Diseases of the ears in rabbits
Many farmers know how often rabbits suffer from diseases of the digestive system, ears, teeth and mouth. Diseases of the ears in rabbits are severe symptoms. The sick furry does not eat well and is losing weight.
Ear diseases in rabbits
Bumps on the ears are a wake-up call for the farmer to react to without delay. If the ears of furry pets hurt or spots appear in the ears, you should consider the main symptoms and find the root cause of a dangerous disease.
Keeping rabbits
Rabbit ears are susceptible to changes in ambient temperature and infections, from which furry pets often die. Ear disease or sores on the lips indicate infection. Tumors in rabbits hurt, and the body of a furry is quickly depleted. If only one ear hangs, then the cause of such a disease is an injury or a soft tissue bite. It is necessary to find the root cause regardless of the symptoms, otherwise it will not be possible to help the pet.
Rabbit ears are especially vulnerable. The dentition is responsible for the nutrition of the animal, and the ears serve for the perception of the external world. Any diseases associated with ears, eyes or nose are dangerous for rabbits of any age. Early prevention and ear cleaning will help prevent illness.
In rabbits, the ears are covered, and it is not always possible to recognize the first symptoms of the disease. The disease progresses, and over time, the furry loses his hearing. Deaf rabbits have a much shorter life than their healthy counterparts. If the ears are peeling or discolored, all rabbits should be examined and infectious diseases should be ruled out. Alarms to watch out for:
- one ear hanging or two ears at once;
- sagging soft tissue around the cartilage;
- bumps (numerous tumors) appeared;
- spots of red or dark color appeared;
- the ear hurts and the animal becomes aggressive;
- the edges of the ears are wrapped and droop;
- at the same time, inflammation forms on the eyelids (eyes).
Most of the diseases that rabbits develop in adulthood are dangerous not only for the ears, but also for the whole body. It is necessary to treat the animal urgently, before a sick rabbit infects a healthy one with an infection. In the later stages of the disease, nothing can be done.
The first examination can be done with your own hands at home. It is not difficult to make an examination effective if you know which symptoms to pay attention to first. It is impossible to treat pussies for scabs or other diseases that are transmitted by contact without a veterinarian's diagnosis.
Diagnosis is not limited to ears only. All pets should be examined, and sick individuals should be deposited in separate cages.
How diseases manifest themselves
It is not necessary to tie the ears of rabbits if the cause of the disease is found. It is necessary to treat fuzzies both from serious diseases (scabs) and from simple overheating. You should not risk the ears of rabbits, because it is with their help that they perceive danger, he can simply die if he loses his hearing.A veterinarian deals with small rabbits, only he is able to establish an accurate diagnosis. On their own, treating an animal is permissible only for an experienced farmer, while for a beginner, self-medication can cost the entire livestock of rabbits.
Sores associated with the ears are accompanied by similar symptoms, and it is not always easy to identify the true cause of furry ailment.
If the rabbits are hot and breathing heavily, the disease is spreading and causing a fever. Without proper treatment, pussies fall to their feet. A sick rabbit is a threat to the entire rabbitry, where adults and small individuals live.
Treatment of any disease in rabbits, when problems arise with ears or other organs that help perceive the world around them and hide from danger, requires more attention and patience from a person in relation to pets. Making the living conditions comfortable is the primary task of the farmer. Treatment begins with a complete examination of the pussies and a revision of the approach to the chosen food or water quality.
What Happens to Rabbit Ears or What Should Be Done to Relieve Fluffy Condition? Hot rabbits are treated first. Medications help bring down the temperature and relieve pain that occurs in the early days of inflammation. Treatment without an accurate diagnosis is a waste of time, leading to the death of babies.
The most dangerous diseases that can occur in rabbits:
- psoroptosis (mite infestation);
- coccidiosis;
- severe frostbite of the ears;
- overheating of rabbits;
- myxomatosis;
- otitis media (any kind).
Treating individual symptoms will not give good results, but only temporarily relieve pain.
The cause of the sore lies in general symptoms that are not always easy to notice. The ears of the rabbit can be pressed against the head or simply hang down. In some cases, the ears are itchy or swollen.
A definite cause and further treatment contribute to the rapid recovery of all individuals in the rabbitry.
If necessary, blood is taken from sick pets for analysis, after which it is much easier to find the source of the disease. The occupied disease does not spread further. Lotions and drops are prescribed for the ears of rabbits. If the swelling around the ears festers or is covered with a crust (the thickness and color of the crust may be different), then the inflamed areas should be treated only with gloves. Human safety always comes first.
Ear mite
Keeping rabbit groups in open areas or pastures is dangerous, as the rabbits can then be hurt by ticks. Small insects are parasitic. With the help of special suction cups, they are attached to the ear canals or to the host's skin and constantly suck blood from him. The rabbit weakens and over time refuses food, the rabbit becomes aggressive and does not allow a person to approach her.
Mite-infected animals constantly try to clean the ear canal. They scratch both ears, sometimes combing them until they bleed. On cold nights, the rabbits try to warm each other, and the tick easily passes from a sick individual to a healthy one. Red ears itch day and night. There is only one way to cure diseases caused by ticks: by ridding the animal of the parasite. To do this, you should inspect the entire rabbit fur coat and thoroughly clean both of its ears.
The parasite inside the ear can cause bleeding or even brain damage to the animal. Ticks can be infected not only through contact with a sick individual, but also through dirty feeders or drinkers. If the farmer does not pay due attention to the maintenance of rabbits, it will be possible to cure the animals only partially. Sick animals quickly spread the disease in the rabbitry.
Tick infestation symptoms:
- If they shake their ears or jerk their heads, it can be assumed that the disease in rabbits is caused by a tick infestation.
- The rabbit loses its appetite and loses weight quickly. No matter how much food is in the trough, they lose all interest in food.
- In the initial stages of the disease, small blisters appear in the ears of the rabbit. Sick individuals constantly itch and can damage the vesicles filled with lymph. A fresh wound is a favorable environment for the multiplication of pathogenic microorganisms and infections.
- A large amount of sulfur and keratinized cells can be seen in the ear canal. This symptom is observed only in the later stages, when the animal becomes noticeably weaker.
- Scabs form in the ears.
- Neglected diseases lead to brain inflammation. It is one thing to heal the effects of ticks, and quite another to save the animal's brain from the inflammatory process.
- Wax that clogs up in the ear canals leads to hearing loss. Fluffy animals cannot clean their ears on their own, so the sulfur is cleaned out by the farmer. Such procedures are part of a comprehensive therapy.
Tick infestation can be atypical. Symptoms change or do not appear at all. Any breed of rabbit can be affected by ticks. Under the fluffy ears, a parasite is not visible, which day after day destroys the animal's immune system. If at least one ear is affected, urgent washing of the ear canals is necessary. Minor symptoms should never be ignored.
The wounds that form at the site of the bite do not heal for a long time. Symptoms of malaise and restless behavior collectively indicate a tick infestation. Wounds that have not yet healed should be disinfected, otherwise dangerous microorganisms and bacteria can enter the rabbit's body through them. Only an experienced farmer who has already faced a problem of this kind can cure an animal with folk remedies.
Frostbite of the ears
In winter, rabbits can suffer from too cold temperatures. Frostbite due to prolonged exposure to the cold or due to an uninsulated enclosure leads to deafness of pussies. Gradually, the ears drop, and the rabbit itself becomes lethargic. If the tick is given crusts, then in case of frostbite, the color of the skin under the fluff changes.
The way out of the situation is heated rooms in which all rabbits can spend the winter.
Myxomatosis
The first sign of myxomatosis is bumps on the ears. The videos, which are many on the Internet, and on various portals, show how animals suffer from inflamed growths. Myxomatosis is not treated with folk recipes. Such funds can only aggravate the course of the disease and lead to complications. If pus is leaking from the lump, you cannot delay calling the veterinarian.
Medicines, so that the ear and the whole body are cleansed of inflammation, are prescribed only by specialists. The causative agent of myxomatosis is a virus that can infect all individuals in the rabbitry. Cones grow to large sizes, over time, the rabbit stops moving around the cage. The advanced stages of the disease are accompanied by tissue necrosis.
Otitis media in rabbits
Ear otitis media is the most common ailment affecting rabbits. With otitis media, the temperature rises, and the area around the ear canal becomes inflamed. If the ears are swollen, this is the first sign of otitis media. The easiest way to get rid of the disease is to rinse the ears of the animals 2 times a day with a special solution. Sick animals should be kept warm.
You do not need to rush to tie the ears until the cause of the ailment or inflammation on the skin is determined. If the rabbit's ear is frostbitten, then the farmer is still able to help him. Another thing is the infection of furry animals with ticks or viral infections. In such cases, self-medication will only hurt the rabbits. Medications are effective in fighting bacteria and infections that enter through wounds in the ear canal.