# Bunny has dry skin and an ear growth - Please help



## PeppyBunny (Feb 26, 2013)

Hello,

Lately my 7 1/2 year old loppy bunny, Peppercorn, has been experiencing dry skin issues on his back and has been growing a strange small growth on the exterior tip of his right ear. 

The skin on his back is flaking (looks like dandruff) and small clumps of hair have been falling off. This happened once before about 2 months back, but I was able to handle it with some skin moisturizer. It's come back however and I am a little concerned. 

Also, The Growth on his ear started at about the same time as the first occasion of his dry skin. It's somewhat small and is growing outwards like a horn on the outside of his right ear. It looks similar to a type of wart I've seen before. Could it be a wart?

I am unsure on what is happening and can't help but think that both occurrences are related somehow. Could someone recommend a treatment or medicine I could give him? I can't afford a vet at this time, but I would like to help him somehow. 

Thank you and much regards! 

-PeppyBunny


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## Rusty (Feb 26, 2013)

You should post this in the infirmary page, you'll get more notice there. 

Sounds to me like this could become a pretty serious situation if not treated properly. I understand that you can't afford a vet, but you might have to just figure out a way to get him there :/

Good luck!

Cheers.


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## Rusty (Feb 26, 2013)

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/f22/fur-mites-10440/


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## missyscove (Feb 26, 2013)

What country are you located in?
Has your bunny ever seen a vet? I'm also concerned about the possibility of external parasites for the skin issues. Most of the mites that rabbits get can be treated by revolution (selamectin) but revolution is only available from a vet since it can be used agaisnt heartworms in dogs. You may get a vet to give you revolution without a physical exam if you tell them it's for a rabbit. Ivermectin can also be effective, but the dosage on that is a little trickier.

Can you share a picture of the growth on his ear?

I'll move this to the infirmary for you.


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## tonyshuman (Feb 26, 2013)

The fur on the back sounds like fur mites
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Parasitic/furmite/fur_mite.htm
and the lump on the ear sounds like a papilloma or fibroma
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Viral_diseases/Fib/Fibroma.htm
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Viral_diseases/Pap/Papilloma.htm

It would be good to have pictures, however. Also, sometimes the dandruffy-looking flakes will move if you watch them long enough--that is the mite carrying the piece of skin. It's not easy to see and doesn't happen all the time. It isn't hard to treat fur mites (unless you don't treat the environment and they consequently recur). The papilloma is probably nothing to worry about unless it doesn't look like the ones in the pictures. Other lumps can happen that are very bad, including carcinoma and abscesses.


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## PeppyBunny (Feb 27, 2013)

K, thank you. The link you gave me was quite useful, much appreciated! It looks like he has mites for sure. I don't know if i can get him to the vet though, both my parents are in and out of work and can barely afford other necessities.  Cheers and thanks again!


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## PeppyBunny (Feb 27, 2013)

Thank you for moving this post to the infirmary, I am still learning how to work this site.  I live in the U.S. and yes my bunny has seen the vet on multiple occasions. Twice for check ups, once for surgery, and the other time because he had caught an ear infection. 
It does looks as if he has mites. I'll talk to my parents about calling a vet and trying to get the Revolution medicine. Is it possible to get the Ivermectin without seeing a vet? 
I just posted 2 images of his ear growth, hope it helps! 

Thank you!


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## PeppyBunny (Feb 27, 2013)

I am happy to say that compared to those images, my bunny's case for both problems are not severe. Though, for the papilloma, it doesn't look exactly the same and is on a much smaller level. Is there still a possibility that his growth is still papilloma? I uploaded a few pictures of his ear growth. I hope it will bring some light to the picture. 

Thank you so much for your feedback, I already feel a little better about the situation.


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## tonyshuman (Feb 27, 2013)

It does look like a papilloma. It is pretty big, although not as bad as the ones on the pages I posted. It's pretty normal for bunnies to get these. In an older bunny, I wouldn't do much about it, unless the look bothers you a lot. They may be able to remove it/reduce it in size without putting him under general anesthesia, similar to having a mole removed. Anesthesia is a bit more of a risk and you wouldn't want to do it unless something was causing him distress, especially since he's a bit older. It's up to you though, since it is in a pretty obvious location. One of my bunnies has a couple of papillomas in her ears, but they are very small (mm in diameter), don't seem to bother her, and are on the inside of her lopped ears.

For the fur mites, ivermectin can be purchased at farm supply stores, a bit of math can be done, and it can be given. I however do not recommend this because some bunnies are sensitive to it, especially blue eyed and dutch bunnies, and one of my own bunnies ended up being sensitive to it after I gave him the drug. It is a neurotoxin and it was horrible to go through. He made it, luckily, but I can't recommend giving ivermectin unless a vet prescribes it. Not everyone has the same opinion. I can't tell what kind of bun you have, if it might have dutch or blue-eyed in its genetic background. Revolution is better tolerated and can be given to bunnies with fewer incidence of bad reactions.

It's probably best to go have the vet take a look at the papilloma and give you fur mite medicine, unless there's a really tight money situation.


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## TinksMama (Mar 3, 2013)

I'm not too sure what the growth is, but I may be able to help you with the skin issue. 

If Peppercorn does have fur mites, you can get rid of them with Diatomaceous Earth. You can find it at Tractor Supply for around $12 for 20lbs, they may have smaller bags, but I'm not sure. You use it just like flea powder (Leave it on over night though), but it's 100% natural and completely safe (even if your bunny eats it). DE works by smothering the mites, and ultimately killing them. Whenever I have to treat an illness or something with my babies, I do it as naturally as possible, since I've been doing this they almost never get sick.

If he just has dry skin, try using coconut oil as a moisturizer. It works so much better than commercial products, and it's also quite good for the skin. I use it for myself as a moisturizer and use it on my dogs' pads when they get dry and start to crack during the winter.

I have used Ivermectin before but if you do not use EXACTLY the right dose it can have serious consequences. Personally I will never ever use it again (and I encourage others to do the same). I accidentally gave one of my babies a very very slight amount over what he was supposed to get, about an hour later he got very lethargic and had seizures (He got bad enough I almost lost him), after that he always had the same reaction every time he got a dose even though it was the proper dosage. I have also heard of several breeders who lost half of their herds to allergic reactions. Ivermectin even in normal dosages is toxic to rabbits that are dutch marked or have the Vienna gene.


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## molly (Mar 3, 2013)

If you go with diatomaceous earth, make sure it's food grade. Many pet supply stores that sell raw food diets also carry it. You do have to be careful it's not inhaled by the rabbit as it can damage the respiratory tract. (DE is very fine and sharp - it's thought to kill insects/parasites by cutting their exoskeletons, causing dehydration and eventually death.)

I also agree with the comment about Ivermectin, it is easy to overdose and toxic if that happens. You can also use Selamectin (Revolution) - it's easier to use and much safer and often very effective against fur mites. You have to get it from a vet though.


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## tonyshuman (Mar 4, 2013)

Yes, you can get ivermectin without seeing a vet as others have said. It is difficult to dose correctly. Dosing information is here: http://www.medirabbit.com/Safe_medication/Anti_parasitics/safe_antiparasitic.htm . You will need to weigh your bunny accurately (in kilos if possible). It is easier to accurately dose the solution used as an injection rather than those made for oral administration for horses/cows. The solution (typically sold for use in goats) will need to be diluted and it's easiest to give orally. Can't give you any more information than that. I don't recommend the use of ivermectin unless a vet tells you to due to the possibility of a life-threatening reaction. It may cost up to $70 for a vet to prescribe a much safer drug, and it can cost thousands or the life of the rabbit if a bunny has an adverse reaction to ivermectin.

I'm not a fan of diatomaceous earth. You will have to be quite careful for it to not get into the respiratory tract as bunnies will probably try to groom it off themselves, and that could lead to sniffing it, getting it into the lungs.


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## PeppyBunny (Mar 8, 2013)

Thank you for the comforting advice.  I'm not one to worry too much about looks, so hopefully it will ok to keep his growth there.

Yes - I was looking at some of the Invermectin and I was concerned for his health since he seems to be very fragile, not to mention he's getting older. He's also a white loppy with spots and a very dark blue eye. I know that bunnies of that sort are more prone to being sensitive.

Thank you so much again and taking the time to give me such great advice!


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## PeppyBunny (Mar 8, 2013)

That sounds like a wonderful solution! I was reading about the Invermectin and I was starting to become concerned as to whether or not I should give it to him. I will try both products and hopefully the combination of the coconut oil and the Diatomaceous Earth will help his dry skin. 

Thank you so much for your sound advice.


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## PeppyBunny (Mar 8, 2013)

Selamectin looks like it could be a good solution for my bunny. I'm going to be doing more research on each of these products and compare each to see what will work best for Peppercorn.  Sounds like most of these products have some sort of side-affect, just have to figure out which has the least. 

Thank you for the head of advice and help!


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## PeppyBunny (Mar 8, 2013)

That chart you gave me is fantastic! I will certainly be using this once I decide what Peppercorn's medicine will be. I don't think I'm going to use Invermectin, merely because the majority has been warning me away from its usage. Pep is quite sensitive and I fear the worst if I gave it to him. The diatomaceous earth looks like it would be a good solution, though if I do use it I wont be using too much at a time so that pep can't sniff it as easily. Selamectin looks good too, just have to find a way to get to the vet.

Thank you very very much!


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## JBun (Mar 8, 2013)

With your rabbit having the blue eyed gene, Ivermectin would be a big risk. And I know some people recommend diatomaceous earth, however, you have to coat the entire rabbit and work it into the coat and get it down to the skin, plus you have to somehow keep your rabbit from inhaling any of it, and with rabbits being constant groomers, that would be really hard to do.

Revolution(selamectin), I think is going to be your safest, easiest, and best solution. It will take care of the mites with the least amount of trouble, and greatest safety for your rabbit. I know some vets aren't very experienced with rabbits, so just make sure that they DO NOT give you Frontline(fipronil) as it is extremely toxic to rabbits. Since your rabbit has been into the vet before, you may be able to call your vet and explain your situation, and they may just let you pick up the revolution for your rabbit without having to bring your rabbit in and pay for an exam as well.


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## PeppyBunny (Mar 13, 2013)

I'm actually heading over to the vet tomorrow for a prescription my bun has, so I can ask for the Revolution when I'm there - hopefully they'll give it to me without an exam.  Peppercorn practically grooms himself 24/7, so I know the risk I would be taking in giving him the diatomaceous earth. And after some research, unless I have no other choice, I don't think I'll be using the Ivermectin just like you said. 

Thank you for your time and advice!


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## PeppyBunny (Mar 28, 2013)

Juts as an announcement, I went to the vet and received Revolution for his back and found out that his ear growth was no health risk for him to have. Thank you for all of your help!


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## HEM (Mar 29, 2013)

We are so glad to hear that Peppercorn is getting better and that the growth is not serious
Hoping for a healthy and fast recovery for Peppercorn


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