easily startled bun/ ear infections

[dwarfflops]

my dwarf lop bunny has been having some ear problems recently - had to have several ear flushes & ear drops to cure infections over the last few months and is showing i think some signs of hearing loss due to it. he’s only 3 years old

i have 2 other buns, and when any of them hop near him it’s almost like he doesn’t hear/see them at all until they e right by him. this has caused him to get spooked/scared a LOT and also sometimes retaliates by biting/nipping the other bunny

he has a history of an ear infection & head tilt about a year ago - after a bout of snuffles.

i am taking him to the vets for checkups almost every 2 weeks but really feel at a loss, and the stress of his aggression is causing disrupts to the trio as a whole. my eldest bunny is 9 and has lost a lot of weight since the ear issues started in winston,,.., i fear it’s due to the stress he’s causing.

does anyone have any tips/advice on what to do? my vet has mentioned trying to get a head CT/eye exam/x rays etc to find the root cause but i know not only is thst expensive but also a big stress to the bun whose already struggling and the procedures *may* not even give answers

i’m really at a loss on what the next steps should be and i feel so bad seeing all my bunnies struggle bc of it

 

[InspectorMorse]

Lops are very prone to ear infections. Surgery is often needed in an attempt to try to stop recurrence.
The only way to obtain a true picture of the extent of the disease is from diagnostic imaging. These links provide information

Rabbit Ear Disease at RVC Exotics

www.rvc.ac.uk

Pet Factsheets – Crossriggs Veterinary Clinic

crossriggsvets.co.uk

*WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGES ON THIS LINK*

https://www.vettimes.co.uk/app/uploads/wp-post-to-pdf-enhanced-cache/1/treatment-of-otitis-externa-media-and-interna-in-rabbits.pdf

As for how the trio bond is being effected, the Rabbit who has lost a lot of weight needs to be seen by a Vet too, if this has not already taken place. He might have a health problem too.

If the trio bond is constantly unstable and any of the Rabbits are showing signs of ongoing stress as a result then you will need to separate them, unfortunately.