Ear mite in rabbits

Rabbits are distinguished from other fauna by specific long ears. For rabbits, ears are needed not only to hear, but also to analyze the environment, to carry out thermoregulation. This part of the body is almost not protected by a woolen cover, so it becomes very vulnerable to the influence of external aggressive factors. A microscopic ear mite causes serious damage to rabbits. Let’s analyze this problem in detail.

These parasites cause psoroptosis (otodectosis), a well-known ear disease among rabbit breeders, which is popularly called ear scabies.

What does an ear mite look like?

Psoroptosis in rabbits is a parasitic disease caused by skin mites – Psoroptos cuniculi.

In size, psoroptid parasites reach up to 0.8 mm (but it is almost impossible to see them with the naked eye). They have a brown oval body and 4 pairs of large limbs. Thanks to the sharp proboscis, they can burrow into the skin of the ears, pierce it and suck the liquid from the tissues. Ticks are also able to produce toxins that cause severe allergic itching. They parasitize only in the auricles.

The life cycle of ear mites is up to 45 days. During this period, the female makes holes in the skin of the ears, where she lays up to two dozen eggs.

In the absence of a carrier, ear parasites can live for two weeks, jumping from one object to another until they find a suitable habitat. The optimal temperature for their reproduction is 10-18 oC.

It is worth noting that rabbit scabies can also be caused by sarcoptid itchy mites (Sarcoptidae). In this case, the disease is diagnosed – sarcoptosis (subcutaneous mite). Sarcoptids differ from epidermal psoroptids in their smaller size (up to 0.5 mm) and the spherical shape of their bodies. In addition to the ears, they can spread throughout the body, including inside the epidermal tissue of the animal.

How rabbits get infected with ear mites

Ear mites in rabbits can appear under different circumstances:

• if there is contact between healthy and infected individuals (not only rabbits are susceptible to infection with ear mites, but also cats, dogs, sheep, cows, horses, etc.);
• newborn offspring can become infected from a rabbit affected by parasites (as practice shows, ear scabies are most often detected in rabbits up to about 3.5 months of age);
• when a healthy rabbit is moved to a home where a sick animal was previously, and where the cage was not sufficiently disinfected;
• when healthy animals come into contact with equipment or clothing of service personnel, which can be infected with parasites.

Favorable conditions for the reproduction of ticks are:

• unsanitary conditions for keeping rabbits;
• poor nutrition;
• a small cage, a crowd of animals in it;
• non-compliance with the temperature regime;
• recently experienced viral diseases.

Most often, psoroptosis in rabbits is noted at the beginning of spring or in the autumn and winter season.

Phases of disease development

When ticks enter a favorable environment, the disease begins to progress rapidly. Having settled in the ears of rabbits, mites actively lay eggs and multiply quickly.

At the same time, wounds, skin deformations, various types of rashes are formed on the auricles of animals, and a lot of sulfur is released. And from the wounds, secretory secretions, pus, waste products of ear mites and their dead individuals are released. The more advanced the disease, the more these secretions.

A mild form of psoroptosis proceeds according to the type of wet eczema. In the auricle, reddened areas of inflammation are formed, which eventually begin to bubble. After opening the blisters, exudate flows. The external ear canal is partially covered with a scaly layer mixed with a significant amount of sulfur secretions.

With severe ear scabies, the inflamed areas merge, creating erosive lesions. The entire inner surface of the ears is covered with discharge, pus. The cortical layer completely covers the auditory canal.

Depending on the stage of the disease, several types of manifestation are distinguished:

• Scales. At the beginning of the disease, a scaly layer of keratinized cells forms on the skin. When examined, reddened bumps are visible, which burst after a few days. Sucrose secretions come out of them, and when they dry, they form crusts-scales. They can be as bran or in the form of plates. Over time, they are layered and create a specific psoroptic scale. This initial rash can be observed throughout the course of the disease.
• Scabies. The progression of the disease and the transition to the next phase of the course is called scabies – dried blood-stained secretions from wounds.
• Ulcers and erosions. They are formed when places with a dead keratinized layer of skin heal very poorly. A bacterial infection may join (the temperature rises, the wounds on the ears swell, are covered with purulent secretions).
• Scars They appear at the final stage of the disease. Affected areas of the skin heal, the epidermal tissue is replaced by fibrous thickenings.

How to understand that a rabbit is infected with an ear mite

It is known that it is much more difficult to treat a long-term illness. Therefore, it is better to detect parasites as soon as possible and get rid of them in a timely manner. Diagnosis of psoroptosis in the early stages includes an initial examination of the ears of animals, the presence of pronounced symptoms of the disease.

• Visual control: red places with bites, traces of combing, redness, swelling are visible. In the first days of infection, you can easily see the inflamed places of tick bites on the skin. In their place, thickenings are formed, from which secretions come.
• Primary symptoms: rabbits shake their ears and head due to constant itching, try to rub their heads against hard objects, scratch their ears with their front paws. Ear mange can affect the sexual activity of rabbits, and the animals will not want to mate. Infected females often refuse offspring after giving birth to rabbits.

You can conduct a specific analysis for psoroptosis at home. For this, you should only have dandruff and a little petroleum jelly warmed to 40C (parasites become more active when the temperature rises). A small scraping is made from a rabbit ear with sterile tweezers. The collected material is placed in oil. Ticks with larvae can easily be seen with the naked eye under a magnifying glass.

Do not forget that the final diagnosis of psoroptosis is made only by a specialist in veterinary medicine after examining the rabbits and microscopically scraping from their ears!

Symptoms of rabbit ear scabies

In psoroptosis, the hidden incubation period can reach 5 days. This is followed by the development of obvious signs of the disease. The disease occurs in mild and severe forms.

A number of symptoms indicate the development of scabies:

• the animal’s ears are very itchy, it constantly scratches them, shakes its head (when psoroptosis is complicated, the itching stops);
• a depressed state is noted, the general activity of animals decreases, appetite decreases or disappears altogether;
• body temperature rises;
• animals noticeably lose weight;
• hearing may decrease or disappear;
• the ears droop, become hot, and a foul smell comes from them.

Rabbits with strong immunity can tolerate scabies almost asymptomatically, only occasionally scratching their ears.

Ear mites greatly reduce the immunity of eared people. Animals become susceptible to other diseases. Small rabbits can die due to the rapid course of the disease.

If no medical measures are taken, serious pathological complications arise:

• the affected skin of the ears is prone to fungal diseases;
• lymph nodes are damaged due to constant shaking of the head;
• ulcerative lesions of the skin spread to the head and front paws;
• infection in the auditory canal and middle ear (this condition leads to otitis, complete hearing loss).

The spread of infection deep from the ears leads to inflammation of the membranes of the animal’s brain – damage to the central nervous system. With such a complication, the rabbit’s death is inevitable.

List of simple preparations for ear mites in rabbits

Despite the fact that some rabbit breeders do not consider ear mange to be a serious disease, it can cause the death of a large number of animals. The main reason is complications that arise against the background of the lack of timely treatment and preventive measures. Therefore, treatment should be started immediately after the detection of an ear mite.

The treatment presented below is for informational purposes only! Only a doctor can prescribe the correct treatment regimen for rabbits!

For the treatment of ear scabies, systemic drugs or means for local treatment of affected ears are used.

Systemic therapy	Local treatment
• Injections of macrocyclic lactones (avermectins). • Ivermek, Ivomek, Baymek. • Antibiotics (prescribed for complications).	• Synthetic pyrethroids (powders, ointments, drops, creams, sprays, emulsions). Apply twice, with an interval of 7-10 days (according to the instructions). • cypermethrin, neostomazan, entomozan, butox, psoroptol, dermatosol, acaromectin.

First, the rabbits are prepared for treatment, and then the medicine is applied. It is worth remembering that ear processing is carried out only in sterile rubber gloves.

1. Preparatory phase. Before treatment, the animal’s auricles should be cleaned of scales, dirt, and sulfur. The rabbit is fixed well with a moistened cotton swab, the ear scabs are softened. Mineral or vegetable oils, hydrogen peroxide, glycerin, iodine-glycerin solution (1:4) are good for softening ear plugs.
2. With a minor injury, after cleaning and treatment of the ears, the parasites may disappear, and the rabbit may recover.

The main treatment phase. After initial cleaning, the ear can be treated with acaricidal agents.

Emulsions against ear mites

The frequent use of emulsions is due to the fact that they begin to act almost from the moment of application. It is applied with the help of cotton swabs, after application, the ear is well massaged.

Among the most popular liquid forms:

• Dect;
• butox;
• Valekson;
• neocidol;
• Ciodrine;
• Selamectin;
• Neostomazan;
• Entomozan.

Treatment with sprays

The most versatile and easy-to-use aerosol method of treating psoroptosis. The spray is sprayed on the affected ear for up to 5 seconds from a distance of 10-15 cm.

Popular means are:

• Ciodrine;
• Dicrazil;
• Psoroptol;
• dermatosol;
• Acrodex.

Treatment of scabies with the help of injections

Some rabbit breeders reject the introduction of systemic injections, limiting themselves to local therapy only. Despite the ambiguous attitude of breeders to systemic drugs, their use shows the guaranteed disappearance of ticks (especially with an uncomplicated course of the disease).

Today, veterinarians use the following acaricidal injections:

• Ivomek;
• baymek;
• Ivermectin;
• Acaromectin.

Treatment of ear mites in rabbits with folk remedies

Alternative medicine quite successfully fights with psoroptosis of animals, while being completely safe for humans and animals.

The most effective folk remedies for the treatment of ear scabies are considered to be the application of safe means that disinfect the skin and destroy parasites. Medicines are applied for a week to the ears using a syringe, removing excess with a cotton swab. If necessary, applications are repeated every 15-20 days.

Effective folk remedies against ear mites:

• camphor oil;
• turpentine with sunflower oil (2:1);
• kerosene and liquid vegetable oil (1:1);
• solution of iodine with vegetable oil and alcohol 70% (1:1:1);
• birch tar;
• herbal decoction (chamomile with eucalyptus);
• bovtanka (turpentine, kerosene, creolin, vegetable oil – 1:1:1:1);
• iodine in glycerol (1:4).

To prevent burns to the delicate skin in the ears of the rabbit, 70% alcohol and 5% iodine solution are applied only in a diluted form or mixed with other drugs.

Prevention of ear psoroptosis in rabbits

Everyone knows that it is easier to prevent a disease than to treat it. In the case of psoroptosis, preventive methods are the main ones to exclude the invasion of parasites into the rabbit’s body.

Prevention recommendations for rabbit breeders:

• Observance of quarantine for new pupils for 30 days.
• If ear mange is detected, the animal should be immediately quarantined.
• Feeding animals with vitamin supplements.
• Keeping animals in spacious cages.
• Maintaining optimal temperature and humidity in the locations of rabbit cages.
• Elimination of drafts and direct sunlight.
• Timely cleaning of cages.
• Current disinfection of the rabbit hutch, premises and equipment (anti-parasitic treatment twice a year).
• Preventive deworming.
• Regular inspection and cleaning of rabbits, especially before mating.
• Service personnel must carry out all manipulations only with clean, pre-washed hands with soap (in some situations, in sterile gloves).

A pregnant rabbit should be treated for psoroptosis even in the absence of obvious symptoms of the disease. Preventive treatment of ears in females is carried out approximately on the 15th day of pregnancy.

A number of simple preventive measures will help protect rabbits from damage by ear mites or prevent re-infection.

Consequences of infection with ear mites

With an uncomplicated course and timely treatment of ear scabies, rabbits continue to grow, develop and please their breeders.

Improper care, the spread of parasites unnoticed in time, lack of treatment can lead to irreversible pathological problems in the rabbit’s body – hearing loss, impaired coordination, bacterial or fungal damage to the body, up to the death of the infected animal.

Undoubtedly, it is better to carry out prevention in time than to treat. Ear scabies is not as dangerous as complications from it. Therefore, at the slightest suspicion of psoroptosis in rabbits, you should consult a veterinarian and treat the animals in time. After that, the rabbits will delight their owners for a long time.