Head shaking and scratching only just started!

I had my 2 outside buns out for a run this afternoon, put them away about 1 hour ago.

they were having loads of fun running around the run Petey was testing everywhere for any week spots to escape though but I know him too well and had covered all the possibilities :lol:

Anyway I put them back in their hutch and as soon as I did Jessie started shaking her head and scratching her right ear alot. She sems to have calmed down a bit now, I havnt looked in her ears yet but thought id look later if shes still doing it, problem is im paranoid as they have only just started living outside and im worried shes been bitten or something is it possible as it was 6:30pm when I took them out the run and put the in the hutch, she wasnt shaking her head in the run as I have been watching them from the kitchen window since they went in there this afternoon.

Any suggestions to put my mind at rest, dont really want to rush her off to the vet if its not totally necessary as she gets very stressed.

Heya,

you need to check her ears ASAP. Rabbits can suffer from ear mites and if not caught soon then this can be really serious. if you have a look in her ears, ear mites excrete like a brown dry stuff which starts to build up and form up the inside of the ears, like a crust but the more it forms it starts to take the form of a pine-cone - same colour and everything - shaking the head and scratching the ears is a typical sign of this. If there's nothing there then I personally would still get her checked as these mites are microscopic. it may wel be that she's just scratched of got some grass seed or something in there which is irritating them, but always better to be safe than sorry. If it is ear mites then the vet should inject with Ivomectin. depending on how far advanced this is, she may need a second injection of this a week later. The vet may also prescribe canaural which is a liquid which you put drops into the bunnies ears and massage for a few minutes to try and break up the formation inside the ears. if it is ear mites, you will also have to have your other bunny done at the same time - make sure you keep your hutch disenfected and clean at all times.

for future reference, you can get ivomectin yourself online - far cheaper than from the vets. this is a 1% solution which you give orally and instructions will come with it but basically, you give orally once, then a 2nd time 7 days later and then a 3rd and final time 10 days after that. if you then treat your bun with just the one dose every 6 months, then your bun should be protected from this in the future - ivomectin also treats various times of worms and other mites too so definitely worth having in your medicine cupboard.

if you leave your bunny untreated if it has ear mites, or it is too far advanced then they can develop head-tilt - I lost a british giant like this. we had him PTS after trying desperately to get him treated when he recovered from the ear mites and then later developed a head tilt. initially it looked like he was making good progress but then he had a relapse and it wasnt fair to let him suffer any longer.

I'm not saying this to scare you, but I check all of my bunnies' ears at least twice a week now and routinely treat every 6 months with ivomectin (which is also good for mange mite on guinea pigs), and in-between with panacur rabbit to protect against E.Cuniculi.

Please keep us posted - hope that everything's okay with your bunny(s)!

Checked her several times since 6:30pm this evening when the shaking started, and glad to say she hasnt shaken her head or scratched her ear once, Ill check her again in the morning but i think i was over reacting and maybe she just had an itchy ear earlier, shes tucked in to her dinner this evening and is her normal self, ill keep an eye out for ear mites as I know what there like as my dog had them about 3 months ago.

Thanks for the reply anyway

You know it's weird,
when ever I see my bunny at first he jumps up and down and scratches his ears. I watch him without knowing and he doesn't do it so I tmay be just something he does for whaterver reason when he see you...?