Please Help! Tea Tree Oil

[Kaitlin]

I believe my rabbit has the beginning stages of ear mites, I’ve never had to deal with any rabbit health problems so I was unsure what to do. I decided to start doing some research and found that some people use Tea Tree oil as a treatment option, I knew we had some and it seemed like a lot of people used it so I decided to try it. About an hour ago I figured I’d put a few drops in her ear, the moment I put the dropper near her ear she started spazzing out. I was able to get a little amount in there but not much because she started running around shaking her head like crazy. I figured she just didn’t like the way it felt in her ear and would calm down eventually. Although, she started scratching her ear almost non stop, grooming herself and when I looked at her ear it was really red. I started to grow concerned so I decided to research tree oil further and how it affects rabbits only to found out that tea tree oil can be fatal for rabbits. At this point I’m freaking out, it’s late at night, no vets are open and the closest place that accepts rabbits is about an hour away. I figured the best thing for me to do is try to wash as much of the oil off as possible and monitor her for the night. I was able to clean her ear with a warm wash cloth after much fuss on her part but she seems to finally be calming down now. I read somewhere that symptoms don’t start showing until 2-12 hours after so I’m lost on what to do and are looking for some advice. She’s finally back to eating, drinking, and running around but like I said it’s only been an hour. Obviously I’ll continue to monitor her throughout the night but I was just wondering if it’s a must to take her to the vet tomorrow or should I only take her if she has symptoms of toxicity? In addition, I was hoping someone could give me alternative treatment options. I read about Rabbit RX but I can’t find it in stores, if I have to I’ll order it offline but I was hoping to start her treatment as soon as possible before it gets too bad. I really hope she’s going to be okay, I know I should’ve done more research before hand and after this scare I’ll make sure to do so in the future. Any help or advice is extremely appreciated, I could really use it right about now. Anyways, thank you for your responses!

[Roberta]

Hi Kaitlin, We all make mistakes. Best idea is never to put anything in their ears eyes or mouth unless your vet has recommended it or you know exactly what it does. Tea tree oil is not good for any animal, it is toxic for cats too. Since you have managed to wipe most of it out is a good thing, it was probably stinging especially if her ears are already a bit tender. I use Revolution cat or kitten for mites, fleas etc. Its active ingredient is selamectin which is bunny safe. I have a bunny specific dosing chart. Advantage is also safe but I find it harder to calculate the amount to apply. Never use Frontline as it is toxic for bunnies, I wouldn’t use it on cars either. Your vet can treat with Ivermectin which is injected instead of being applied to the fur behind the head like the selamectin. Get to the vet to have your bun checked out and let us know how it goes.

[LBJ10]

No info on rabbits, but this is for dogs and cats if that helps.

From the Pet Poison Helpline:

Tea Tree Oil

Poisonous to: cats, dogs

Level of toxicity: Generally moderate to severe, life-threatening

Common signs to watch for:

Low body temperature
Weakness
Walking drunk
Inability to walk,
Tremors
Coma
Increased liver enzymes
Death

Tea tree oil, also known as melaleuca oil, is an essential oil produced from the Australian tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) plant. Tea tree oil is known for its antifungal and antibacterial properties, and possibly for its antipruritic, anti-inflammatory, and antiparasitic effects. Tea tree oil is often found in varying concentrations and should never be used on pets. As little as 7 drops of 100% oil has resulted in severe poisoning, and applications of 10-20 mls of 100% oil have resulted in poisoning and death in both dogs and cats. Clinical signs include a low body temperature, weakness, walking drunk, inability to walk, tremors, coma, increased liver enzymes, and even death.

[Deleted User]

Well, The popularity of Tea Tree Oil for human use has naturally extended to pets. It can be found in everything from pet shampoo to flea treatments. This isn’t because it has unique abilities. It’s simply a popular essential oil for humans which they will recognize, associate with something wonderful, and purchase. However, the safety of Melaleuca oil for pets continues to be debated.

[jerseygirl]

Thanks for your input Alex.

This is an old thread now. We ask that Members do not reply to threads that are more then a few months old. I will lock this thread now.

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