EAR MITES ! Are you #¥*~€# !!!! kidding me !!!

[Dood]

I was trimming one of my meat bucks nails and noticed a bit of gook in his ears - upon closer inspection it is not waxy as i expected but scaly :shock: so I take a swab and check it out under my microscope - MITES !!!!

Where the HECK did theses little buggers come from ?!?!?

And who else out of 10 does, 3 bucks and 9 litters have them ?!?!?

What about the 5 house bunnies ?!?!?!?!

:groooan:

What a mess

 

[Zass]

Nothing like rabbits to keep us on our toes, eh?

At least ear mites are something known that can be treated effectively.

 

[MaggieJ]

Dood, I'm a little surprised that someone with your solid knowledge and experience is freaked out by ear mites. They happen from time to time... brought in by mice, or on forage or hay. Get out the mineral oil, treat everyone who might be infested and all will be well. Ear mites have a high "ick" factor, but at least they are pretty easy to deal with.

 

[grumpy]

@#%$#@%@Q$# Happens!!!

Those knuckle-heads come a callin' when you least expect 'em.

"Scaly" should have been all it took to break out the mite-medicine.

I've been threatening to get a good microscope. But, it's down the list
a ways......a little past "Food-Rent-Gas".... :x :x :x

Re-treat in 7-10 days.....it'll ALL be good after that.

grumpy.

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

I bet they piggy back on your hay.

 

[TwoAcreDream]

Treat with some kind of oil. Vegtable will work for example.

I use Q tips real careful after the stuff is softened up to remove
the worst of it. Then a few more drops of oil in the ear.
Let the situation rest for a few days.
Then get the Q tips out again and clean.
Then use a a drop of two of cat medicine for ear mites.
Works like a charm

I had a NZ doe come here last year and she had them. Sigh.
The oil helped a lot but I never could get a final cure.
Then my son left me a few tubes of cat ear drops. That worked.

 

[Dood]

I haven't had an outbreak of mites since I was 12 years old and that rabbit likely arrived with them as she had been with us just 3 weeks before we found the infection.

I bet they piggy back on your hay.

possible but I get 700 pound rolls and the current one is a first cut from 2013 so I think it is more likely vermin ...

I am officially declaring WAR !! on the mice in the chicken coup!

 

[SA Farm]

I had one arrive with them - same as you, found them about 3 weeks later. I've never had to deal with ear mites in my rabbits - so creepy! :x I treated him with an olive oil mixture and it cleared up within a few days, then I retreated once a week for a few weeks just to be sure!
Thank God he was in quarantine so I didn't have to treat everybunny!

 

[grumpy]

I haven't had an outbreak of mites since I was 12 years old and that rabbit likely arrived with them as she had been with us just 3 weeks before we found the infection.

I bet they piggy back on your hay.

possible but I get 700 pound rolls and the current one is a first cut from 2013 so I think it is more likely vermin ...

I am officially declaring WAR !! on the mice in the chicken coup!

They "DO" give one the willy's...LOL......that's for sure. More of a nuisance
than anything else. Once they get a foot-hold they're a pain to "get-gone".
I had trouble with them after I brought in the Iowa stock. So.......once a month for about three months, my son and I went right down the rows of
cages treating every rabbit in the barn.

I had some come in on that cross-bred buck "Chip"...I treated him right away
and that's been the end of them....Knock-on-wood.

Grumpy.

 

[Dood]

They don't creep me out - for my electives at univeristy I took several entomology courses :mrgreen: but I am now going to be paranoid every time a rabbit casually itches an ear and be compelled to inspect EVERYBUNNY

I think I will just go the preventative route and now add "oiling ears" to my rabbit maintenance schedule

Thankfully only 3 have any noticeable signs and none of the house bunnies but regardless, all 70+ rabbits were oiled and the ones with gook, and their immediate neighbours, were given ivermectin just to be on the safe side I DON'T want this to be a recurring problem!

Now to figure out how to murder the multitude of tiny thumb size mice that are too light to set off snap or cage traps without using poison - any suggestions ?

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

for the baby mice.. .glue traps , that will get them for sure

 

[michaels4gardens]

They don't creep me out - for my electives at univeristy I took several entomology courses :mrgreen: but I am now going to be paranoid every time a rabbit casually itches an ear and be compelled to inspect EVERYBUNNY

I think I will just go the preventative route and now add "oiling ears" to my rabbit maintenance schedule

Thankfully only 3 have any noticeable signs and none of the house bunnies but regardless, all 70+ rabbits were oiled and the ones with gook, and their immediate neighbours, were given ivermectin just to be on the safe side I DON'T want this to be a recurring problem!

Now to figure out how to murder the multitude of tiny thumb size mice that are too light to set off snap or cage traps without using poison - any suggestions ?

I think the reason I hate finding mites on my rabbits so much is, -it hurts my pride, especially if it is something that I should have noticed and dealt with a long time ago...