Teeny has ear mites

[maherwoman]

So, Teeny definitely has ear mites, and we're going to take him in to see our vet. Given how easily communicative ear mites are, we're just going to treat everyone...so I thought I should brush up my knowledge about Ivermectin and it's effects on different types of buns (given how wide a variety of buns we have).

Can you guys please give me some more information about issues that have been seen to occur with Ivermectin? I think I've read before about some issues with BEW buns (of which I have one and possibly partial BEW with another). Also, could you guys impart to me the risks in giving it to them? Is it a safe medication? If not totally safe, what else would be advisable that I can give every single one of my buns, that would totally eradicate the mites?

A tack & feed place near us sells Ivermectin paste (for horses), so I have a source where I can get it, and I'll let the vet know that...but it would be helpful to have information on-hand when I take Teeny in, so I can be sure I've got everything I possibly can. (No worries about my vet...she's been great so far...I just like to be armed with all the info I can.)

So, I'll ask...Peg? Randy? Pam? Can y'all (and anyone else) give me the data you have??

Thanks so much!

Rosie*

P.S. We're also going to schedule to take Sunny in (for this and other small things), just to be sure the kitties don't also have ear mites. Never know, eh?

 

[pamnock]

I wouldn't treat anyone but Teeny if the others are not showing symptoms. Most rabbits carry small populations of mites that their immune systems keep in check on their own.

I wouldn't treat BEW's with Ivermectin.

You can give a tiny smear orally and also rub a little in the ear.

As you've already read, some individuals are highly sensitive to the drug and may experience a toxic reaction. There is no antidote - only supportive treatment.

Pam

 

[TinysMom]

pamnock wrote:

I wouldn't treat anyone but Teeny if the others are not showing symptoms. Most rabbits carry small populations of mites that their immune systems keep in check on their own.

I wouldn't treat BEW's with Ivermectin.

You can give a tiny smear orally and also rub a little in the ear.

As you've already read, some individuals are highly sensitive to the drug and may experience a toxic reaction. There is no antidote - only supportive treatment.

Pam

:yeahthat:

 

[Leaf]

Are ear mites that rabbits get the same as those of cats and dogs?

 

[maherwoman]

Ok, cool...thanks, you guys!

Any other treatment I can give him for it, then? I REALLY don't want to risk his health if there's another option of something to give him...

So, I'll check everybun else to see if they have them, too. So far, I've checked Fiver and Maisie, with no symptoms showing.

Thank you!!

Rosie*

 

[maherwoman]

Ok...Teeny has an appt for Monday at 6:15pm. We would've scheduled sooner, but Danny's schedule might not allow, and the bun vet is only in on Mon/Wed/Sat, so we had to go with Monday.

Good thing about ear mites, is that he'll be okay until then, but I let Danny know that I'd MUCH prefer to just take him in tomorrow...so he's going to try to make that work. I'll call the vet's and let them know, and I'm sure they'll probably keep that appt time open for us tomorrow, just in case. They're really sweet like that.

Something funny...the lady on the phone laughed when I told her Teeny's name and the fact that he's a Flemish Giant, 12lbs and only 5mos old. :biggrin2:

 

[Hazel-Mom]

You can ask your vet about using Revolution for mites, while you're there. It's Selamectin, a newer "cousin" of Ivermectin, but said to be safer, with less bad side effects. It's even said to be safe for those breeds that have problems with Ivermectin, and it's as easy to apply as Advantage: just one dose at the back of the neck, once a month. It also works against fleas, same as Advantages, but whereas Advantage doesn't treat mites, Revolution will.
You do need a vet subscription to get it, but you'll be there already anyway.

 

[GoinBackToCali]

At the risk of being flogged..

Before I got with you good rabbit people.. I just used the over the counter ear mite treatment for cats you get at Wal-Mart.

As a matter of fact, BunnyRabbit.com sells some earmite treatment for rabbits, but when the bottle arrives it has a pic of a dog and a cat on it.

I have always had excellent results with using OTC treatments.

I am wondering if ear mites is a flemmie thing..the one I got from Tractor Supply had a raging case of them so bad his ear was startin to lop over like Peg's Zeus. I have never had rabbits have them that bad.

Another friend of mine uses mineral oil in the ear. I have never tried it, but it does seem to keep them at bay.

Best of luck to Teeny!

 

[maherwoman]

GoinBackToCali wrote:

I am wondering if ear mites is a flemmie thing..the one I got from Tractor Supply had a raging case of them so bad his ear was startin to lop over like Peg's Zeus. I have never had rabbits have them that bad.

Best of luck to Teeny!

Yeah, I think it might have to do with just how huge their ears are...so maybe they attract or house the mites better? Who knows...

But thank you for the luck...I don't think they're bad enough that we'll have ear loppage as a result...but buns can always use extra luck.

So, appt tomorrow that we hope to make...and if we're not able to make it (I'll know by the end of today), they're also keeping the slot for Monday open for us.

 

[TinysMom]

Rosie,

I don't mean to seem critical - so don't take this wrong - ok?

Why spend the money to go to a vet when you can get the meds at the feed store without a prescription?

I'm sorry - but I just treated Theresa last night for ear mites (sorry Zin - for some reason - its not just a flemmie thing and my lionheads get them sometimes - as does Gracie - the Californian). I just used the stuff I get from the feed store.

I'm not trying to sound mean or sarcastic...just - if nothing else is wrong - there really is no need (in my HUMBLE opinion....which is also honest) for him to see the vet....

 

[maherwoman]

Ah, yes...I should probably explain why I'm taking him to the vet for this...lol...

One thing I want to do is get him an all-over check up...be sure everything else is still in order and okay. I want also to see if the vet can help me sex him (I've figured out that it's a whole new ball o' wax trying to handle a larger bun than my other, smaller buns...I had feet and legs ALL over the place trying to handle him the other day), as I have a sneaky suspicion he might not be a male (his size, personality things, etc...and I just wanna be SURE). And I also want to get little things looked at (like he has eye crunchies everyday, and the corners of his eyes are a dark pink, and I don't think they were before...little stuff like that, just to put my mind at ease).

Basically, the vet visit is a "let's check out all the things I've been wanting to get checked out all at once" kind of thing.

Not to mention, I really prefer when it's the first time I'm dealing with something, to have our vet check it out and give me her recommendations for it. Hope that makes sense...

And, no worries, I didn't view your post as critical...it was a legitimate question.

 

[maherwoman]

Ok, so we arrived back home from the vet's just a while ago...and 2hrs and $200 later, we're all good!

The vet said that yes, Teeny has quite the case of ear mites, and given how it had progressed, he might have had it before he even came home to us...so she insisted that everybunny get treatment.

I explained to her about the fact that I've read that certain buns can have a sensitivity to Ivermectin, so she gave us Revolution for everyone. She went ahead and gave Teeny one injection of Ivermectin, since he needs something to start off treatment right away, and in a big way...and then in two weeks (when we would have brought him back in for another injection), I'm to start him on his Revolution.

Everybunny else (including the two in the back room, since Lumi had ear mites, and was around them) gets a dose of Revolution ASAP and then another one in a month. Then Teeny starts his two months' worth of rounds (so, two rounds) in two weeks.

The vet said that, given how catchy these boogers are, and the fact that, though they aren't all bonded, they are in the same room...as well as the fact that with how advanced the ear mites are, he could very well have arrived here with them, she instructed us to just treat everyone.

So, that's what we'll be doing. Given that this also requires a very thorough cage cleaning, I'll be spending the next couple days cleaning cages and giving Revolution to everybun.

But...I'm really relieved, and feel so great that we got the care and instruction we needed...not to mention that, though she wasn't aware of the fact that some buns can have sensitivities to Ivermectin, she was totally fine with giving us something else that will still work. Not to mention, she gave me enough for everyone (and wrote up their dosages and everything for me, according to their weights), without asking to see each one (because we have five buns that haven't seen her).

OH!! And I ran into another bun owner there! She had a pretty little loppy bun named Belle that had just had treatment for an absess. I gave her the forum's address, and my login name...so she'll probably be joining soon!

It was fun while we were there, seeing the looks on people's faces when they realized that I didn't have a dog in that big ol' carrier...or a cat...but a BUNNY...and a HUGE one at that! Then they learn his age, then ask about his weight, then complimented his beautiful ears...it was great! And the vet just LIT UP when she saw him, and fawned all over him for a few moments when she first walked in, telling him how handsome he is...how beautiful his ears are...it was so wonderful to see the vet so happy to see him!

So...it was a great trip...and I learned that Teeny's in PERFECT health, other than his ears. And he's got the Ivermectin running through his big ol' body, so he's getting the help he needed.

I'm really happy we went, and I took him to see her. It was a joy for her, I could tell...and I'm happy that I know he's otherwise in such great shape!

Hugs to you guys!

Rosie*

P.S. A lady walked in with a big ol' dog...and the pup made a beeline for Teeny's carrier. I got apprehensive at first (I'd had the door to the carrier open and was petting Teeny at the time, so I closed the door upon seeing this huge Afghan mix), but the pup came right up, and put his head down on the seat (which Teeny's carrier was sitting on), and gave Teeny googly puppy dog eyes. His human laughed, and said that he has a real love affair going with bunnies...and that when they go to a petstore that sells buns, he'll sit and stare at them, quivering, the whole time! Hehe!! He was so cute, too...when they called us to come back to the exam room, he tried SO HARD to follow us. And Teeny was just fine with the attention...he just sniffed noses through his carrier, and said hello. He's used to the kitties staring at him, you see...hehe!!

 

[TinysMom]

I am assuming from your post that the gender fairy did not visit and Teeny is still a boy.....am I right?

:biggrin2:

 

[maherwoman]

TinysMom wrote:

I am assuming from your post that the gender fairy did not visit and Teeny is still a boy.....am I right?

:biggrin2:

OHHHH YES...Teeny is DEFINITELY a boy...no denying that!! :shock: Hehe!!

I will say, though..."they" were only marginally bigger than Velveteen's!! Which, I think deserves another :shock: !! LOL!! (Apparently, Velveteen is MORE than equipped to make more little Velveteens and Velveteenas!! LOL!!)

 

[Bo B Bunny]

I'm so glad you took him in. Ever since Buck had problems with that ivermectin I have been very leary myself.

What made you notice the mites just curious?

and Don't you love how some dogs just go goofy when they see the bunnies? You'd think they were wanting to "get" them with the nervous shake and such but with Sydney - she does that whole thing and big eyed and all but it's more like "OMG it's a BABY! can I have it???" .....

 

[maherwoman]

YES!! That's is exactly how Sinbad, the pup I met yesterday, was acting! He just wanted to love on and cuddle with Teeny SO BAD! And it was so cute...Teeny was totally fine with this humongous Afghan mix of a dog staring at him, longing for his cuddling and attention. Teeny was bathing, eating his hay, sniffed noses with him...in the typical laid-back Flemmie style. It was so adorable. Sinbad, I found out, was a rescue...and such a beautiful dog...I wouldn't have guessed. Why is it always the most beautiful of animals that are rescues?

Anyway, what made me think to look was that the subject had come up since okiron's buns came down with them...and I had the thought in the back of my mind. I had already checked the buns in the back room, with no symptoms of them having caught them (as Lumi had them as well). I didn't really check the guys out here, because well...they had a full wall and room of separation (they're even housed on opposite walls) and never spent any time around each other. There just wasn't any contact for them to have caught it. Even when Lumi had to stay in the carrier...she stayed in the back room then, too.

But the more I looked at how he was acting, the more I realized that he wasn't just being goofy with his ears, he really looked irritated...so I thought looking would be a good thing...and sure enough! EEK!

I feel bad for not having noticed before, but honestly, he's such a goofball bun, I didn't realize I needed to check. I literally thought he was trying to make me laugh, like the other buns do at times, with helicoptering his ears. But the itching had just gotten so often, it was obvious the poor boy had something else going on...and what, with the fresh idea of mites in my mind, I had a feeling that was it.

The vet said he probably had them when he got here, too, poor guy...but thankfully, his ears are still both standing just fine, they didn't travel down to his eyes, or anything like that...they were just a case of ear mites that looked like they'd been there for a while. I mean, you can't even see indicators of him having them, unless you look really deep inside his ears, either...so they didn't even really progress much UP the ear. It's odd.

But thank goodness, he has his meds now, and everybun's gonna get treated, so even if they have the mites and they haven't progressed enough for me to see them (because sometimes they can be deep in the ear canal where even a flashlight wouldn't catch them), she said with his case, she wants them all treated with the Revolution.

What a fantastic vet we have...I'm so happy with her! You should've seen the look on her face when she saw him on the table...she literally LIT UP! It was adorable!

 

[maherwoman]

Hey guys!

I thought an update of my babies was long overdue...

Teeny's doing wonderfully. I checked his ears yesterday, when the vet called to check up on how he (and the rest of the herd) was doing, and I would say that about 85% of the gunk in his ears is gone now. He's due for his first round of Revolution on the 23rd, so the progress thus far is thanks to the Ivermectin injection given to him at the vet's almost a week ago.

The rest of the buns are doing quite well. I checked each one of them the night after Teeny's visit (so last Thursday), and each one of them had a very very mild case...and all got their doses of Revolution.

So, everyone's doing really well!

Hugs!

Rosie*

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

I'm so glad Teeny's doing lots better! I'm so sorry, Rosie that I didn't respond to this before.

(I meant to, we were finishing up the bowling season, think I got sidetracked:?.)

Thank goodness he's doing well! And sounds like you are too? Feel free to pm me anytime, sweetie!

(Did you try that Indiana Spaghetti yet?:weee