How do mites look, can you even see them with the naked eye

[bunnyjames]

Im kinda concerned, as some of you may know i’m fostering a litter of rabbits just a couple hours ago i checked in on the babies and decided to pick one up, i noticed that he had like dandruff on his little ears. its not flaking or anything like that it looks more like dryness i guess… i havent checked all of them since i dont want to be handling them too much. The vet assistant at the SPCA said they were perfectly fine though. But seeing that in his ears has me a bit on edge since im not sure what it might be. Their fur is starting to grow out, they have what i call peach fuzz can it just be dryness or irritation from the fur thats coming out? None of my rabbits have mites that’s for sure, Zoe and Chomper get a weekly cleaning of their ears just the outer part though not deep inside i usually get a gauze and soak it warm water, rinse it well and clean their ears. Chomper personally loves this he just lays in my lap and lets me clean his ears, Zoe not so much but doesnt put up a big fight. Im not even sure what mites look like so im kinda in the dark here. From where do rabbits pick up mites from in the first place?

[Michelle&Lolli]

Well I know from my cat, if we smeared some of her ear wax on a black piece of paper, you could see little things moving. And those were mites. I’m not sure if this is the same with rabbits. I would assume mites would cause the same dark, waxy gunk in all animals, but I’m not sure. I would say that if they got checked over and given good health, then they should be fine. It could be just dry skin that you are seeing.

[Lintini]

Here is some info about parasites in domestic rabbits, fur loss and skin issues.

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/furloss.html

[Sarita]

I don’t think you would be able to treat the babies anyway until they are much older.

Mites aren’t something that you have any control in your rabbits getting even when cleaning their ears (which you must be very careful). Mites can be in hay and also sometimes mites can take awhile to show up in your rabbit.

You would have to get a vet to do a skin scraping to determine if they have mites.

[Deleted User]

Coming from outside, they were at a high risk of getting mites to begin with. If you have other pets around, keep them away from the rabbits’ area in case they are mites.

[Sarita]

Also you cannot treat the “mom” either while the babies are nursing.

[bunnyjames]

How does the vet treat mites? is it like fleas? i’ve never had a pet with mites so kinda wondering whats the course of action that is taken when a pet gets mites. I just recently took Chomper for his vet visit and he was perfectly healthy, they checked his ears, mouth, eyes, tummy, feet, and he was okay from everything. Zoe was okay too, i took her to the vet before fostering the babes and she had the same examination and was perfectly okay. Coke, Mellow, and Wednesday okay too. So IF they are mites how could they have gotten them? My rabbits spend ALOT of time outside in my backyard, they are free range bunnies, well except for the 3 small ones. I let them out at 8am and dont bring them in untill 3pm when my mom comes over to my house to let them inside the house. But I’ve NEVER had mites proplem on my bunnies or dog. Can they infest my home?

[Sarita]

Usually Ivermectin or Revolution.

[Author]

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