Persistent ear mites

[Joe n TN]

I have one buck that just can not get rid of ear mites. This is a stud buck, he is not for eating. I've been treating him for about three months with different holistic remedies. The most recent regimen has been 50/50 olive oil and tea tree oil 3-4 drops in the ears every other day for three weeks. Cage and hutch has been washed.

I've gotten rid of ear mites from other rabbits, no problems. I am not looking for other holistic remedies at this time.

Website I found recommended Ivermectin 0.4 mg/kg administered three times at two week intervals.

Does anyone have any advice in this treatment? Have you used a medicine that worked better? What was the dosage?

Joe

 

[Ramjet]

There is a simple cheap solution - Listerine moutwash.

I've used it on cats , dogs & rabbits with great success.

 

[Joe n TN]

Do the rabbits just gargle with it? Or do they need to drink it?

Joe

P.S. Seriously, how do you administer it?

 

[Ramjet]

Just pour a small amount on the affected area , repeat once a week for three weeks to ensure the infestation doesn't return.

The reproductive cycle of ear mites is about 21 days. If you don't repeat the application , they will return.

 

[Prisma]

I definitely have to try this thanks! I ended up taking our poor Sam to the vet (cat) and he's got a horrible case that even the vet EM meds aren't budging ugh.

Ramjet: Can you use any brand of mouth wash or does it have to be L?

 

[Ramjet]

I definitely have to try this thanks! I ended up taking our poor Sam to the vet (cat) and he's got a horrible case that even the vet EM meds aren't budging ugh.

Ramjet: Can you use any brand of mouth wash or does it have to be L?

I don't know about other brands , I know for a fact Listerine works and works on rabbit , cat & dog.

I used it on my Persian cats for years ... sadly I no longer have them as my wife decided they had to go .... or I had to go with them.

I miss that guy ....

 

[Dood]

Are you certain it is mites and not a bacterial or fungal infection?

Putting things in an ear with a perferated ear drum can make things much worse

 

[michaels4gardens]

I have one buck that just can not get rid of ear mites. This is a stud buck, he is not for eating. I've been treating him for about three months with different holistic remedies. The most recent regimen has been 50/50 olive oil and tea tree oil 3-4 drops in the ears every other day for three weeks. Cage and hutch has been washed.

I've gotten rid of ear mites from other rabbits, no problems. I am not looking for other holistic remedies at this time.

Website I found recommended Ivermectin 0.4 mg/kg administered three times at two week intervals.

Does anyone have any advice in this treatment? Have you used a medicine that worked better? What was the dosage?

Joe

I use cattle ivermectin SQ 1/4 ml for most meat rabbits and 1/2 ml for ex-large rabbits like 20 lb giant Flemish [SQ = subcutaneous, = just under the skin over the shoulder blade area, where the skin lifts easily]
It has always worked perfect for me, but-- you must also do all other rabbits who have , or will have, even casual contact with him,[even indirect contact, or 3rd party contact] as susceptibility to ear mites is genetic to some extent, or related to immune system lows, so if other rabbits near him have mites[even though you can't see them] he will get re-infected .
you may also consider that he may have developed an infection at the ear mite wound site, that may need to be treated with an antibiotic [like SSD ointment, mixed 50/50 with purified water, and then gently massaged into the ear., or Zymox Otic Enzymatic Solution with Hydrocortisone [JMHO]
also-- ivermectin can cause "troubles" in early pregnancy, so just be aware of that--

 

[OneAcreFarm]

First off, be careful with TTO, rabbits are very sensitive to it. Secondly, with persistent ear mites, Ivermectin is the best thing. You can get Ivomec 1% injectable, dosage is .018cc per lb of weight of the rabbit, or Pour On Ivomec, dosage is .04cc per lb of weight of the rabbit. The pour on is cheaper and works just as well. You drop it on the back of their neck.

 

[michaels4gardens]

First off, be careful with TTO, rabbits are very sensitive to it. Secondly, with persistent ear mites, Ivermectin is the best thing. You can get Ivomec 1% injectable, dosage is .018cc per lb of weight of the rabbit, or Pour On Ivomec, dosage is .04cc per lb of weight of the rabbit. The pour on is cheaper and works just as well. You drop it on the back of their neck.

tea tree oil [even in small amounts mixed with other ingredients]can sometimes cause contact dermatitis on rabbits, or dramatic worsening of swelling and weeping, in ear mite damaged ear tissue in some rabbits, [some rabbits seem to be OK with it also]
" Calendula " ointments [used by many people on butt, and hock raw spots] sometimes include "other herbal ingredients" one of those is Tea tree Oil, care should be used when buying ointments to make sure what all has been included in the ointment. --very short labels are the best

 

[Preitler]

Hm, I cured my buck with a mix of baby oil and sublimed sulphur, every second day a few drops for two weeks.

The oil suffocates the mites, the sulphur is toxic for these critters. Worked like a charm, and is pretty harmless.

 

[Miss M]

I have had one case of persistent recurring ear mites that I had to treat with Ivermectin. I used the 1.87% horse paste that is ivermectin only (some come with two medications). Pea sized amount every 10 days for a total of three doses. Think petite pea for small rabbit, large pea (but still pea sized) for Flemmish and such.

Hm, I cured my buck with a mix of baby oil and sublimed sulphur, every second day a few drops for two weeks.

The oil suffocates the mites, the sulphur is toxic for these critters. Worked like a charm, and is pretty harmless.

I hadn't thought of mixing sulphur with the oil. I imagine that would work great, and may have cured the infestation I mentioned above. I have sulphur for preventing chiggers and ticks, and could use that. I also have Nu-Stock, which is mineral oil, pine oil, and sulphur. A dab of that, thinned with some more mineral oil... should do the trick as well. I will remember this.

 

[katiebear]

I have had one case of persistent recurring ear mites that I had to treat with Ivermectin. I used the 1.87% horse paste that is ivermectin only (some come with two medications). Pea sized amount every 10 days for a total of three doses.

Is that given orally or rubbed in? I know that is probably a stupid question but these mites are driving me nuts....And can this be used safely on nursing does? :?

 

[Ramjet]

Hm, I cured my buck with a mix of baby oil and sublimed sulphur, every second day a few drops for two weeks.

The oil suffocates the mites, the sulphur is toxic for these critters. Worked like a charm, and is pretty harmless.

I've used the baby oil method , minus the sulphur on other animals (cats / dogs) in the past , it works.

 

[Miss M]

I have had one case of persistent recurring ear mites that I had to treat with Ivermectin. I used the 1.87% horse paste that is ivermectin only (some come with two medications). Pea sized amount every 10 days for a total of three doses.

Is that given orally or rubbed in? I know that is probably a stupid question but these mites are driving me nuts....And can this be used safely on nursing does? :?

Nope, not a stupid question at all! It's given orally. Some people apply it to the fur on the insides of the front legs, so they'll lick it off. Or to the lips. I didn't have a whole lot of luck trying to do either, so I got someone to hold the rabbit while I stuck it in the back of the mouth (on my fingertip) well behind the front teeth. You can try giving a treat afterward, to help the medicine go down.

It is safe to use on nursing does. I'm sure that just like with anything, there is some risk. I used it for fur mites on a pregnant and then nursing doe once. I started treating with diatomaceous earth, and then read that it would be bad for the kits to breathe in. So I did some research on Ivermectin with pregnant/nursing does, and there didn't seem to be much issue with it. I used it with her, and she was fine and so were the kits.

Also, it is my understanding that Dutch and other rabbits with the Vienna gene have a greatly increased chance of sensitivity to Ivermectin. There is information about Vienna markings somewhere on this forum, but if you know you don't have a Vienna-marked rabbit, the chances are very low that there will be a problem.

Hm, I cured my buck with a mix of baby oil and sublimed sulphur, every second day a few drops for two weeks.

The oil suffocates the mites, the sulphur is toxic for these critters. Worked like a charm, and is pretty harmless.

I've used the baby oil method , minus the sulphur on other animals (cats / dogs) in the past , it works.

Yes, I've used just oil except the one time I needed to use Ivermectin.

 

[mike17l]

So anyone use WD-40, I have friends that swear by it.

 

[alforddm]

My neighbors use it. They said a vet recommended it. The problem I have is that it isn't approved for topical application and we really have no idea what is in it. I feel it probably works the same an an oil and olive oil in a sprayer would work just as well.

 

[Miss M]

So anyone use WD-40, I have friends that swear by it.

My neighbors use it. They said a vet recommended it. The problem I have is that it isn't approved for topical application and we really have no idea what is in it. I feel it probably works the same an an oil and olive oil in a sprayer would work just as well.

That would be my guess... that it works because it is largely oil. But with the propellants and who knows what else in it, I wouldn't use it topically unless I had no alternative. Which I always have alternatives -- cooking oil, olive oil, mineral oil, etc.

 

[michaels4gardens]

The old formula of WD-40 worked well on sprains and sore spots, on man and beast-- until they changed the formula and took out DMSO

 

[Miss M]

I didn't know the formula had been changed... and I didn't know it used to have DMSO in it. Are you serious?