Ear mites scourge!

[ohiogoatgirl]

Ok yall I'm losing my mind! I will be building a stand for multiple cages. If I run a torch over my cages will that sanitize them? I thought I really had it kicked with the VetRx drops in olive oil. Cleared up fast and seemed to stay gone. I think I need to keep up afterwards with a few drops of the VetRx in the ear after it's gone. Like once a week maybe.

I need to get my doe still. After ending up with two bucks :evil: And I'm seriously considering leaving the bucks where they are and having the doe move to the new setup. After I get a few litters cull the bucks and bleach and torch those cages before adding them to the new setup. Then just breed from what I have. I'm tired of ending up with mites over and over!

Is there anything else I can do?

 

[golden rabbitry]

You can torch a cage to burn fur off but I don't know how effective it would be at sanitizing for mites. I would swab the ears of all the rabbits every day for a month or so to make sure they are gone. I tend to have an issue with fur mites but whenever one rabbit gets it, I DE dust and give a dishsoap bath to all my rabbits. It works great and haven't had an issue with either types of mites for about a year. I wouldn't scrap both bucks right away, I guess it depends on their value, but definitely quarantine and treat any rabbit you want to move to the new setup. I would also DE all the rabbits and cages since it kills all mites

 

[ladysown]

horse wormer paste with ivermection in it works wonders at getting rid of mites.
as does plain oil in the ear, doesn't matter the type. Don't need to add VetRx to it.

Bleach everything really well.
If you have wood cages the eggs can be hidden anywhere, so I'd toss the wood.

 

[michaels4gardens]

I use injectable bovine ivermectin sub Q , on all adult breeders at the same time,
if I have a doe with kits that are past the nursing stage I isolate her then
treat her after the kits are gone.
When I treat all rabbits at the same time, I have never had a mite problem come back later.

 

[hotzcatz]

Yup, like Ladysown & Mike said - Ivermectin. I just put a smear of it in their ears and it totally knocks out ear and wool mites. AFAIK, ear/wool mites can combust out of thin air. I dunno if you can keep it sanitary enough to keep them gone. But, a tube of horse wormer or a bottle of injectable Ivermectin will treat a LOT of rabbits. Somehow Ivermectin got rid of a cough in our sheep, although that may have been nose bots so it would make sense as a wormer that it could get rid of a cough. Ivermectin is wonderful stuff.

 

[KelleyBee]

.

 

[KelleyBee]

You can torch a cage to burn fur off but I don't know how effective it would be at sanitizing for mites. I would swab the ears of all the rabbits every day for a month or so to make sure they are gone. I tend to have an issue with fur mites but whenever one rabbit gets it, I DE dust and give a dishsoap bath to all my rabbits. It works great and haven't had an issue with either types of mites for about a year. I wouldn't scrap both bucks right away, I guess it depends on their value, but definitely quarantine and treat any rabbit you want to move to the new setup. I would also DE all the rabbits and cages since it kills all mites

Do you use diatomaceous earth directly on the rabbits?

 

[KelleyBee]

horse wormer paste with ivermection in it works wonders at getting rid of mites.
as does plain oil in the ear, doesn't matter the type. Don't need to add VetRx to it.

Bleach everything really well.
If you have wood cages the eggs can be hidden anywhere, so I'd toss the wood.

How do you administer the wormer paste for the ear mites?

 

[KelleyBee]

I use injectable bovine ivermectin sub Q , on all adult breeders at the same time,
if I have a doe with kits that are past the nursing stage I isolate her then
treat her after the kits are gone.
When I treat all rabbits at the same time, I have never had a mite problem come back later.

How do you treat pregnant does and lactating does when there is an outbreak of ear mites?

 

[KelleyBee]

Yup, like Ladysown & Mike said - Ivermectin. I just put a smear of it in their ears and it totally knocks out ear and wool mites. AFAIK, ear/wool mites can combust out of thin air. I dunno if you can keep it sanitary enough to keep them gone. But, a tube of horse wormer or a bottle of injectable Ivermectin will treat a LOT of rabbits. Somehow Ivermectin got rid of a cough in our sheep, although that may have been nose bots so it would make sense as a wormer that it could get rid of a cough. Ivermectin is wonderful stuff.

So, you administer ivermectin, regardless of the type, directly into the ears?

 

[golden rabbitry]

Do you use diatomaceous earth directly on the rabbits?

yes but far from the eyes and nose. I cover there head with a rag and keep it only on the skin

 

[hotzcatz]

So, you administer ivermectin, regardless of the type, directly into the ears?

We get the horse wormer paste type and just smear a bit of that in their ears or behind their neck or pretty much anywhere on the rabbit that they're not gonna lick it off. Has a nice green apple smell, too, which is a nice perk. If the bunny has dandruff in their wool - which I consider a sign of wool mites, they get the Ivermection as well as for ear mites which show up as either redness or crusty stuff in their ears.

The horse wormer paste is pretty inexpensive and lasts a long time since only a tiny bit is used per bunny.

 

[KelleyBee]

We get the horse wormer paste type and just smear a bit of that in their ears or behind their neck or pretty much anywhere on the rabbit that they're not gonna lick it off. Has a nice green apple smell, too, which is a nice perk. If the bunny has dandruff in their wool - which I consider a sign of wool mites, they get the Ivermection as well as for ear mites which show up as either redness or crusty stuff in their ears.

The horse wormer paste is pretty inexpensive and lasts a long time since only a tiny bit is used per bunny.

I can no longer get any ivermectin at our local tractor supply store. This is wrong and very frustrating.

 

[Lewis]

I can no longer get any ivermectin at our local tractor supply store. This is wrong and very frustrating.

Did tractor supply stop carrying ivermectin?

 

[KelleyBee]

I don’t think so. My impression the problem is political interference with it’s availability, at least where I live.

 

[MuddyFarms]

I can no longer get any ivermectin at our local tractor supply store. This is wrong and very frustrating.

Did tractor supply stop carrying ivermectin?

I don’t think so. My impression the problem is political interference with it’s availability, at least where I live.

People are buying the animal-grade Ivermectin for using when they get sick with COVID.

 

[HTAcres]

Yeah, I got some ivermectin while it was still available - just had a sign up saying not for human consumption.

Not sure WTH they think farmers and ranchers are going to do.

 

[HTAcres]

Looks like you can get it off Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Ivermax-Flav...1_6?keywords=ivermectin&qid=1640369719&sr=8-6

 

[HTAcres]

Just about any kind of oil will smother the mites. It simply takes more applications than ivermectin. My first case I treated with garlic infused olive oil and the only downside was my rabbit hated to see me coming that week. lol But it will work.

 

[MuddyFarms]

Just about any kind of oil will smother the mites. It simply takes more applications than ivermectin. My first case I treated with garlic infused olive oil and the only downside was my rabbit hated to see me coming that week. lol But it will work.

They do learn what you're coming for, don't they?!


I have used mineral oil for ear mites successfully. I did catch the mites early-on, though, so it only took a couple days and the scabs deep down were gone. Use just enough to coat the mites so they cannot breathe, so a few drops could do if you move the ear around a bit to coat the scabs. And yes, it does take more applications. The adult mites die when you first treat them (I do it several day in a row, or until the scabs are gone and for a day after), and then you have to wait a week or two for the next batch to hatch and then you can get those, too. I can't remember the exact lifecycle timing. I have just found it easiest to treat with the oil one-two times a week for a month after, or so.

Looks like you can get it off Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Ivermax-Flav...1_6?keywords=ivermectin&qid=1640369719&sr=8-6

Just watch out for scams- there have been reports of diluted Ivermectin in Canada, I believe. Glad you got some when you did!