Rabbits have lots of skin folds in their ears, which makes a perfect spot for dirt to build-up. If left, bacteria can set in, causing inflammation and further infection. All rabbits are prone to ear infections but lop-eared breeds, like the Dwarf Lop and English Lop, are more susceptible. Lop-eared rabbits have abnormally shaped ear canals, and their dropped ears leads to poor ventilation, making them particularly prone to otitis externa.

What Causes Rabbit Ear Infections?

Otitis externa refers to acute or chronic inflammation or infection of the external ear canal. External ear infections are often caused by a build-up of dirt within the folds of the rabbit’s ear, or by parasites.

If there’s a bacterial infection in the inner ear it’s called otitis interna, and middle ear infections are called otitis media. Both have a lot in common but are separate conditions. It’s possible to have an infection in the inner ear but not the middle, or vice versa. Otitis interna is more difficult to detect with diagnostic imaging but it produces peripheral vestibular clinical signs like a head tilt or circling, whereas otitis media is easier to visualise, but doesn’t produce the signs.

Ear mites, also known as Psoroptes cuniculi, are a common rabbit parasite that cause ear canker - an extremely irritating and painful ear condition for rabbits. The mites irritate the lining of the ear causing it to ooze serum and create thick crusts in the ear canal. If the disease is left untreated, it can cause lesions to spread onto the face and neck, perforate through the ear drum and lead to otitis media (middle ear disease).

All rabbit ear infections can affect one or both ears, but most often they affect both ears at the same time.

What Are the Signs of a Rabbit Ear Infection?

Rabbit ear infections can go unnoticed if the rabbit isn’t displaying any obvious signs. The most common symptoms to keep an eye out for include:

• Head tilt: inner ear infections often cause rabbits to tilt their head. This is because the inner ear helps with balance, so if it’s infected it can throw them off their balance.
• Loss of appetite: an ear infection can cause dizziness, pain and nausea, which may affect how much your rabbit eats. If rabbits stop eating, this can lead to serious complications so should be investigated immediately.
• Behavioural changes: they may become subdued, irritable, or grind their teeth (a common sign of pain in rabbits).
• Discharge from the ear(s)
• Cold-like symptoms

If your rabbit has ear mites, they may display the following signs:

• Head shaking: the rabbit may shake its head to try to resolve the irritation. This will cause eggs and mites to be thrown out of the ear, which enables them to contaminate the environment and move on to a new host.
• Excessive scratching of the affected ear: leading to lesions and hair loss.
• Brown fluid: this is known as exudate. It oozes from the ear and forms thick crusts in the ear canal.

If your rabbit is displaying any of these signs, make an appointment with your vet as soon as possible.

How Will My Vet Diagnose My Rabbit’s Ear Infection?

A rabbit with an ear infection will need to be checked by a vet so they can be treated quickly. Your vet will examine your rabbit, look at clinical signs, client history (housing and hygiene, medical history, and in-contact animals), and complete a diagnostic investigation.

This will involve your vet looking inside your rabbit’s ears, which often requires either sedation or general anaesthesia. Middle and inner ear infections may also need an x-ray to check for a build-up of pus within the ear, or any other unusual changes. Culture and sensitivity tests to test for bacterial growth and a complete blood count will also be taken.

Treatments for Ear Infections in Rabbits

Mild infections can be treated with topical ear cleaners and/or injections and antibiotics. Your rabbit may also be prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatories to help ease the pain and irritation caused by ear infections.

Middle ear infections may need to be flushed with a sterile saline by your vet if there are lots of secretions in the ear canal.

In chronic cases, surgery may be needed to fully treat the bacterial infection, but this comes with risks of facial nerve paralysis or worsening the symptoms, so is often used as a last resort.

All in-contact animals should be treated for ear canker regardless of their symptoms as mites are easily transmitted from affected rabbits. Don’t be tempted to remove any crusts from your rabbits' ears as this will be painful for them and can cause damage to the sensitive lining in the ear canal. The crusts will soon disappear with the treatment that your vet has prescribed.

Rabbit ear infections are caused by bacterial growth or parasites. Signs are not always obvious but if you suspect your rabbit has an ear infection, you should take them to your vet as soon as possible. The longer the infection is left untreated, the more serious the symptoms will get. Keeping your rabbit’s home clean and checking your rabbit’s ears regularly for dirt build-up will help to prevent ear problems from developing.

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Content provided from Vetstream's Vetlexicon Lapis – www.vetlexicon.com/treat/lapis

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