How to tell dry skin from ear mites?

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This topic has 3sd replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 7 months ago by LBJ10.

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- 09/18/2015 at 10:53 PM
  Waffle65
  Participant
  62 posts
  I recently spotted some dry white-ish flakes on the very outer edge of my bunnies ears. The flakes appear to only be on the very edges, and his inner ears look normal. He does have some fur that’s coming off the edges as well, but small amounts. Now it is still very hot here, and he’s been shedding quite a bit lately, and I’ve heard summer shedding can lead to dry skin. Is this true? I didn’t see any other flakes on the rest of his body, and he is acting completely normal. He’s 7 years old, and I don’t remember him ever having an issue with dry skin before, but things can change as he ages. Should this be cause for concern, or chalk it up to dry skin? Thank you!
- 09/19/2015 at 1:03 AM
  Bam
  Moderator
  16869 posts
  You can try and put some bag balm or beeswax cream on the dry spots. If that helps, it’s probably dry skin. If it doesn’t help and you start to see more flaking, it’s probably not just dry skin.
  
  Very low-grade mite infestations can resolve on their own. Otherwise there will be a worsening of the condition and if that happens, it’s time for treatment. So keep an eye. Check particularly at base of neck/between should-blades and at the root of the tail, the typical places where mites can thrive because the bunny can’t reach to clean himself. And/or if any crusting should appear, esp in the ears, it’s treatment-time.
- 09/19/2015 at 2:27 PM
  Waffle65
  Participant
  62 posts
  Posted By bam on 9/19/2015 1:03 AM
  
  You can try and put some bag balm or beeswax cream on the dry spots. If that helps, it’s probably dry skin. If it doesn’t help and you start to see more flaking, it’s probably not just dry skin.
  
  Very low-grade mite infestations can resolve on their own. Otherwise there will be a worsening of the condition and if that happens, it’s time for treatment. So keep an eye. Check particularly at base of neck/between should-blades and at the root of the tail, the typical places where mites can thrive because the bunny can’t reach to clean himself. And/or if any crusting should appear, esp in the ears, it’s treatment-time.
  
  Thank you so much! I just got him some Bag Balm, so hopefully things will improve over the next few days.
- 09/19/2015 at 9:57 PM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  16897 posts
  Yes, definitely keep an eye on it. If it gets worse, then it’s probably mites. Just make sure you use a bunny-safe treatment like Revolution (if it comes to that). Do not use Frontline. It’s toxic to rabbits.
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