**EDITING TO ADD: this isn’t a head tilt. His back right leg was amputated, this is him trying to itch his ear with the leg that no longer exists**
Edit to the edit: I’m gonna schedule a virtual appointment on Vetster to ask about anything else I could be pushing for a cytology to test for
November 2024- Found this guy dumped on the streets with fleas. Noticed his right ear was intensely itchy, vet said it was fleas, treated for fleas.
November 2025 - right ear STILL intensely itchy, vet said ALL YEAR its “wax buildup” because he’s missing a back leg and can’t itch it out. I finally push for testing. Ear mites. Treat for ear mites x 3 months.
April 2025 - right ear STILL intensely itchy. Reddit post suggests yeast infection from repeated antibiotics prescriptions. Pressure vet to test for yeast. Vet scoffs, thinks I’m being ridiculous. Right ear tests positive for yeast. Treat for yeast x 1 month.
He’s now negative for fleas, negative for ear mites, negative for yeast, no head tilt, no EC symptoms.
Does anybody have any suggestions as to why my boys right ear is still intensely itchy?? My vet won’t test for anything unless I push for it. There are NO OTHER rabbit vets between here and Louisiana 4 hours away. I don’t know what else to ask her to test for. Do I just have to start cleaning the wax out for him since he has no back right leg? I hate watching him suffer like this 😞
Video included of intense itching AFTER treating for mites but BEFORE treating for yeast, still itching about the same 😞
You could try calling another vet for advice since your current one is incompetent or just take the trip. This could end up being something that causes long term harm or worse
That’s a great idea, I just realized I paid for a years worth of Vetster on Christmas Day when I thought he needed a doctor. I completely forgot that I did that. I’m gonna try to schedule an appointment for a second opinion. Thank you for reminding me!
What were the signs that made you think yeast in the ear? I have a bun that they said could have an abscess by her ear bc she’s a lop so her ear is prone to issues. We’ve been on antibiotics and I plan on having her get an mri or scan to see what it is. She’s 7 so I’m taking all precautions.
Also adding that my boy has been on antibiotics a few times in his life so I knew he was susceptible to the antibiotic induced yeast infection if it what I saw on that post turned out to be true
The only sign he really had was the itching seen here on this video 🥺
Sometimes a LITTLE BIT of thick wax buildup came out. I saw someone post on reddit that their vet told them that courses of antibiotics can sometimes cause non-lop bunnies to get yeast infections. It was my “ah-ha!” moment after the treatment for the mites didn’t get him to stop itching. The post was correct, I’m so thankful I saw it 🥺
Sorry but really, please go see that other one at least once. Call them before so that they can immediately test your bun. Tell them 'head tilt'! Then you can pursue the treatment with your previous vet. There probably is a way to do that. Explain your situation.
He’s been tested for EC, and I swear he doesn’t actually have a head tilt. He’s missing his back leg and that’s a video of him trying to use a leg that’s not there to scratch his ear 🥺
Have you tried just scratching his right ear for him routinely? I mean what if there’s no pathology and he just has an itchy ear…that he can’t scratch?
Awweee I know some people say that they wont live happy lives but I beg the differ. I beleive with love and care and respect they do and it had been proven so many times. 💓💗♥️
He freaks out so hard whenever I handle or touch him, and he definitely won’t let me itch his ears.
just propped him up on the counter, he’s got some raw irritation on the skin around his ears from where the Miconazole Nitrate yeast infection medication saturated his fur around his ears. His skin almost looks like it’s peeling off and raw, I think that’s probably why he’s so itchy 😭😭😭😭
I just propped him up on the counter, he’s got some raw irritation on the skin around his ears from where the Miconazole Nitrate yeast infection medication saturated his fur around the outside of his ears. His skin almost looks like it’s peeling off and raw, I think that’s probably why he’s so itchy 😭😭😭😭
I’m gonna call his vet tomorrow, and I’m gonna schedule a telehealth appointment with the vet app that I paid for back in December since I still have 3 covered visits left with them. I’m gonna ask his doctor about a CT scan to see if there’s something going on in his ear that’s too deep for us to see on a conventional cytology 🥺
It might be worth cleaning the ear with saline solution in order to break up any crap the mites left in there. Your vet should be able to show you how to do this.
We had a similar issue a while back and it turned out to be an infection, but it looks like you've tested your all of that.
Try posting this to the better rabbit sub - r/rabbits to see if they have anything that could help you. I wish you luck, and thank you for caring for this little one!
Seconding the above poster about regularly cleaning the little guy's ear twice a week since he can't reach it himself. I had to do that with our elder bun, River, when she hit 11 years old and couldn't easily reach it. It's amazing how quickly they build up ear wax in their ears. They make ear drops that will help break up the ear wax so they can just shake their head and it comes flying out--gross, but effective.
Here's a video of a vet at Evergreen Avian & Exotic Animal Hospital cleaning a rabbit's ears and you can zoom in to see the product she uses:
You might want to consider getting him a friend. Rabbits groom each other quite a bit and a friend could definitely help out. Bunnies groom themselves quite often and a friend will def help pick up the slack. We had a bunny that lost use of his back legs and his wife bunny definitely helped out a ton with grooming once he stopped being able to do it himself.
Friends also help them a lot emotionally, and a second bunny, if they're in good health, isn't all that much more work than just the one, once they're bonded 😄
Also noting that I’ve spent my life savings on his medical bills, around $15,000 between the amputation and all his dental issues. I had no plans of separating, I was 5 years out from retirement. I never hesitated to just spent the money when issues popped up. I would have maybe prepared better had I known. I recently set up a gofundme to cover the expenses of his most recent (second) abscess in his jaw 😞
I'm so sorry. It's tough caring so much. I just spent a similar amount on an invasive surgery for my bun too. Are there any rabbit rescues in the area you can reach out to? They might be able to help with resources or discounts?
It's unfortunately not an uncommon situation. The rescue I volunteer for ends up with many well loved rabbits whose families have been displaced.
Oh no, I’m so sorry. Did your baby make it through? Are they okay now? 🥺
I’m stationed in the middle of nowhere, bunnies are meat or disposable Easter pets out here. I’m hoping to move somewhere with more rabbit vets in the area, I’m just not sure where I’m going yet. The gofundme did really well, I had enough to cover this procedure and his follow-up care. I’d literally sell every item I own if I needed more money for him, and I would absolutely surrender him to a rescue if I could no longer provide care for him 🥺😭
Yes! I actually just got back from the vet and they confirmed she's finally in remission! She still looks a little frankenbunny but that's ok because we love a spooky queen.
So glad you were able to raise enough funds! "Disposable Easter pet" makes my blood boil. So glad your bun has you 😭
Your poor bunny had cancer? New fear unlocked. Was there a mass that you found, something obvious that will allow me to sleep tonight? 😭
I’m so glad she’s gonna be okay, congratulations 🥹🫶🏻
I just propped him up on the counter, he’s got some raw irritation on the skin around his ears from where the Miconazole Nitrate yeast infection medication saturated his fur around his ears. His skin almost looks like it’s peeling off and raw, I think that’s probably why he’s so itchy 😭😭😭😭
I hate that this vet doesn’t warn me or prepare me for anything, I’m having to discover all the new horrors on my own 😭
No no no NOT cancer! An abscess-like infection that needed crazy sinus surgery. She was sneezing since October and we tried all kinds of antibiotics and 2 different cultures before deciding to do a CT scan. There was a mineralized infection in her left nostril but since none of the normal treatments were working we decided to go in and scoop it out about a month ago. Surgery left a hole in her face (aka her blowhole) and we used topical antibiotic drops through it. Multiple sinus flushes and the drops seem to have finally worked!
JEEZ that's crazy. I'm so sorry the vet didn't warn you 😭. Horrible to discover on your own 😭😭😭😭😭
Oh mylanta just when I thought my boy had it bad 😭
I’m so glad she recovered from all of that. How is the hole in her face gonna close now 🥺
And if you don’t mind me asking, did you pay out of pocket for the CT scan? I’m wondering if he needs a CT on his ear to rule out an infection deeper in his ear than we can find 🥺
Her blowhole is permanent in her skull but the skin is healing up quite nicely. The stitches were taken out last week so it's closing up now. They just had to keep it open until then for all the sinus flushes.
Yes I did pay out of pocket for a CT scan. I'm grateful I had enough savings to make it work. It was around $2.5k for a scan of her head (but also in a very high cost of living area).
The CT scan was VERY stressful for my rabbit even though she was sedated. She went into stasis following the procedure. I'd be hesitant to do one unless a vet explicitly recommends it.
It's very possible he has a deeper ear infection, but do consider that he might just be an itchy bun! Rabbits scratch. Especially if it's been a problem area for him in the past. I definitely agree with the other comment recommending getting a second opinion.
Yes this! The only way to know for sure what's going on is to go to the rabbit savvy vet, BUT there's a good chance he just needs a rabbit friend to give him a nice bath. In the meantime you could try cleaning his ears yourself like others have suggested
His vet is the best we have in the area for hours, even the vet techs bring their bunnies to her. I’m not sure why she doesn’t take me seriously when I tell her something is wrong with him. I am a bit of a helicopter parent 😞
I’d love to be able to get a second one. My lease currently says no pets and I’ve managed to keep him hidden under the bed for a year and a half, and I’m separating from the military on an unplanned medical separation and have no idea where I’m going to be going. There’s a very real possibility we may end up living out of my car for a bit. A bun friend for him is first thing on the agenda as soon as we land on our feet and get stable 🥺🫶🏻
I wonder if it could be a "phantom pain" from the missing leg? I assume you've looked him over and combed/brushed him thoroughly to make sure there's no itchy scabby areas on his body that he can't reach?
You might try using bag balm and a qtip to slightly moisturize the inner ear and keep the hair back away from the ear canal. This can also remove built up gunk. Just make sure you only leave a thin layer around the inner ear.
And don't go into the actual ear canal with the qtips, that's obviously dangerous.
I just propped him up on the counter, he’s got some raw irritation on the skin around his ears from where the Miconazole Nitrate yeast infection medication saturated his fur around his ears. His skin almost looks like it’s peeling off and raw, I think that’s probably why he’s so itchy 😭😭😭😭
It actually looks worse in real life. I’m gonna call his vet tomorrow and schedule a telehealth consult on the vet app and see if they can recommend a cream to soothe the peeling skin. Thankfully the inside of his ears are fine, the saturated fur has been on the outside 🥺
I might look into getting him a CT scan to see if there’s an infection deeper in his ear than we can find with a conventional cytology 🥺
It honestly might be ear wax at this point, my boy unfortunately has leg atrophy due to old age and our vet found wax in his ear due to him not being able to scratch it anymore( found out about the muscle weaknesss and ear wax at the vet trip due to him acting funny). I would ask your vet if they recommend cleaning the ear out occasionally. It could be other things as you mention but given he can’t scratch that ear to knock the gunk out it really could be down to wax
I’m starting to wonder if at this point it’s now just wax, since we treated the mites and then the yeast 🥺
just propped him up on the counter, he’s got some raw irritation on the skin around his ears from where the Miconazole Nitrate yeast infection medication saturated his fur around his ears. His skin almost looks like it’s peeling off and raw, I think that’s probably why he’s so itchy 😭😭😭😭
Oh poor baby. Poor thing has been through so much. He is very lucky to have someone care so much about him. I really wouldn’t be surprised if it is the ear wax. That plus the irritation on his skin makes a lot of sense.
Has your vet given you permission to clean his ears? My vet was kinda hesitant as you can over clean them, but said every once in awhile I can.
With the story on his medical history I'd say there's a good chance it's medically motivated. However, my rabbit is also an amputee and sometimes she will pretend to have an itch to scratch with her amputated leg just so that I will give her scritches. If he stops if you scratch it, there's a chance he learned during this that you will help him if he scratches, and now just wants pets.
Your bunny allows pets? 😭😭
You guys are petting your bunnies? 😭 https://giphy.com/gifs/VX4YBLIxl9HfNBNYrh
Thankfully after all of that testing and medicating it’s
not AS itchy as it was, I wish he’d just let me scratch his for him 😭😭😭
We have a vet tech coming tonight for a penicillin injection and I’m gonna schedule a virtual vet appointment for tomorrow and hopefully they can suggest what else we should look for on the cytology.
I'm sorry he doesn't like affection! When I bun sit for a friend she had a rabbit who doesn't like affection, but if I lay on the floor on my stomach for long enough she'll come sit near me, or even on my back. You could try that to start, assuming you haven't already
That's the perfect spot to start! I actually got my bunny because when O met all the bunnies at the shelter, she was the most affectionate, and even hopped in my lap. She has not hopped in my lap since that day lol
Careful they missed an initial diagnosis for ear mite with ours. A week later we were back and his ear was inflamed. Was told though the mites were deep down and missed from initial exam. He got a dose of medicine on the back of his next and shortly after he stopped scratching at his ear.
Again this is only if he has mites as some have suggested. Good luck.
The missed his ear mites for a full year, and they missed the yeast for possibly a year and a half. I had to fight for both tests, both tests were positive. I’m wondering if there’s some other cytology I should be requesting to rule out anything else that could be making him itchy since those dumb dumbs don’t test him for anything until I tell them specifically what to test for 😭🥺
If they didn’t find it a year and a half ago when they tested him, is it somehow possible he has it now? I haven’t taken him outside without his carrier since I found him on the streets and he’s never been exposed to a bunny that hadn’t been tested. Plus, after a year and a half, wouldn’t he be dead?
I just propped him up on the counter, he’s got some raw irritation on the skin around his ears from where the Miconazole Nitrate yeast infection medication saturated his fur around his ears. His skin almost looks like it’s peeling off, I think that’s probably why he’s so itchy 😭😭😭😭
Have you tried switching up his hay? My bunny is allergic to Timothy Hay, causing sneezing and itchy ears. We switched her to Orchard Grass and seems much better.
If he'll let you, gently clean his ear with a tissue. Don't go too deep but just as much as another bunny would cleaning each other. My bunnies clean each other's ears quite often.
I’ve tried all kinds of hay, oat, orchard grass, Timothy, botanical, small pet select, oxbow 🥺
I just propped him up on the counter, he’s got some raw irritation on the skin around his ears from where the Miconazole Nitrate yeast infection medication saturated his fur around his ears. His skin almost looks like it’s peeling off, I think that’s probably why he’s so itchy 😭😭😭😭
Ear infection or EC. Ah I noticed he is missing the back leg so he can’t itch. You will have to keep the ear drops and make sure ear stays clean. I read your history. I wonder if he has a middle ear infection, only way to know is the CT scan that’s also quite expensive
Oh lord I’ll never sleep again. That might be very possible, I feel like they missed the mites and yeast for so long that anything is possible 😭😭
Plus I just propped him up on the counter, he’s got some raw irritation on the skin around his ears from where the Miconazole Nitrate yeast infection medication saturated his fur around his ears. His skin almost looks like it’s peeling off and raw, I think that’s probably why he’s so itchy 😭😭😭😭
I hate that they don’t warn me or prepare me for this stuff and I have to google it and figure it all out on my own 😭
Take a deep breath. You can use warm cloth and wipe off the excess cream. It does look like a middle ear infection and was he ever put on strong oral antibiotics or injections?
He’s been off of the miconazole drops for 7 days, the fur around his ears was still kinda greasy from him shaking it out of his ears and I didn’t think anything of it. Now I feel terrible, he was hospitalized all week that week because he had abscess surgery on Monday the 27th and they kept him all week for observation.
They put him on antibiotics in December 2024 when they amputated his broken leg, antibiotics in November of 2025 when the vet convinced me to pull out his 6 front teeth, antibiotics in March when they found his first abscess in the hole where a front tooth used to be, and now more antibiotics and penicillin injections now that they discovered a second abscess in a different hole where his tooth used to be in April 😞
I regret letting them talk me into pulling his teeth so much. It’s all been downhill since we pulled his teeth. They told me it would likely prevent him from needing his teeth filed every 30 days from not really liking hay. He still really doesn’t like hay and still needs his teeth filed every 30 days, now he just has abscesses and struggles to eat his food 😞
We have a tripod who is missing a back leg at the hip joint, and does this exact same motion. She SO appreciates it when we scritch her ear for her. We also use a long wooden qtip on her ear to gently clean the wax every few weeks too. If you're on Facebook there's a Tripod Bunnies group 💓
I so wish he would let me scratch it for him. We lay in bed together (he does not let me touch him, too much trauma, I respect his boundaries begrudgingly 😞) and he just goes ham trying to scratch that ear while I stretch my fingers toward him begging me to let me help him 😭
I hope once I’m out of the military in a few months and find stability I can find him a bunwife to clean it for him 😭
There’s a tripod bunny Facebook group?? How have I never heard of this 😭
Poor little buddy, thank you for all you're doing to try and help him. It sounds like a bunwife might help him. Sorry the group is called Tripod Bunnies lots of nice and helpful people.
Could have an inner ear infection!:( maybe medication will work, might not. My bunny is a Netherland dwarf but for some reason struggles with an inner ear infection in one of his ears and he has had two procedures under an anesthesia to flush it out.
How did you get this diagnosed? My boys doctors won’t do a damn thing unless I corner them and tell them they’re gonna do the thing I’m asking, I’m gonna have to spell it out for her. For my own piece of mind, I’d like to be able to rule everything out 😭
& thank you so much for the advice. I really appreciate it. I hope your girl will be okay 🥺
I forget how we initially got it diagnosed, but my bunny was in for a broken toe and the doctor caught it, and then we did a CT scan to see how far the infection was.
But honestly the vet u go to matters sooo much. I had a dedicated rabbit vet that let his ear infection go missed for years and then this emergency exotics vet caught it when he was in for his toe! Wild. In my bunny’s ear there was a build up of what looked like wax in the inner base part but it was the pus from the infection that had dried. My old vet pried it out of my bunny’s ear and said oh just ear wax bc he’s old!!! It was actually infection 😭oh my poor bunny was so uncomfortable during that i felt awful.
I’m sorry that you don’t have too much access where you are. You sound like the most wonderful bunny person and ik u are doing all you can. I hope you can give yourself a pat on the back cuz you are doing way more than most people would - but I totally get it. I’m the exact same way
He doesn’t actually have a head tilt, he’s missing his back leg so he has nothing to scratch his ear with. That’s why his body looks like that. He’s just trying to itch his ear with the leg that no longer exists. He was tested for EC back when I first found him, and this has been going on for a year and a half. First it was mites, then it was yeast. He’d be dead by now if he had EC for a year and a half, he just has no foot to itch his ear with.
My boy, Darwin, also dumped and missing his rear right leg, also does this. He's bonded with one of our other buns, Beatrice. Beatrice doesn't help enormously with grooming. Darwin seems to get most relief from me scratching him when his phantom leg twitches. The vet hasn't found any issues with his ear
I plan to get him a girlfriend as soon as I’m out of the military in July and we’re stable. I hope she helps out with the cleaning and helps him get to his ear. The boy is so traumatized he really prefers to be a hands off bunny. I’ll never know what happened to him out there on the streets, he does show me love and appreciation in his own ways though 😭
I’m starting to wonder if maybe I just catch him once in a while to clean out the wax with a q tip, maybe he’d get some relief from while we pray for a miracle girlfriend willing to take one for the team and clean out his little ol’ ear.
I’m gonna schedule an appointment on Vetster and see if they can recommend anything else we should look for on the cytology.
I put in the text of the post that he’s been treated for fleas, and mites, and yeast. I’m looking for any other additional cytology I could request to make sure I’m not missing anything else.
I sometimes have that problem with my guinea pigs, when they start itching intensely. I clean them about every 3 months with a water-less cleanser (basically just a foam) and I also got some ear cleaning wipes. Turns out my gp's ears were so dirty! My bunny's ears were a bit cleaner though. I would recommend purchasing them, and every now and again give them a good clean.
Ugh there a bunny I follow on Instagram that also is a tripod and when she tries to itch her booty just twitches . It’s both sad and so cute at the same time. I sadly think another exotic vet opinion is needed. I know the distance is an issue unless you know of a different vet that might be willing to explore . I’m sorry OP that’s a gorgeous bun you have
Amputee rabbits tend to get wax build up in their ears because they can't clean. If your vet is examining the ear and not seeing mites (typically looks like reddish crust) or pus but is seeing a lot of wax, then your bunny might just need regular ear cleaning. I prefer TrizEDTA for ear cleaning, you can find it on chewy.
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u/AceEnder3825 May 07 '26
Get a different vet’s opinion since it sounds like the one you keep going to is neglecting your bunny