# Badly Torn Ear



## Pipp (Oct 3, 2009)

I was woken up by a bunny fight, Michael, the cocoa (sandy) Flemish boy broke down his freshly re-secured double gate and got into it with Marvin (I think). I heard the thumping and squealing, got out there pretty quick but I was pretty sleepy. Everybody looked and felt okay -- in my stupor. 

I didn't notice until mid-day today that Michael's ear is badly split -- probably halfway through. Its not even standing up right. 

I've got it soaking in Betadine, not sure what the vet can do, can't reach my regular guy. It's probably too late for stitches. 

I'm going to run and grab some steri-strips, but its probably too late for that. 

I'm not sure if this will affect him. Not too worried about how its going to look, but concerned about how he can be affected. I'll try and get some pics, but not sure I have batteries for the camera. 


sas


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## Nancy McClelland (Oct 3, 2009)

I was told that there is a 4 hour window for stitching and strips--good luck with the bun.


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## Runestonez (Oct 3, 2009)

I don't know how bad the ear is...but when our lops have gotten into fights we have used (please don't anyone yell at me) crazy glue. It is excellent for sealing wounds and when combined with butterfly bandaids helps pull and hold the ear together to allow for healing...it usually begins to peel off in 3-4 days...(surprisingly vet approved)

Danielle


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## Wabbitdad12 (Oct 4, 2009)

*Runestonez wrote: *


> I don't know how bad the ear is...but when our lops have gotten into fights we have used (please don't anyone yell at me) crazy glue. It is excellent for sealing wounds and when combined with butterfly bandaids helps pull and hold the ear together to allow for healing...it usually begins to peel off in 3-4 days...(surprisingly vet approved)
> 
> Danielle


They used that on a cut on my son's head at the emergency room instead of stitches!, with a strip to close it tight.


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## Maureen Las (Oct 4, 2009)

I never heard of using crazy glue on a rabbit's ear but when described it does seem like it would work as long as the ear was cleaned with betadine before using it.I also am thinking that the glue would be painful for the rabbit :?but 
Iwill try it on a cut of my own sometime asI did with New Skin and Miracle bandage which is very painful but only for a very brief time. 

sas , how is Michael?:?


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## Pipp (Oct 4, 2009)

I got some steri-strips, but unless I can shave his ear and properly prepare it, they won't work.  

Its really bad, I still haven't heard from my vet :X, the clinic won't see him, he'll probably lose the tip of his ear. 

ETA: I have Crazy-Glue somewhere, but not sure how to apply it. Right on the wound? It's already pretty dried. 

My friend helped me with the band-aid this afternoon and it stuck pretty well, but he told me to take it off and redo it with mroe betadine and antibiotic ointment, and now I cant' get the band-aid on very well. 



sas


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## Wabbitdad12 (Oct 4, 2009)

Apply on the wound and pull the ear together and place a strip to keep the wound closed. Thats the way the did it at the hospital with my son's cut on his forehead.


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## Maureen Las (Oct 4, 2009)

I think this is alot harder because his hair is in the way; i would have left the bandaid on . ; is he bleeding?


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## tonyshuman (Oct 4, 2009)

I think if he isn't bleeding anymore, there's not a lot that you can do to get it back together. Crazy glue is a lot like the surgical glue that they use to seal up wound, but it's not exactly the same, and I would also worry about the pain associated with it, plus if both sides have already scabbed up they probably won't reconnect. :dunno:


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## Pipp (Oct 4, 2009)

We cleaned it with Betadine then cleaned the edges VERY gently with hot water, and there's a flap of skin that fits over another relatively clean flap of skin, so we Krazy-glued that part together, and it seems to be working, although no way to tell if the whole ear will re-bond. 

He's a pretty happy bunny, the process wasn't too painful, we just used hot water and a lot of patience. It's bleeding just a touch I think, so that is encouraging in terms of it being able to re-attach. 

I took a couple of pics, I'll see if I can upload them. 


sas :clover:


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## Maureen Las (Oct 4, 2009)

Glad that you got it back together.


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## Pipp (Oct 4, 2009)

Poor bunny! (The second shot looks redder than it is, btw). 

He was looking like a Flemish Lop for a while there, the top quarter or third was lopped down. But with the glue and band-aid, he's holding it up now. 








The post-op bonding...


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## Maureen Las (Oct 4, 2009)

That looks good sas


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## Pipp (Oct 4, 2009)

We got the outer flap glued and the rest was bonding with the band-aid. He's still got a major hole in his ear but at least its not flopping down anymore. (I tried to get a pic of the lop effect but I guess the camera didn't work).

Thanks for the Krazy Glue suggestion, Runestonez, and the confirmation Dave and Maureen! Liquid band-aid/Nu Skin would have been a better bet, but I didn't have any, but I did have a tiny tube of unopened (and thus clean) Krazy Glue. Just the ticket me thinks! 

Now it just needs to close and not get infected. 




sas :clover:


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## Runestonez (Oct 4, 2009)

Yeah as you might tell...I don't have reliable access to afterhours care here...it is at least 2 hours away so I learn to do odd things! The only reason I thought of it was because I had had to use it on myself the week before our bunn fight when one of our rescues tried to eat my finger...I had to glue the flap of skin back...btw...doesn't cause any pain...not that I could feel! lol  Our first-aid kit now includes crazy glue...try explaining THAT to people!

I use it on ears...but would NEVER use it on anyother kind of wound...too much chance of sealing up an infection...

Your bunns wound looks like it is in the same area and same type of tear that our lop got...it won't heal perfectly but over time it will slowly heal in...although you may have to get the vet to trim the edgesif they become a problem...the nice thing about the glue is that it allows the wound edges to slowly come together and if necessary you can re-glue it. We had the same issues with the bandaids as you...we eventually gave up and packed and wrapped the ear with gauze (which went over REALLY well!) but it stoppedbunn scratching it open again too!

She is 2 years old now and the wound is barely visable...it closed most of the way on its ownjust leaving a little divet at the edge...I hope Micheal is feeling better!

Danielle


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## Wabbitdad12 (Oct 4, 2009)

Looks like he is getting first rate post op care.


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## Maureen Las (Oct 4, 2009)

*Runestonez wrote: *


> Yeah as you might tell...I don't have reliable access to afterhours care here...it is at least 2 hours away so I learn to do odd things! The only reason I thought of it was because I had had to use it on myself the week before our bunn fight when one of our rescues tried to eat my finger...I had to glue the flap of skin back...btw...doesn't cause any pain...not that I could feel! lol  Our first-aid kit now includes crazy glue...try explaining THAT to people!
> 
> I use it on ears...but would NEVER use it on anyother kind of wound...too much chance of sealing up an infection...
> 
> ...



I have learned to do odd things also but sometimes that creativity is needed when a vet is not available

Michael looks good;; pray for no infections


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## bunnybunbunb (Oct 4, 2009)

When I caught Burke he had been running loose with his sire? who was a huge white buck. His ears are all ripped one, one has a HUGE rip in it. I would not worry much. I know he is a foster so it might make it harder to adopt him out, people are stupid like that, but it would not hender his health. I'd adopt him xD


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## dainerra (Oct 4, 2009)

I've Super Glued everyone. the kids. the dog. the husband. bunnies haven't needed it yet though.  I would be a bit worried if it was in an area they could lick,but that would be it.


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## Pipp (Oct 4, 2009)

Well, he just scratched the band-aid off and caught his nail in the remaining hole and split it open again. 


sas :tears2:


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## Runestonez (Oct 4, 2009)

Re-glue it...pack gauze against it and tape the bugger in place!
If you get enough tape on it he won't be able to budge it...its happened to us before too...he'll be mad as heck...but it'll help keep it stable and let it heal some!

*Our war wound:*







*The aftermath!*






Dandi was mad as all heck get out...but his ear healed pretty well

Danielle


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## Elf Mommy (Oct 4, 2009)

I use super glue for my paper cuts.  Keeps them from catching on everything.


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## dainerra (Oct 4, 2009)

it was actually an ER dr who told me to just use super glue. My daughter had cut a split in her finger and we took her to the er where they glued it up. Of course, she picked it off before we got home. I called back and they told me it was just super glue. so from them on Ive did it myself.

the dog gashed his leg open on a piece of glass. over 2 inches long, but not deep. I super glued a bit at a time and then bandaged it up. took him to the vet the next day and they said it was great. saved me more than $100. 

I try not to pay the vet any more than I have to. Thankfully he does take payments!
my friends at work joke about my $500 bunny


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## Blaze_Amita (Oct 9, 2009)

I've used superglue on small cuts and tears on bunnies, dogs, cats and even horses. works wonders, i use alcohol or betadine to clean the surface, glue it and bandage it to keep it closed. With the horses I've fed them anti-inflammatories, as well, but then again my princess i sso accustomed to getting anti-inflammatories for her eyes she doesn't mind anymore.


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## SnowyShiloh (Oct 9, 2009)

How is Michael's ear doing now? He sure is cute! Also, Neddie says differently eared buns are even more fun:






The tip of his left ear is gone too.


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