Fur and ear mites

[BunnyLandia]

I’ve been having this problem for a few months now. I have a nursing Flemish giant rabbit that has ear mites on both of her ears (they look really bad/bloody and crusty) and has fur mites around her tail in which I noticed she got when she gave birth (which was 3 weeks ago). I also have a male lion head rabbit that is almost a year old that I have noticed today that he has ear mites on only one of the ears ( he’s never had ear mites so I’m guessing he got it from my Flemish).

I can’t go to the vet as I’m in a situation where I can’t afford it right now, is there anything I can use to treat the fur mites and ear mites? I’ve used olive oil on my Flemish’s ear but it only just comes back. I also don’t want to inject ivermectin but I’m curious about the oral/topical application. Can you guys tell me your experience and what can I do to treat my two bunnies?? Thanks.

 

[Mariam+Theo]

Can you call the vet and let them know your situation? Send them some pictures and ask if you can go in and get the medicine without paying for a check-up (I did that with Theo). Can you also send us some pictures?

 

[Cloverhouse]

They sell mite spray at the petshop, they have a version for birds and another for "small pets" either of them work for ear mites/fur/feather mites. For the ear mites you will need to clean out as much of the brown gunk as possible and make sure the medicine gets down in there.

The bottle of med should cost about 7-9 bucks.

 

[Julie&Bunnies]

Simplest and least harmful to the rabbit is to use oil and/or ointment.
Definitely ointment for the fur mites.
You need to use a non-toxic food grade oil, for example, olive oil, sunflower oil, etc. If you have vitamin E oil or vitamin E oil tablets and can cut one open and add it to the oil, it will be better. If you can get a dropper bottle, put some oil in it to make it easier to use. Warm the oil or ointment to room temperature so it doesn't get the rabbit upset or hurt it's ears with cold. Or, use Neosporin antibiotic ointment or the generic equivalent. You can get a generic at Dollar tree if you live where there is one.
Important: Don't attempt to clean ears of gunk until the oil has gone to work.
Drop a few drops into ears or spread ointment on until the brown gunk is coated. Let it stand about 30 minutes to penetrate. The rabbit will shake her head and flip her ears to remove the gunk, so put her in a place where she can do that without too much mess. This is one reason I use the ointment--cuts down on mess. Once the gunk has softened, you can gently remove it with cotton or a tissue. You don't have to get it all out, just enough to get the oil or ointment to properly contact the ear. Repeat the treatment every 2nd or third day to prevent any eggs from hatching for the next 3 weeks. The oil/ointment smothers the mites and keeps them from attaching to the rabbit. You can do the same for the fur mites, but bear in mind bunny may lick the area, so only safe products.

The mites are returning because:

1. You must continue the treatment to get mites that were missed and the eggs that continue to hatch.
2. The mites live in the environment as well as on the rabbit, so you have to sanitize cage or hutch/living area.

You can buy treatments made from oils and ointments with herbs in them online, but in a pinch, any edible oil will work. Small Pet Select sells a good gel for this, but I don't advise waiting for it to arrive.

Please start ASAP. Ear mites are dangerous parasites that can cause ear infections and kidney issues.

 

[Freedom]

Tractor supply. Buy ivermectin. They sell drops and paste.
We use the drop . Couple drops in each ear and 1 or 2 between ear . Repeat day 10.

This was recommended in a flemish giant group. Worked amazing. Within 24 hours we could see a difference. Ours was just getting a little red down in ear when I noticed.

 

[bunnylove2024]

I hope the infections go away shortly, all of the things mentioned will help but I think the Ivermectin will help the most, only use one drop though and make sure it goes all the way down. Good luck!

 

[Izzybella]

I used Xeno 450 to treat my rabbit's ear mites. You put the drops on the back of the rabbit's neck and down its spine and repeat at the intervals stated (every 2 weeks x3). It works very quickly.