Rabbit Ear Canker

Ear canker was at one time very prevalent, but is much lessso nowadays. It is caused by one of two types of mite (Psoroptes communis ear. cuniculi and Chorioptes cuniculi). The adult mitesare about s /5oth inch long, and can be seen in scrapings froman affected ear. The mites attack the inside of the car andcause inflammation and severe irritations, yellow or brownscabs being produced. The rabbit scratches its ear andshakes its head constantly. Infestation occurs by the trans-mission of mites from one animal to the other, and the con-dition is very contagious. The mites can live up to threeor four weeks away from a rabbit. Signs of the troubleappear about two or three weeks after the animal is firstattacked.

Prevention is assisted by careful examination of the ears ofall stock at regular intervals, and particularly new arrivals tothe rabbitry. When an animal is attacked, then the betidingfrom its hutch should be burned and the hutch carefullydisinfected. Treatment consists in removing all crusts or scabswith cotton wool wrapped round a thin stick and clipped inhydrogen peroxide. After the removal of the scabs one of theproprietary ear canker preparations should be applied, orliquid paraffin containing one per cent phenol, or any benzylbenzoate preparation.

Body or skin mange is relatively rare. It is caused by one oftwo species of mites (Sarcoptes cuniculi and ,Notoedres cuniculi).The mites burrow into the skin causing intense irritation. Thefur comes off, scabs form, and the scratching of the rabbit maycause open sores. The condition usually starts on the head, butmay spread to any part of the body. If unchecked the animalmay clic in a few weeks in an emaciated condition for theintense irritation does not allow it to feed properly. Fora positive diagnosis it is necessary to examine scrapings fromthe affected parts under the microscope for the presence of themites.

When an animal is attacked, isolation, the burning ofelse bedding, and disinfection of the hutch is essential. If thecondition is caught in the early stages the treatment consistsof clipping away the fur from the affected region, removingscabs formed by bathing in a weak disinfectant solution andapplying a good mange preparation containing either benzylbenzoate or benzene hexachloride.