Rabbit Ear Wax Problem

Hi,

I mentioned that my rabbit Willow has had a problem with ear wax in one ear for a couple of months now in this post:

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/s...Practice-after-Referral&p=6421446#post6421446

She was being treated by a Vet practice where not much was getting done due to not experiencing such a problem so I took Willow to the Vet practice where my other rabbit Toby had been referred to with Gut Stasis as they are Rabbit specialists.
On our first visit, Willow was given an injection and we were told to go back in 2 weeks for another and checkup. I felt like something was at least being done here as the Vet said they deal with Ear wax regularly.
I noticed an improvement in the amount of wax, there seemed to be only big lumps every other day afterwards.
Anyway, 2 weeks went by and I took her back for the 2nd time last Thursday and saw another vet. Initially I was a bit miffed by this but he looked and even showed me the inside of both of her ears. Her bad ear has a lot of wax in it and a lot of white, which as the Vet explained could be pus or wax (when it first forms). He took a swab to look at under the microscope.
He phoned me up today to say they could not see any infection but it was inconclusive and would like to take another swab as he thinks it's an infection.
I told him about Willow's history as she had head tilt when she was 2 and suffers incontinence now and then but not for a long while and had tests done once for e.cuniculi. It turns out that he didn't have any of the previous Vets history apart from the one I had taken her too originally.
(I have moved around and lived in 3 different citys) so he asked for the Vet history which I emailed to them straight away and then phoned to tell them I had sent it (but not got a read receipt which is annoying). He wanted to know what she had been tested for and what they had found.
I am beginning to get very worried.

Tonight I found another big lump of wax coming out which I removed but she is getting very angry.
I just want her to get better. She is fine in herself, eating etc... she's not too good on her back feet but is doing OK.

I suppose I wanted to share this with people who understand and may have some experience of this.

It does sound as though she has an ear infection unfortunately. When is she due back at the Vets ?

I'm not sure if the vet will have suggested it but part of the problem maybe her mobility issues meaning she can't use her back foot to root around in her ear and clean out the wax. It might be that she's slightly more steady on one side than the other and that causes the difference in ear cleanliness?

It might be she'll need you to clean her ears for her regularly for the rest of her life, though it sounds like she's producing more wax (or goo) than normal at the moment so there might be something underlying like an infection contributing to the problem.

Thanks both for your replys. Much appreciated.
The Vet wanted to get the info from previous Vets regarding tests she's had done in the past before I took her back in. I'm going to phone tomorrow to see if he has found anything out and ask when to take her for a 2nd swab.

At the moment, I given her the Oxbow Joint Supplement but think perhaps she needs something more. She is fine, gets a bit stiff if been sleeping but hops along well. It's just on the spot, I notice it more.

She does manage to get to her ear, maybe not as well - like you have suggested Tamsin.

It's just upsetting for me as I just want her to be better and should have taken her to this vet sooner to actually have something happen. And I should NEVER google things and upset myself more with stuff I read but I do and this worries me more.

I'll let you know what I find out tomorrow.

I have a former head tilt bunny who also has arthritis and doesn't manage his ears well due to residual tilt and a bad spine. He gets massive chunks of wax buildup in both ears which have to be cleaned at the vets because I can't see well enough to do it correctly and recently he had to have 14 days of ear drops to clear a bacterial infection, which was successful.
However I know his ears are going to get blocked up again and I only wish my vet were closer so I could take him in and have them evacuate the goop more often. This is what it looks like: (yucky pick, if you don't like bunny ear wax then beware!)




You can see how chunky and hard it is and this is only what I can see further up the pinna...no idea what's actually in his ear canals! :shock: It looks an awful lot like what you see in bunnies with canker, but it is not, it's just waxy buildup.

Headtilt bunnies are a worry aren't they? Even after they've recovered it is difficult to relax as one never knows if a recurrent infection will affect them in some way, shape or form. My bunny has been recovered for over two years now (he is approximately 7-8 years old) and except for the occasional above mentioned problem or dentals, he is doing very well.

I hope your visit with Willow at the vets tomorrow can give you something conclusive to go on and that it is more easily sorted. I know it's hard to do, but please try not to worry. You need to take care of yourself so you can take care of your bunnies. I can empathize with your concerns (I also read your other threads) as I live very far from the only competent exotics vet in my area and also in a place where bad weather is the norm...stressful is an understatement for when one of my bunnies becomes ill! (Or I even think they might be.) Lots of trips to town are hard on both myself and my rabbits. Some bunnies travel well, mine really don't.

Thinking of you and sending calming and healing vibes and prayers all the way around. xxxx

ETA: I also give my headtilt bunny the Oxbow Joint Supplements. He does okay with them but I am not certain they really do him much good. Is your bunny getting any pain relief in case her rear legs are hurting her?

Hello,

Yes those lumps of wax look very similar to those I get out of Willow's ear. It seems to be every other day there is a large lump having made it's way out.
She is not on any medication for her legs. She has good days and bad days and looks fine if she is hopping along in the run, it seems worse to look at when she is moving on the spot or turning round.
Willow had head tilt around 2007 when she was 2 and recovered. She is 9 now.

Here is an update as to what has happened this week (and not much has happened...):
I phoned the Vets several times, first - to check they had given my Vet history info to the Vet for him to follow up and was told they hadn't had it, so I resent it, to then get an email that someone had the original email and passed it on... Grrr...
I then phoned a day or so later trying to get hold of the Vet and leaving messages but not getting a response until last Friday 26th when I finally rang and spoke to the Vet, who told me he had got some medical history from another practice which wasn't much help... but he thinks he should do the Swab again (as suggested a week ago...) at no extra cost to me - and test for E.Cuniculi with Blood Tests as E.cuniculi testing has progressed since Willow had it done in 2007-2009 time when there was no definite answer. He thinks there maybe a link but wants to rule it out.

So, I am taking her tomorrow morning for a blood test and swab, possibly Combi injections for both of them... (Toby having had Gut Stasis at the start of August, we left it awhile)
I don't seem to have got any further on but he does seem to be doing something about it at least.