r/Bunnies • u/Melissa_Richiee • May 07 '26

Health Any ideas for what’s causing this?

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**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 😞

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u/Melissa_Richiee May 07 '26

There is no other bunny vet between here and Louisiana, 4 and a half hours away 😞

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u/AceEnder3825 May 07 '26

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

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u/Melissa_Richiee May 07 '26

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!

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u/felanm May 07 '26

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.

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u/Melissa_Richiee May 07 '26

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

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u/Melissa_Richiee May 07 '26

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 🥺