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Forum DIET & CARE Ear infection!

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    • Tichelibun
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        I have some bad news guys. Frank has an ear infection! I noticed him tilting his head a little, holding his ear back, cringing, and turning in circles and I took him to the emergancy vet late last night. They couldn’t see in his ear very well, but they said that all signs point to an infection. They gave me meds to give him, and an solution to wash out gunk from his ears.

        Already he seems to be doing better. He isn’t tilting his head anymore, and doesn’t seem to be in pain. HOWEVER, I haven’t actually SEEN him sleep yet. He rests, but with his eyes open, and he doesn’t flop over on his side and deep-sleep. Also, I haven’t SEEN him drink. I heard him drinking once, but since then I have no seen anything. He still pees though, and he is eating. I once read somewhere that a rabbit will drink and not eat, but never eat and not drink. Does anyone know if this is true? If I don’t notice his water level going down at all I’m going to try to give him water through the sryinge I use for his meds.

        Any other suggestions?

        THANKS!


      • Thumpers_Mom
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          I don’t have any suggestions, but I wanted to say that I hope the little fella feels better soon.  There is nothing worse than seeing them in pain.

          Sending get well vibes and ((((((hugs)))))) to Frank.


        • Gravehearted
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            aww, that’s rough. I don’t know why bunnies always pick the weekend to get sick when the regular vet it closed!

            Rabbits won’t eat if they’re not drinking, so he is maybe drinking when you’re not looking. If you’re concerned he’s not taking in enough water you might pick up some of the clear pedialyte as it has electrolytes which will help rehydrate him. Also make sure to really soak Frank’s veggies.

            I would also get him into your regular rabbit savvy vet, since it sounds like the ear infection is severe enough to be showing symptoms of head tilt, which can be an indication of a bacterial infection or an outer ear infection becoming an inner ear infection. They will likely need to do a culture to see what’s going on. It often requires long term medication to improve, so it’s important to make sure to get him checked out by a vet that knows a lot about bunnies.


          • Tichelibun
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              I was actually in the process of getting Frank a vet when this happened. There are a lot of vets in the area and I was trying to figure out which is best. Luckily, the emergancy vet told me which was best for bunnies, and already sent them all of my information. They are going to call me (if I don’t call them first, haha!) to schedule a more in-depth checkup and a follow-up exam. Thanks!!


            • Scarlet_Rose
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                What an awesome emergency vet! Yes, be very careful with ear infections as they can get to the brain quite easily.  What meds did they give you to administer?  A tip with a concern about the water, not only soaking in pedialyte (great one Gravehearted) is fresh veggies to provide a lot of water, so if they are not drinking it, they are at least getting some.  Another thing you can do is add a but of unsweetened apple juice to the water. Please keep us updated and keep track of eating and let us know if you have any questions.


              • Sarita
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                  Please keep us updated on Frank’s condition. Did the vet give Frank any pain meds too? If he’s in pain he is less likely to eat too. Pain meds are an absolute necessity.


                • Tichelibun
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                    Within 24 hours of his first meds, Frank was showing no signs of pain, even without painkillers. He’s almost totally back to his old self, aside from not eating or drinking as much. I THINK he is still drinking though, as one of you mentioned they won’t eat and not drink. I haven’t SEEN him drink yet though. Has anyone else heard this? I also have yet to see him do his flop-sleep.

                    The fact that he does not act like he’s in pain anymore gives me hope. He isn’t quite as peppy as usual though. Could this, and the not eating or drinking as much be from the medication making him feel weird as much as anything else?

                    Thanks so much for your help, guys! Keep it coming!


                  • wendyzski
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                      I hope Frank is OK – Pepper had an awful ear infection probably from before I got her.  It took nearly 3 months of ear drops and rinses plus oral baytril and a probiotic before it was all under control.  Her appetite was never affected though – and she eventually forgave me for all the wrestling.

                      As for the not visibly sleeping – Pepper sleeps sitting up with her eyes open, in little catnaps.  I was always told that full-on-floppy-napping is a sign tht a bun is very comfy.  If Frank is uncomfy, he might be less likely to flop.


                    • Tichelibun
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                        OH good!! That makes me feel so much better. He has been resting a lot with his eyes half-open. I wondered a bit if he was sleeping somehow.


                      • Scarlet_Rose
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                          Have you tried flavoring the water, do you give him tap water or filtered? My bunnies have learned to snub plain old tap water and are spoiled rotten with filtered now. Since with an ear infection your equilibrium is off kilter, it would make sense to me why Frank is not flopping on his side, it might make him woozy or dizzy.


                        • BinkyBunny
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                            You could also try and mark the water level with a piece of tape to make it easier to notice if he’s not drinking water. However, IF he is eating, than he has to be getting liquid from somewhere – greens, and/or water.

                            Also most rabbits will sleep with their eyes open. Bailey will sleep both lying stretched out and hunched up with her eyes open. The only way I could tell she was dreaming was if I caught her dreaming.

                            I’m so glad your bunny already doing better though, that’s great news! Is he pooping and peeing just fine?


                          • Tichelibun
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                              Great news! I left for a few hours tonight and when I came back, Frank’s water level was NOTICABLY different than before I left. Also, this evening the amount of food he is eating has picked up quite a bit.

                              Yes, his body functions are happening, but not as often, I think because he was just not eating or drinking as much. He’s still not doing his flop-sleep (which is mostly a problem just because I like seeing him do it so much) but he’s playing with his toys again!!!!! The downside: His feeling well makes it much, MUCH harder to give him his meds. I have to totally trance him to get him to hold still enough (even in the bunny burrito, or at least as close to one as I can do), but then he is SO tranced that he doesn’t actively drink the medicine as I give it to him, so I have to do it in little bits at a time and wait for it to run down his throat. . . its really frustrating, and just takes so long that usually he gets out of the trance before I finish. Silly bunny.

                               

                              I can’t say thank you enough to all of you for your help and advice! You have all made me feel so much better with my first sick bunny experience!


                            • Toki+Pumpkin+Elmo
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                                Do bunnies need their ear cleaned regularly like dogs?


                              • wendyzski
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                                  Pepper is a lop with a history of ear infections, and both the vet and the shelter recommended that I use Oti-Rinse (shelter said monthly, vet said weekly, and I usualy remember every 2 wks or so).  You can get it from 1-800-pet-meds.  I decant it into a smaller bottle for easier use with a struggling bunny in one hand, and tuck it into my bra for a bit to warm it up some.  A few drops in each ear and rubb a bit to make sure it goes all the way down.  Then let her shake her head to clear it out. Then a treat.


                                • Tichelibun
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                                    That is the same solution I was given for Frank. I’m also pleased to announce that he is totally back to his normal self! He’s peppy, and he’s drinking away! Still have a week of meds to give him, but that’s really ok by me, as long as he stays well.


                                  • Gravehearted
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                                      Glad to hear he’s making such a good recovery and that you’re telling he’s drinking too. ! 😀 You will want to keep a careful eye after the round of antibiotics, since it can be very tough to get rid of a bunny ear infection.

                                      sep1118 – I check the inside of my bunnies ears about once a month. Most bunnies are good about keeping their ears clear, especially if they are part of a bonded pair, since they fastidiously groom each other. If you see a lot of built up gunk, call the vet, since it can be the symptom of mites or other problem. Ear wax can be lifted out with a cotton swab, being careful not to push on wax in the canal.


                                    • Scarlet_Rose
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                                        R.G. that’s great! I am so glad Frank is out of his sick funk and back on the road to feeling better.  I am also glad we were able to help!


                                      • MooBunnay
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                                          I’m glad to hear Frank is feeling better! An alternative to giving him his meeds in a trance is to burrito him and keep him upright and stick the syringe into the side of his mouth, behind his front teeth. Be careful when syringe feeding in a trance, just because it is easy for a bunny to choke that way. Good luck with the last week of meds


                                        • Tichelibun
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                                            Does anyone have specific tips/instructions on making the burrito? I just throw a blanket over him, and start tucking the sides in, then grab and flip him over. Is there a better way to do this for a big strong resistant bunny. I love Frank but. . . this is really hell and I’m getting mad at him.


                                          • Scarlet_Rose
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                                              Well for bugger bunnies, this is what I do: Wrap in a burrito (if you’ve wrapped a baby), it is the same technique. Place bunny in middle of towel, I pinch their shoulder blades with with my thumb and middle finger with one hand and they will usually stay still, then I fold the long edge over their behind and then take one side, flop it over, pick them up and wrap the other half snug.  Then kneel on the floor, pinning the bunny facing the same way you are, right side up between your knees.  Close the gap behind you by touching your feet and ankles together and snugging your calves against the bunny to secure.  The reason for the feet together is that when you bend around to administer meds, you bunny with "back up" into the "hole" you’ve just made and it stops them from backing up further. Otherwise they will escape. When you bend around to administer the meds you’ll sort of "squat" over them but don’t sit on them! This way you have two hands free, one to pinch the sides of their mouth open and the other ready with the syringe.  My two were heck giving meds twice a day so this is a tecnique I came up with. I hope this helps! 


                                            • Tichelibun
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                                                Ok. . . the problems never end, I know. . . Sometime in the Medicine Battle tonight, Frankie busted a nail. It’s about the time they need to be cut so they are a little long, but not bad. I haven’t done it yet because I put him through so much torture already. But when I have him his meds tonight, a nail on a front paw had been broken backwards. I don’t think its very far into the quick and its starting to clot already, not much blood. Still, the end of the nail is hanging on. Do I need to try and cut or file that away? Or can I just leave it to fall off? I will be watching for infection, but I don’t know what to do about the hanger.

                                                This topic should be titled “Ear Infection Saga!”


                                              • BinkyBunny
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                                                  I think it would be best to clip it off as it can get caught on something and cause further issue. It’s best to clip it off, clean it and then if it starts to bleed again, to use styptic powder or corn starch to stop the bleeding. This way it can heal for good and not keep getting reinjured with a hanging nail that can get caught on something else.

                                                   


                                                • MooBunnay
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                                                    I know – antibiotics are such a pain! I had to give antibitoics to my blind bunny that I had just adopted, and since she didn’t know my smell and was freaked out because she was blind it was a BIG MESS. The epitomy of the disaster was one time when I finally thought she was going to stay still, and I squirted the Baytril, and she managed to jerk her head just right at the end to allow me to squirt myself directly in the face with the Baytril. She hopped away, feets flicking the whole time definitely laughing and saying “see!! you don’t like it either!”

                                                    An interesting technique for meds that I learned that worked on my baby bunny’s meds is this:
                                                    1. Mash the meds with banana
                                                    2. Put on plate in cage
                                                    3. Bunny eats it!

                                                    My technique for giving meds is this (if they don’t go for the banana mush):
                                                    1. I kneel down on the ground behind the bunny sitting my bum on my feet
                                                    2. I get the bun by the shoulders, or midsection, and back him up and position him between my legs
                                                    3. I get the syringe reading and lean over the bun and put the syringe into the side of the bunny’s mouth
                                                    4. This generally causes the bunny to back up, but since they will just be backing up into your lap they will get stuck
                                                    5. I squirt the meds as soon as I can get the syringe tip into the bunny’s mouth
                                                    6. Sometimes this results in meds on the bunny chin or check, but generally they will groom that off, therefore still ingesting it.


                                                  • Gravehearted
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                                                      moobunnay – maybe we should shoot a video of your technique! 🙂


                                                    • jellyrose
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                                                        We developed a stealth method of giving our bunny his meds as he hates to be picked up and would clamp his little mouth shut tight. We found using bribery was the best way.

                                                        Find a softish treat your bunny likes (banana, grapes or raisins worked well for us), put said treat onto the end of the syringe with the meds in making sure the hole isn’t blocked. Offer the trojan treat to the bunny and once they have what they think is a tasty treat (actually the syringe tip) in their mouth….. SQUIRT! Our bunny got a little suspect of this method after 3 monts of meds but he could never resist the treat! Works well if you have a greedy bun like ours : )

                                                        Hope Frank gets well soon! Nose rubs from us!


                                                      • Lolabun
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                                                          My poor rabbit started to lose her balance yesterday morning. She would go to shake her head/body out and would end up stumbling like she was drunk. Then today it got worse and she would fall over on her side instead of just stumble. She has no head tilt either. She seems to be out of it a little bit and is just laying around, not being herself. She is eating and drinking pretty normally as well. We took her into the vet and they said she is healthy and they see no signs of ear infection or any neurological problems. Of course she was steady at the vet and didn’t stumble or fall over (I’m guessing due to being so scared) but as soon as we got home she was doing it again. We have no idea what to do. Please help if this has happened to you.


                                                        • LittlePuffyTail
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                                                            Hi, Lolabun. Sorry to hear your bun is having trouble. This is an old post from 2007. Please make a new post so you will get more views and responses. If you need help doing that, please message me. Thanks. Sorry I don’t have any helpful info for you, but I’m sure someone here will.

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                                                        Forum DIET & CARE Ear infection!