Fur mites can be seen with the naked eye and appear as small specks about the size of a grain of sand. The mites live on the hair shaft and feed on dead skin.

        If you find one of your rabbit does has fur mites you should treat them all. Mites can be easily passed from one rabbit to another so most rabbitries treat for fur mites regularly. An easy effective treatment is over the counter flea powder. Make sure the flea powder is safe for KITTENS and has Carbaryl as its main ingredient. When applying, try to avoid you or the rabbit breathing the dust. Reapply as directed. Some mites live three weeks while others can live as long as five weeks. An alternative to powder is an injection of Ivermectin each week for three weeks. The living environment needs to be treated to as mites can hide and continue to reproduce.

Ear mites

        Ear mites (Otodectes) are fairly common in rabbits and luckily easily treated.

        Symptoms include a dark brown waxy, crusty deposit in the ear canal (see above photos), which may be accompanied by head shaking or scratching at the ear. The inner ear canal may look quite red and inflamed.

        If left untreated, ear mite infections can lead to secondary, harder-to-treat problems such as bacterial or yeast infections, or inner ear infections. Unlike fur mites, ear mites tend to stay on rabbits and do not infest their environment, so treating unaffected animals or the surroundings is usually unnecessary. Only use products that are specifically recommended for the treatment of ear mites and follow the directions on the product explicitly. You should be able to locate a suitable product at your local farm store or large pet store. Try to examine your rabbit's fur and inner ears at least once a week for any signs of mites.

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