Ear Flushing - How Complicated is it?

Rabbit savvy vet has been furloughed til June. I think Fudge might need his ear flushed again and really anxious about who else to get to do it.

My local vets were warning of death/head tilt etc. The rabbit specialist we have been seeing instead did it no drama. But now I’m really anxious about having someone else do it. How much risk is involved with it?

Leesa said:

Rabbit savvy vet has been furloughed til June. I think Fudge might need his ear flushed again and really anxious about who else to get to do it.

My local vets were warning of death/head tilt etc. The rabbit specialist we have been seeing instead did it no drama. But now I’m really anxious about having someone else do it. How much risk is involved with it?

Click to expand...

It depends on the individual case. If the tympanic membrane is ruptured then it is a very risky procedure that IMO should only be done by a Rabbit Savvy Vet with the Rabbit sedated. The risk of infection going into the inner ear/brain is high if the tympanic membrane is not intact.

Did the Rabbit Savvy Vet give you any instructions/medication to carry out 'maintenance' ear cleaning at home ?

Jack's-Jane said:

It depends on the individual case. If the tympanic membrane is ruptured then it is a very risky procedure that IMO should only be done by a Rabbit Savvy Vet with the Rabbit sedated. The risk of infection going into the inner ear/brain is high if the tympanic membrane is not intact.

Did the Rabbit Savvy Vet give you any instructions/medication to carry out 'maintenance' ear cleaning at home ?

Click to expand...

Thanks that sounds worrying! So thankfully he's looking much better (he was showing signs of gas and going into statis), appetite is full on, poops are back to normal size and he's back to bouncing around again. I am concerned about a little bit tooth grinding/purring but mainly it's when I'm stroking him so not sure if he's just enjoying it, he does this now and again.

So in terms of his ear, he started getting a wax build up. So had a CT scan that showed it there wasn't any infection. I'm not sure about the membrane, nothing was said about this so I'm assuming it is still intact. In terms of care, not so much in the initial appointments. The vet thinks as he lost his partner who used to groom him a lot and as he has arthritis (he's on painkillers twice a day now) that he hasn't been able to dig out the wax himself. Looking at him on the painkillers you would never know he has arthritis, he has the energy of a baby and will happily bounce around doing binkies, hopping on the couch etc. There has been a noticeable increase in his energy though since starting him on painkillers in terms of him jumping more again. He seems to scratch his ears and clean them fine but he's never been the cleanest bunny. I asked the vet about trying to clean his ears (I'd took him back as he was still itchy) and she told me to get the pet wipes from Pets At Home. I hadn't been able to buy them in store so my partner asked in his regular vet when he had his vaccination. They told him about a product and then checked with the other vets he was seeing for the ear that it was okay to sell it to us. It's Tris-NAC to have 1ml in each ear per day and massage base of ear - TRIS-EDTA BUFFER + N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC). I must confess to not having got it up to doing it everyday yet because things have just been madness and it stinks so trying to remember to do it in the morning before showering because it goes everywhere when he flicks his ears and the last few days I haven't because being trying not to stress him out further after looking like he was going into statis.

I did a google search yesterday and was seeing people somehow getting lots of ear wax from their rabbits ears, his you can't really see much in his ears, it's like it stays inside. Theres nothing coming out so far with the Tris-Nac, I'm not sure if it is supposed to. This is the first ear issue I've dealt with so haven't a clue about any of this. The vet showed me you could feel a lump where the wax had built up, so I could check for it. I'm trying to feel for this myself and must say I'm not very good at it. It doesn't feel like it was I don't think, although I do think it's starting to build a little bit as it feels slightly different. He isn't itching his ears a lot, but does itch them but it's nothing like when he first had to get them done. I'd had him back in the vets to check him out previously when he was itching them (I thought maybe he had mites too as thats what he was originally diagnosed with) but it seems he's maybe just more itchy now he doesn't have Coco cleaning them for him.

So the monitor I'm trying to got off is statis and itching. He's got so demanding since Coco passed in his behaviour with me, he doesn't sulk per say but will stamp if he isn't getting food quite enough if I bring in a veggie treat or if he thinks he's missing out on something, so he his new behaviour since being on his own is quite different. Like I feel maybe that if he is snuggling a lot (he was never a snuggly rabbit before) that maybe he's ill etc - part of it is anxiety on my part. And has now started bouncing up on the couch to me to scratch/scrabble at my chest to tell me something (usually it's he wants food) or if I've put him on my bed he was doing it to tell me he wanted me to take him 'home' (he has the lounge, he's one of those rabbits who eats everything in sight it's hard to bunny proof other rooms). The other day he was out on the patio with me before the statis so I suspect he could have managed to eat a falling flower etc that maybe made him gassy rather than it necessarily being his ear, he was trying to get his head in some bunny safe dead plants I planted last year in a pot). Patio has now been jet washed and dead plant pot removed so I can try and make sure he is as safe as possible when we go back out there.

The Tris-NAC doesn't say anything about cleaning up the solution with cotton wool yet just watched a video on Youtube doing this with a different solution and massaging a different place to what I was doing so I have probably been doing it wrong too!

I would try to continue with the daily ear cleaning as the wax may take several days to soften enough to break down and come out. If you can actually feel a lump at the ear base I would be concerned that this might be indicative of an abscess having now formed.

It sounds as though Fudge is feeling a lot better now, so it could be that it was not ear pain at all. It is possible that he may have aggravated his arthritis by being a bit too energetic. This can happen, it certainly does for an arthritic Bunny I have.

Thanks, I started it up again and will make sure keep doing it everyday. I looked with a torch and can see some wax at the bottom. I’m really unsure as to if there’s a defined lump, it doesn’t feel as boney as the other ear but I don’t think I can feel it to the extent where it was when the vet showed me. I’ll see how he is and keep going for a few days. If he starts going downhill again I’ll take him straight in. He was doing binkies the day before he started showing Statis signs as it was our first day out on the patio and as found the key to the door he could come in and out as he pleased which he was enjoying so as you say could have been that.

Just an update on this, Fudge hasn't gone back into statis, has been doing lots of binkies running out on to the patio when we had good weather. I'm cleaning the ears everyday but nothing coming out of them, they just look the same to me, so not sure if it is working. It seems really strange as looks like other people just stuff out when they clean, theres literally nothing coming out except the solution on the cotton wool.

He's a bit grouchy today (digging in his hay box just at the plastic side etc) so keeping an eye on him but is desperate for food so good on that account, we stayed up later last night and he hasn't had a nap yet today (think he is just settling down for one now) so might just be that he's tired.

Leesa said:

Just an update on this, Fudge hasn't gone back into statis, has been doing lots of binkies running out on to the patio when we had good weather. I'm cleaning the ears everyday but nothing coming out of them, they just look the same to me, so not sure if it is working. It seems really strange as looks like other people just stuff out when they clean, theres literally nothing coming out except the solution on the cotton wool.

He's a bit grouchy today (digging in his hay box just at the plastic side etc) so keeping an eye on him but is desperate for food so good on that account, we stayed up later last night and he hasn't had a nap yet today (think he is just settling down for one now) so might just be that he's tired.

Click to expand...

Are you massaging the ear bases well after each application ? This is necessary to loosen the wax. It sounds as though Bunny is in good spirits, which is certainly a positive sign

Jack's-Jane said:

Are you massaging the ear bases well after each application ? This is necessary to loosen the wax. It sounds as though Bunny is in good spirits, which is certainly a positive sign

Click to expand...

There's no guidance with the product (other than syringe it down the ear), so I after I searched for a YouTube video to see what to actually do, I have been holding his ear up after syringing in and massaging at the same time for about a minute then trying to mop it up with cotton wool whilst he shakes it out, then wiping the wetness out of the ear. I'm not even sure I am doing it right! Any guidance on how long it should be in for please? And then how long to massage after that? I haven't been doing it afterwards so maybe this is the problem. Thank you!

He seems right in himself today, lot of binkies when the sun came out and we were able to able to go out in the patio.

Leesa said:

There's no guidance with the product (other than syringe it down the ear), so I after I searched for a YouTube video to see what to actually do, I have been holding his ear up after syringing in and massaging at the same time for about a minute then trying to mop it up with cotton wool whilst he shakes it out, then wiping the wetness out of the ear. I'm not even sure I am doing it right! Any guidance on how long it should be in for please? And then how long to massage after that? I haven't been doing it afterwards so maybe this is the problem. Thank you!

He seems right in himself today, lot of binkies when the sun came out and we were able to able to go out in the patio.

Click to expand...

You need to massage the ear bases for a couple of minutes after each application Bunny will then usually have a good shake of his/her head and a scratch of the ears. This too should help break up and remove the impacted wax.

Jack's-Jane said:

You need to massage the ear bases for a couple of minutes after each application Bunny will then usually have a good shake of his/her head and a scratch of the ears. This too should help break up and remove the impacted wax.

Click to expand...

Thank you! It might be that I hadn't been doing it long enough then, especially at the beginning.

Leesa said:

Thank you! It might be that I hadn't been doing it long enough then, especially at the beginning.

Click to expand...

With Bunnies I find I am on a permanent learning curve, even after 23 years of caring for them !!

Jack's-Jane said:

With Bunnies I find I am on a permanent learning curve, even after 23 years of caring for them !!

Click to expand...

There's always something new to learn!

He unfortunately went downhill again last night. He's been playing on the patio acting normal. Then later on went inside, he been begging for food (after eating some) then he went and sat on the couch, noticed he was moving around like he was comfortable but lying down quite relaxed still. Went to do his ears, had been giving him dandelions whilst doing it and he wouldn't eat them, got him to eat 2 pellets but knew something was wrong then as he goes nuts for them. Gave his painkillers and some gas drops (at that point he wasn't looking comfortable at all) he wouldn't eat at all. Thankfully about 45 minutes after the meds he perked up again and got him to start eating mint and some other herbs then some soaked pellets. I thought he was going to need an emergency vets trip. Gave him more gas drops before bed and syringed him the water from the soaked pellets.

Today he looks right as rain, full appetite, just smaller poops so trying to increase water and fibre.

It's so bizarre, before he got to 6 years old he'd never had an episode of statis. He doesn't look in pain today and he has a huge appetite, so I don't think it's his ear. Definitely monitoring him closely. I think it might be time to get him some supplements for his arthritis as have noticed him stretching more, but he's bouncing around the place, doing more binkies everytime he's outside!

Leesa said:

There's always something new to learn!

He unfortunately went downhill again last night. He's been playing on the patio acting normal. Then later on went inside, he been begging for food (after eating some) then he went and sat on the couch, noticed he was moving around like he was comfortable but lying down quite relaxed still. Went to do his ears, had been giving him dandelions whilst doing it and he wouldn't eat them, got him to eat 2 pellets but knew something was wrong then as he goes nuts for them. Gave his painkillers and some gas drops (at that point he wasn't looking comfortable at all) he wouldn't eat at all. Thankfully about 45 minutes after the meds he perked up again and got him to start eating mint and some other herbs then some soaked pellets. I thought he was going to need an emergency vets trip. Gave him more gas drops before bed and syringed him the water from the soaked pellets.

Today he looks right as rain, full appetite, just smaller poops so trying to increase water and fibre.

It's so bizarre, before he got to 6 years old he'd never had an episode of statis. He doesn't look in pain today and he has a huge appetite, so I don't think it's his ear. Definitely monitoring him closely. I think it might be time to get him some supplements for his arthritis as have noticed him stretching more, but he's bouncing around the place, doing more binkies everytime he's outside!

Click to expand...

So 45 minutes after analgesia he started eating again ? To me that clearly indicates he has pain. Obviously I can only guess, but I suspect the pain is arthritic in origin. He could have over exerted himself when playing on the patio. Then after resting on the couch he sort of 'seized up' and was all stiff and uncomfortable. I have severe arthritic pain myself and I can assure you that it can be far worse after being sedentary for a while. As long as I keep moving the pain is not as bad. But first thing in the morning and after sitting down for more than half an hour everything seizes up and the pain is a lot worse.

As you know arthritic Rabbits frequently get gunky ears. This is because their ability to scratch their ears/groom them is likely to be significantly impaired.

You describe his not eating episodes as 'stasis', but if he still has poo output then he is not in full gut stasis, but pain related anorexia which if left untreated (with analgesia) would eventually lead to gut stasis. I think if you can get him on to a therapeutic dose of analgesia, perhaps adding another type of analgesic as well as Metacam. Also maybe add some complimentary treatments (under Veterinary supervision) such as massage, acupuncture, laser therapy his not eating episodes are far less likely to be an issue.

As I have said, all this is just guess work as I am not a Vet, so I would talk this all through with your Vet and see what she thinks

Jack's-Jane said:

So 45 minutes after analgesia he started eating again ? To me that clearly indicates he has pain. Obviously I can only guess, but I suspect the pain is arthritic in origin. He could have over exerted himself when playing on the patio. Then after resting on the couch he sort of 'seized up' and was all stiff and uncomfortable. I have severe arthritic pain myself and I can assure you that it can be far worse after being sedentary for a while. As long as I keep moving the pain is not as bad. But first thing in the morning and after sitting down for more than half an hour everything seizes up and the pain is a lot worse.

As you know arthritic Rabbits frequently get gunky ears. This is because their ability to scratch their ears/groom them is likely to be significantly impaired.

You describe his not eating episodes as 'stasis', but if he still has poo output then he is not in full gut stasis, but pain related anorexia which if left untreated (with analgesia) would eventually lead to gut stasis. I think if you can get him on to a therapeutic dose of analgesia, perhaps adding another type of analgesic as well as Metacam. Also maybe add some complimentary treatments (under Veterinary supervision) such as massage, acupuncture, laser therapy his not eating episodes are far less likely to be an issue.

As I have said, all this is just guess work as I am not a Vet, so I would talk this all through with your Vet and see what she thinks

Click to expand...

Thank you, I will do. The poop output had definitely gone smaller the other day as it had with other episodes. He has such a healthy appetite that it would be very easy to spot with him because food time is also an activity to keep him from getting bored now he's a single rabbit. Basically if there's food there and he's not eating it, it's rare.

Another thing I'm thinking is whether it's something he has eaten. That day I had given him spring greens which I don't give him a lot anymore as not his favourite and he was at the stage with excess cetrophobes where he was rarely eating much vegetables, when that's under control (which it is at the moment) I increase them. The day that happened he had some before the episode and today he had some and then I noticed really gasy belly today (noises and could feel it moving in his belly) soon after he ate spring greens again. I've got him to run around and chase me for mint plus belly rubs and he seems okay, but made me think I won't buy any more and monitor.

Leesa said:

Thank you, I will do. The poop output had definitely gone smaller the other day as it had with other episodes. He has such a healthy appetite that it would be very easy to spot with him because food time is also an activity to keep him from getting bored now he's a single rabbit. Basically if there's food there and he's not eating it, it's rare.

Another thing I'm thinking is whether it's something he has eaten. That day I had given him spring greens which I don't give him a lot anymore as not his favourite and he was at the stage with excess cetrophobes where he was rarely eating much vegetables, when that's under control (which it is at the moment) I increase them. The day that happened he had some before the episode and today he had some and then I noticed really gasy belly today (noises and could feel it moving in his belly) soon after he ate spring greens again. I've got him to run around and chase me for mint plus belly rubs and he seems okay, but made me think I won't buy any more and monitor.

Click to expand...

Do you wash the greens thoroughly before you feed them to him ? Some Supermarkets use a chlorine rinse on their bagged veg.

Jack's-Jane said:

Do you wash the greens thoroughly before you feed them to him ? Some Supermarkets use a chlorine rinse on their bagged veg.

Click to expand...

Always wash them unless they say they have already been pre-washed (will start washing these), that's only usually kale and he hasn't had that for a little while.

Leesa said:

Always wash them unless they say they have already been pre-washed (will start washing these), that's only usually kale and he hasn't had that for a little while.

Click to expand...

Does he like fresh herbs ? I find most Bunnies tolerate them better than greens/kale etc.

Jack's-Jane said:

Does he like fresh herbs ? I find most Bunnies tolerate them better than greens/kale etc.

Click to expand...

Yes he does, especially coriander. He gets 1 or 2 types per day. I've ordered seeds to grow some as the ones I was growing last year got water logged so purchasing from the supermarket at the moment.

Leesa said:

Yes he does, especially coriander. He gets 1 or 2 types per day. I've ordered seeds to grow some as the ones I was growing last year got water logged so purchasing from the supermarket at the moment.

Click to expand...

Coriander is a favorite of all my 6 Bunnies too. Before all this Covid 19 malarky I was able to get to Asda. Their fresh herbs are the best value/quality IMO. Last time I managed to shop there (about Feb 2020) you could buy a huge bundle of either Coriander, Flat Leaf Parsley, Methi (Fenugreek), Mint, Rosemary or Basil for £1.00 each. The quantities were at least 4 times that which cost about 70p from Sainsburys/Tesco. Added bonus being that the bunches of Asda herbs were not sold wrapped in plastic :thumb:

How's your lad doing at the moment ?