Reputable vet/ ear mites!

doggie0506 · Mar 31, 2010

Flurry has ear mites... Again. I knew that they would come back and this time I took further action (at least I think so) This time I used the kitten dose of revolution that we had left over from our dog. As well as mineral oil every other day. Questions; has anyone used revolution? How long did it take to be effective? Should I keep using mineral oil? If the revolution/oil don't work Im going to take her to the vets. I want to use the same vet as we use for our dog since we have had good experiences there. I asked today when we took the dog to the vets about Flurrys mites and she said that (obviously) take her to the vets for medcine and a check-up. The only thing I'm debating is that I don't really want to spend $80 on an unnesisary appointment. Questions; has anyone used this vet for a rabbit before (belbrae animal hospital) I didn't see it on "the list"? What are the average prices for a rabbit checkup/medicine? Is there any other at home remidies for ear mites? Can people contract ear mites (I'm pretty sure th awnser is no but just to be sure

)? I think that covers everything

an awnser to even just one of my 2386251 questions will be appreciated

jamesedwardwaller · Mar 31, 2010

--i have heard some people use revolution,,i use advantage(orange box)-use as directed only,..-is there crusty stuff in the ear canals,head waving about,,lots of scratching,,-.i let the dvm clean the ears out,,though i know people have done this hoping for the best,-using a ear cleaner for a cat--,there are stress-and-fur mites also,very small.//.i don,t know about using mineral oil,,hopefully some can comment on that.//.a word of caution,,all dvm,s are not created equal--rabbits are exotics and require a specialist dvm...sincerely james waller

ra7751 · Mar 31, 2010

Can't help you with the particular vet but maybe someone from the area can. Revolution is what I consider to be the safest and most effective treatment for ectoparasites and is effective against some internal parasites. Many do use Advantage but I have heard of some reactions from this drug. Ivermectin is also effective, but like all drugs, should be dosed appropriately. There is a one time treatment, Acarexx, that is Ivermectin based. I use it a lot when there is a lot of debris in the ear. Very effective, a little pricey....but it's a one time thing. As far as the mineral oil....that is a very old school treatment.....ineffective at best....the cause of middle/inner ear infections at worst. Anything that is put in the ear should have a drying agent to prevent infections. NEVER use Frontline or any of the "dime store" treatments found at many stores. I have seen far too many fatal reactions to these cheap "knock offs".

Randy

tonyshuman · Apr 1, 2010

I am also not a fan of the mineral oil. I would buy a second dose of Revolution and reapply it every 30 days until they go away. If that doesn't work, it may be an atypical species of mite that is resistant to Revolution, and in that case a vet visit will be needed.
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Parasitic/earmite.pdf

You can't get ear mites, as far as I know. I do know we have a lot of Ontario members who have posted their rabbit-savvy vets on the list, and $80 for an office exam is a lot, so I would try a different vet, off that list we posted. My vet is only $40 for an office visit, and the vet school hospital is $70 for a visit.

doggie0506 · Apr 1, 2010

The revolution seems to be helping, her ears have less "stuff" in them and she's not scratching/shaking her ears as much. I'm not completely sure the prices for a vet trip. $80 is how much it usually if for our dog (for ear drops, yearly shots and a general checkup) Im pretty sure that it wouldn't be as expensive for a rabbit... right? I'll see how the revolution works then go from there.

elrohwen · Apr 1, 2010

Unfortunately, sometimes vets charge more for rabbits because they're "considered" exotics, but I would imagine it will at least be similar in price. Never know until you ask I suppose!

I'm glad to hear her symptoms are clearing up a bit. I don't have experience with ear mites, but hopefully the revolution will clear it up.

tonyshuman · Apr 1, 2010

Yeah, most vets charge more for rabbits, but the annual shots for dogs can be quite expensive. The base "exam fee" is probably no more than $50 of that $80--the rest is for medicine.