How to Treat Ear Mites in Rabbits
Clean everything the rabbit has touched., Allow the debris to heal on its own., Give your rabbit medication to kill ear mites., Avoid over-the-counter treatments., Treat any secondary infections.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Clean everything the rabbit has touched.
Ear mites are very contagious.
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 the infection.
Ear mites are highly infectious to other rabbits and can spread by direct contact.
Therefore, all the rabbits in the household should be treated, too. -
Step 2: Allow the debris to heal on its own.
In severe cases of ear mite infestation, there will be substantial scaling and discharge on the ears.
Do not attempt to remove the crusting.
Trying to forcibly remove this debris is liable to damage the skin or cause pain and bleeding.
Instead, once the underlying ear mites infestation is treated, the debris will lift away over the course of one to two weeks.Once this process start to happen, particularly stubborn debris can be softened by the addition of a few drops of mineral oil into the ear. , Drugs from the ivermectin family are highly effective at killing ear mites, although they do not kill the eggs.
A course of treatment is necessary so that each generation of mites is killed once they hatch, but before they can lay more eggs.
The life cycle of ear mites is three weeks, so dosing your rabbit every two weeks for three treatments is usually sufficient to stop any infection.The medicine should get rid of ear mites as long as the rabbit does not reinfect himself from the environment.
The options for treatment include spot drops containing ivermectin, which are applied to the skin over the rabbit's shoulders.
The active ingredient is absorbed into the bloodstream, where it acts to kill the ear mites.
Three doses are given, each a fortnight apart.
It is important to weigh the rabbit and accurately follow the dosing instructions so as not to overdose the rabbit.
Xeno is licensed for use in rabbits and should be the first choice of treatment.
Other products are effective but not licensed, which means they have not been through the same rigorous testing on rabbits that Xeno has.
Alternately, your veterinarian may give your bunny three doses of ivermectin, two weeks apart, by injection or by mouth. , Treatment with over-the-counter products should be avoided.
Rabbits are extremely sensitive to many insecticides, including the pyrethroid/pyrethrin family which is the active ingredient in many of these commercial mite killing products.In some cases, the rabbit may experience toxicity, the symptoms of which include neurological symptoms, such as loss of coordination, seizures, coma, and death. , 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.Painkillers from the non-steroidal family may be prescribed to ease discomfort while the mites are dying off. -
Step 3: Give your rabbit medication to kill ear mites.
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Step 4: Avoid over-the-counter treatments.
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Step 5: Treat any secondary infections.
Detailed Guide
Ear mites are very contagious.
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 the infection.
Ear mites are highly infectious to other rabbits and can spread by direct contact.
Therefore, all the rabbits in the household should be treated, too.
In severe cases of ear mite infestation, there will be substantial scaling and discharge on the ears.
Do not attempt to remove the crusting.
Trying to forcibly remove this debris is liable to damage the skin or cause pain and bleeding.
Instead, once the underlying ear mites infestation is treated, the debris will lift away over the course of one to two weeks.Once this process start to happen, particularly stubborn debris can be softened by the addition of a few drops of mineral oil into the ear. , Drugs from the ivermectin family are highly effective at killing ear mites, although they do not kill the eggs.
A course of treatment is necessary so that each generation of mites is killed once they hatch, but before they can lay more eggs.
The life cycle of ear mites is three weeks, so dosing your rabbit every two weeks for three treatments is usually sufficient to stop any infection.The medicine should get rid of ear mites as long as the rabbit does not reinfect himself from the environment.
The options for treatment include spot drops containing ivermectin, which are applied to the skin over the rabbit's shoulders.
The active ingredient is absorbed into the bloodstream, where it acts to kill the ear mites.
Three doses are given, each a fortnight apart.
It is important to weigh the rabbit and accurately follow the dosing instructions so as not to overdose the rabbit.
Xeno is licensed for use in rabbits and should be the first choice of treatment.
Other products are effective but not licensed, which means they have not been through the same rigorous testing on rabbits that Xeno has.
Alternately, your veterinarian may give your bunny three doses of ivermectin, two weeks apart, by injection or by mouth. , Treatment with over-the-counter products should be avoided.
Rabbits are extremely sensitive to many insecticides, including the pyrethroid/pyrethrin family which is the active ingredient in many of these commercial mite killing products.In some cases, the rabbit may experience toxicity, the symptoms of which include neurological symptoms, such as loss of coordination, seizures, coma, and death. , 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.Painkillers from the non-steroidal family may be prescribed to ease discomfort while the mites are dying off.
About the Author
Elizabeth Price
Committed to making DIY projects accessible and understandable for everyone.
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