• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.
  • Please Note - Medical Advice

    Please keep in mind that posts on this forum are from members of the public sharing personal opinions. It is not a replacement for qualified medical advice from a veterinarian. Many illnesses share similar symptoms but require different treatments. A medical exam is necessary for an accurate diagnosis, without which appropriate treatment cannot be given.

    You should always consult your vet before following any suggestions for medication or treatment you have read about. The wrong treatment could make your rabbit worse or mean your vet is unable to give the correct treatment because of drug interactions. Even non prescription drugs can do harm if given inappropriately.

    We are very grateful to members who take time to answer other members questions, but please do be clear in your replies that you are sharing personal experience and not giving instructions on what must be done.

    Urgent Medical Advice: If you need, or think you might need, urgent medical advice you should contact a vet. If it is out of working hours phone your vet's normal number and there should be an answer phone message with instructions on what to do.

Rabbit ear (aural) haematoma?

Hi I’m new to this forum and I kinda wanted to hear if anyone has had this experience because I can’t find any info anywhere! My bun django developed a lump just outside the opening of his ear a couple weeks back, took him to the vet and they stuck a scalpel in it to find out what was inside, turns out it was a haematoma which is caused by a burst blood vessel (I was told the vet has never seen this in a rabbit before) rather than an abscess and I was super relieved, the vet squeezed the fluid out and hoped told me it would most likely heal normal.

Fast forward to this week and it has just got worse, the lump is massive, blocking up his ear canal and it looks very painful, returned to the vet and they opened up the hole again to drain it but cut a lot more open and basically told me I need to keep it open, I’ve had to open it about four times a day and he is on metacam but I’m so upset about having to hurt him. The vet didn’t seem very hopeful and didn’t know what to suggest, he can’t surgically drain it because it’s in such an awkward place and he said worst case he might suggest removing his ear altogether but it has a massive risk of infection!

Has anyone had a bun with a haematoma or has had to remove their ear for any reason? It would really help to hear from someone
 
Poor Django and you :(

I´ve never experienced it in a rabbit but in cats and dogs. It´s really important to rule out any underlying cause of the hematom like an ear infection, this causes the animal to scratch and then the hematoma occurs as a result. Did the vet look with an otoscope inside the ear to see if there was sign of infection? If it is an infection in the ear canal this will need treatment as well otherwise the hematoma will not get a chance to heal since the animal scratches all the time. As you desbribe it the hematoma is so massive it´s blocking the ear canal, this can be a problem since the risk for infection increases when the earcanal doesn´t get enough air.

Also try to keep the the opening the vet did as clean as possible as this is a potential entry for bacteria which can turn the hematoma into an abscess.

Is your vet rabbit savvy, if he or she isn´t perhaps get a referral to a specialist?

I really hope things go well for Django!
 
Last edited:
Poor Django and you :(

I´ve never experienced it in a rabbit but in cats and dogs. It´s really important to rule out any underlying cause of the hematom like an ear infection, this causes the animal to scratch and then the hematoma occurs as a result. Did the vet look with an otoscope inside the ear to see if there was sign of infection? If it is an infection in the ear canal this will need treatment as well otherwise the hematoma will not get a chance to heal since the animal scratches all the time. As you desbribe it the hematoma is so massive it´s blocking the ear canal, this can be a problem since the risk for infection increases when the earcanal doesn´t get enough air.

Also try to keep the the opening the vet did as clean as possible as this is a potential entry for bacteria which can turn the hematoma into an abscess.

Is your vet rabbit savvy, if he or she isn´t perhaps get a referral to a specialist?

I really hope things go well for Django!

Thanks for the reply!!
The vet looked into his ears on the first visit before the lump got too big to see past. I am flushing the wound with hibiscrub constantly but I am worried about his actual ear getting infected, especially since the lump has closed up his ear canal and the draining fluid is running into it. My vet isn’t on the rabbit savvy list but is the best one closest to me, its about an hour to the nearest vet on the list and I think the drive would cause him more harm than good, my current vet successfully saved one of my buns from a stomach blockage (which I later read was an extremely risky surgery) so im pretty confident they know what they’re doing.
 
I understand your concern, there is high risk of an infection in the ear canal when it's blocked and fluid drains in the canal:(
Perhaps you could contact your vet again and ask if you could use some kind of ear cleanser to prevent an infection, like you do in dogs and cats. If there is any that is safe for rabbits and if the ear drum is intact.

I send lots of vibes for him and hope he the ear will soon be better!
 
Back
Top