. Because of this, everything the rabbit comes...
- Allow the debris to heal on its own. In severe cases of ear mite infestation, there will be substantial scaling and...
- Give your rabbit medication to kill ear mites. Drugs from the ivermectin...
How can you tell if your rabbit has mites?
How to treat ear mites in rabbits Visit a rabbit veterinarian. The first step is always to visit your rabbit veterinarian. Don’t skip this just to save... Anti-parasite treatment. If your rabbit is diagnosed with ear mites, your veterinarian will prescribe an …
How do you get rid of ear mites in rabbits?
· Rabbit Ear Mite Treatment #4: Triple Antibiotic Ointment. Debbie suggests using triple antibiotic ointment. Squeeze most of a tube down into the affected ear, and use the rest of the tube to cover the rest of the ear. After that, leave the ear alone.
What can you do for rabbit with mites?
· Treatment: It is very easy to naturally treat an ear mite infestation. I use coconut oil with just a couple drops of tea tree oil. You can use many different oils including olive oil, mineral oil, and vegetable oil.
How do you know if rabbits have mites?
· White vinegar is also great to treat the mites infection in rabbit’s ear. The acidity of white vinegar can remove the dirt and debris from the ear. Mix it into the water with the ratio 1:2, which is 1 part of white vinegar with two parts of water. Apple Cider Vinegar.
How do I treat ear mites in rabbits?
cuniculi are effectively treated with avermectin drugs, including ivermectin and selamectin. Injections or oral doses of ivermectin repeated over 14 days are more effective than topical applications of the same. Moxidectin, also an avermectin, has also been shown to be effective against ear canker mites.
How do you give rabbit ear drops?
The moment you get the drops in, you want to gently rub the base of the ear to make sure the drops are securely in the ear canal so that he doesn't shake the the medicine out. Be prepared for your rabbit to thump at you in disapproval as he hops off to sulk and clean his ears.
How often do you treat ear mites in rabbits?
Medication is generally topical, in the form of a spot-on. It kills mites but not eggs so it is important to kill the new larvae as they hatch. This means treating fortnightly for six weeks. The crusting discharge around the ear makes the skin very sore.
Can I use dog ear mite medicine on my rabbit?
The ear mite treatment can be used on rabbits. We just advise to use a small amount.
Will a rabbits ear infection go away on its own?
Treatments for Rabbit Ear Infections Your rabbit may need antibiotics, dewormers, topical parasite control, and/or pain medications. Treatment can take weeks to be effective. Always contact a vet if you think your rabbit has an ear infection.
How do I give my rabbit medicine?
Crush the tablet and mix it with a favorite liquid (see administering liquid medication). You can also dissolve the pill in water or a little fruit juice and syringe feed it into the rabbit's mouth. Let the pill dissolve in the fluid in the syringe for a few minutes, then shake it.
Can humans get ear mites from rabbits?
Fur mites, or "walking dandruff," affect mainly rabbits, but also guinea pigs, hedgehogs, rodents, cats, and dogs. Although an uncommon host for the mite, these mites can also be transmitted to humans. The mites are nonburrowing skin parasites.
How do I know if my bunny has ear mites?
Symptoms of Infestation of Mites in the Ear in RabbitsScratching and/or shaking their head or ears.Chewing their ears.Inflammation and crusting of the external ear canal of one or both ears.Crusting on the pinna flaps of one or both ears.Evidence of scratching at the skin of the neck, cheeks or base of the ears.More items...
How did my indoor rabbit get mites?
There are two main ways that your rabbit can contract mites: from hay, or from an infected animal. Many owners state that you should freeze the hay that you buy for 72 hours, then leave it to defrost for a few days before serving it to your rabbits.
Can I use cat and dog ear mite medicine on rabbits?
DO NOT USE Frontline (fipronil based) flea products for cats and dogs on rabbits – these are not safe for use in rabbits, and deaths have been reported. Flea shampoos and powders are not effective. Do not attempt to remove the skin crusts yourself – they are very painful for the rabbit.
How do you use an ear mite treatment kit?
Apply 10 drops to each ear making sure it penetrates ear wax down to surrounding tissues. Repeat treatment once or twice at 2-3 day intervals. Not for use on kittens under 12 weeks of age. CAUTIONS: Keep out of reach of children.
How do you treat ivermectin in rabbits ear mites?
Ivermectin was used to treat ear mite infestation in 480 rabbits in 2 commercial rabbitries. Ivermectin (cattle formulation) injected sc at a dosage of 400 to 440 micrograms/kg of body weight repeated in 18 days appeared to be safe and effective in reducing the prevalence of ear mites in naturally infested rabbits.
How do you know if your rabbit has ear mites?
Symptoms of ear mites in rabbits include the following:Scratching and/or shaking their head or ears.Chewing their ears.Inflammation and crusting of the external ear canal of one or both ears.Crusting on the pinna flaps of one or both ears.Evidence of scratching at the skin of the neck, cheeks or base of the ears.More items...
How do you treat ivermectin in rabbits ear mites?
Ivermectin was used to treat ear mite infestation in 480 rabbits in 2 commercial rabbitries. Ivermectin (cattle formulation) injected sc at a dosage of 400 to 440 micrograms/kg of body weight repeated in 18 days appeared to be safe and effective in reducing the prevalence of ear mites in naturally infested rabbits.
How do you know if your rabbit has mites?
Visual signs include chronic dandruff, "walking dandruff," chronic scratching of the hindquarters, nape of neck, and along the back, sores or scabs in the same areas, and hair loss. Microscopic diagnosis of the mites or eggs recovered by a skin scraping, combing, or acetate tape can positively identify an infestation.
What does it mean when a rabbit shakes its head?
Pronounced and frequent head shaking is a sure sign of ear mites or a bacterial infection in the ear. Rabbits with longer ears, like those in the Lop family of breeds, are particularly susceptible to ear infections. You'll need to speak with your vet about treatments for either issue.
What to do if a rabbit has ear mites?
Treat any secondary infections. If the rabbit has a secondary bacterial infection due to the ear mites, then the vet may prescribe a course of antibiotics, such as Baytril to combat this.
How to get rid of mites in rabbits?
Because of this, everything the rabbit comes into contact with should be cleaned and disinfected in case they harbor mites or mite eggs. Dispose of all bedding materials and provide fresh bedding every day until the mites have been gotten rid of completely. Scrub and disinfect the hutch and run. Make sure to clean it often while your rabbit has ...
How to check for mites in ear?
Check the ear with an otoscope. If the infestation is bad enough, the vet may not have to do an ear swab. In heavy infestations, it is possible to see the glistening bodies of the ear mites when viewed with an otoscope.
How to diagnose ear mites?
The best way for your vet to diagnose ear mites is by rolling a cotton swab in a sample of the ear wax. Then, your vet will smear the swab on a microscope slide and examine it under the microscope. Check the ear with an otoscope. If the infestation is bad enough, the vet may not have to do an ear swab.
What to do if your bunny has ear problems?
Take your bunny to the vet. Whenever your bunny shows any signs of ear problems, you should take him to the vet immediately. Ear problems can cause major pain for your rabbit, and point to severe infections.
Why does my rabbit's ear drop?
Monitor for drooping ears. If ear mites are left untreated, the weight of the collected debris inside the ear can cause it to drop. The rabbit may develop secondary bacterial infections where the skin is damaged, and infection may spread inwards into the middle and inner ear causing poor balance and a head tilt.
What is the yellow scale in the ear?
Look for discharge from the ear. A severe infection due to ear mites is characterized by distinctive yellow-gray debris and scale that builds up and fills the ear canal. This debris and discharge is tightly adhered to the skin. Attempting to remove the debris causes pain.
How to treat ear mites naturally?
It is very easy to naturally treat an ear mite infestation. I use coconut oil with just a couple drops of tea tree oil. You can use many different oils including olive oil, mineral oil, and vegetable oil. The oil will suffocate the mites while the tea tree aids in the relief of the itching/swelling, in addition to its anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. Alternately, you can also use just your base oil (without the tea tree) if that is what you have on hand.
How to get rid of a rabbit that is infected?
First of all, separate the infected rabbit from the rest. It is best to move your rabbit to a temporary cage where it can live during the course of treatment before returning to its permanent residence. Next, clean the entirety of the environment that your rabbit came into contact with .
What happens if a rabbit loses its ears?
If this problem is allowed to continue untreated, the mites will invade even further, and can cause your rabbit to lose the inability to hold up its ears, lose its equilibrium, and eventually lead to skin issues affecting the entire body including hair loss, terrible itching, scabbing, and more.
Can you use base oil on ear scabs?
Alternately, you can also use just your base oil (without the tea tree) if that is what you have on hand. Only a few drops are needed, gently massaged into the ear. Do not be tempted to remove the flaky scabs! They will fall off in a couple of days on their own following the start of treatment.
How long does it take for a rabbit to hatch?
There they embark on a 21-day cycle of life going from egg to adult in that time, and hatching eggs just 4 days later. They feed on your rabbit’s oils and wax inside of the ear as they continue to mate, lay eggs, and produce fecal matter.
Can rabbits get ear mites?
Thankfully ear mites are easy to treat. And they are a common issue that you can run into when raising rabbits.
Can you handwash a rabbit?
Of course, be sure to use good hand washing when handling an infested rabbit, so as to prevent transferring mites to the rest of your herd.
How to get rid of mites in rabbit ears?
White vinegar is also great to treat the mites infection in rabbit’s ear. The acidity of white vinegar can remove the dirt and debris from the ear. Mix it into the water with the ratio 1:2, which is 1 part of white vinegar with two parts of water.
How long does it take for a rabbit to heal from scabs?
After 10 days of medical treatment, the scabs will fall off by themselves. Your rabbit can get healed then, but imagine how your rabbit feel after so many days of torture! That’s why the prevention is also very important, so your rabbits can keep happy. You can mix the mineral oil with apple cider vinegar for daily treatment. The tea tree oil can be used for daily use, too.
Does apple cider vinegar kill mites?
Mixing apple cider vinegar with olive oil can help to remove the disadvantage caused by the mites, too . Meanwhile, apple cider vinegar is also very useful for daily health prevention since it contains vitamins, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, minerals, and many more. This product can even maintain the rabbit’s immune system and prevent urinary tract problems.
Can stress cause ear mites?
For some cases, stress can trigger the ear mites infection. Just remember to keep the environment of your rabbits stress-free. Of course, cleanliness and hygiene holds a very great deal, too.
Can ear mites get into your body?
Since the ear mites can easily stick to anywhere, you need to avoid handling them for a while, so the ear mites can’t transfer into your body. It might not harm you at all, but they will surely attack your other pets easily. I know it’s a torture to not touch your lovely pet, but love can’t go through the easy way sometimes.
Can you use olive oil on rabbits?
As I said before, oil can be really helpful in treating ear mites, too. You can practically use any oil you have in your house, for instance olive oil, corn oil, coconut oil, even the usual vegetable oil. The oil will help to suffocate the mites, so they can be terminated only by the use of the oil. While the tea tree oil has a different purpose, so you can mix them to get your rabbit become less irritated.
Can you put honey in a rabbit's ear?
Well, honey is not an oil. But, we know how honey is very useful for our daily life. We, human, can even consume it everyday for our health. Now, it’s time to introduce honey to your rabbit. All you have to do is to mix three teaspoon of honey with three ounces of warm water. Make sure that the honey dissolves into the water, then you can coat your infected ear of your rabbit.
what causes ear mites in rabbits
Ear mange or ear canker in rabbits is caused by Psoroptes cuniculi, the non-burrowing rabbit ear mites. The Psoroptes cuniculi infestations together with coccidiosis are the most common parasitic infestations in both commercial and domestic or pet bunnies.
Transmission and life cycle
Rabbit ear mites are contagious, and they transmitted via direct and indirect contact (through contact of the flaking crusts and handling by the caretaker) with risk factors such as overcrowding, poor hygiene, poor nutrition, high temperatures (associated with stress and heat stroke) and both internal and external stress.
Rabbit ear mites symptoms
Clinical presentation will depend on the severity of infestation. Some of the early symptoms may be mild but if ignored, they may worsen. Common symptoms including the following:
Are rabbit ear mites contagious to humans?
No. This is not one of the zoonotic infestations that can affect human beings. It is the fur mites that can temporarily infest human beings.
Diagnosis
The various clinical signs will be an indication and your vet will use differential diagnosis to rule out other causes of symptoms such as ear and head shaking since other ear infections, vestibular diseases, Treponema cuniculi, mycotic otitis externa, and so on can be a cause of these symptoms.
Treatment for rabbit ear mites
There are several treatment protocols that will involve avermectins as well as some home remedies. Do not remove the crusts as this will be very painful and will leave behind a blood skin. The pain will also make your rabbit scream, want to struggle or even bite you.
Ear mites in rabbits prevention
Treatment is very important. However, the necessity of prevention cannot be underscored to avoid reinfection or spread of this contagious parasitic infestation. Some of the preventive measures include the following:
What is the color of rabbit ear mites?
The rabbit ear mite has a black or brown color and is typically oval-shaped. They have long suckers and short legs. Under a microscope, they are certainly a terrifying looking creature!
How long can mites live in rabbits?
The mites are able to survive for up to 21 days when not living on the host. This means that, after treatment, you should fully clean and decontaminate your rabbit’s enclosure and any areas that he regularly plays.
Why does my rabbit shake his head?
The rabbit may shake its head to relieve irritation.
What does it mean when a rabbit's head tilts?
Head tilt is a very serious sign of illness and will likely be accompanied by a loss of appetite. If you notice this, you should take your rabbit to the vet immediately.
Can mites cause a rabbit to scratch?
While you may think that mites wouldn’t cause huge problems for rabbits, this isn’t the case. The problem starts with inflammation and irritation around the ears. The rabbit will likely scratch and mess with the affected area but this means that any infections can then be spread to other parts of his body.
Can you get mites from a bunny?
If you have more than one rabbit, which many owners do, there is a very significant risk of bunny A passing mites onto bunny B once an infection occurs. For this reason, if you notice mites on one of your buns, you should immediately check the others.
Can a bunny's ear be affected by hearing loss?
More seriously, because the ear is located so close to your bunny’s brain, there are other things that can be affected. Your rabbit may struggle with balance and coordination as well as suffering hearing loss. In the worst cases, rabbits with ear mites could experience seizures.
