My meat rabbits have ear mites!

[montverdechick]

We used to put baby oil in the ears, but the mites always came back. Now, we give all our NZWs two drops of pour-on ivermectin in each ear, every 90 days. Controls the mites, as well as other things, perfectly. If you are going to eat the treated rabbit, wait 49 days after treatment to cull. Good luck!

 

[Chris]

There is a difference between ivomec and ivomectin. I use the ivomec which can be use on pregnant does

I use ivomec once a year in the fall time on all of my rabbits. So this dosnt happened

Ivomec is a brand name for Ivermectin.

Chris

 

[adorable]

There is a difference between ivomec and ivomectin. I use the ivomec which can be use on pregnant does

I use ivomec once a year in the fall time on all of my rabbits. So this dosnt happened

Ivomec is a brand name for Ivermectin.

Chris

Ivomectin is the injectable kind. And ivomec in the pour on. They are the same but in a different form. The injectable kind is to strong you have to dilute it first. That is why i said there if a difference between the two.

 

[Chris]

There is a difference between ivomec and ivomectin. I use the ivomec which can be use on pregnant does

I use ivomec once a year in the fall time on all of my rabbits. So this dosnt happened

Ivomec is a brand name for Ivermectin.

Chris

Ivomectin is the injectable kind. And ivomec in the pour on. They are the same but in a different form. The injectable kind is to strong you have to dilute it first. That is why i said there if a difference between the two.

I see what your saying now, yes there different strengths but, both are Ivermectin (eye ver mek' tin) not "Ivomectin"

Ivormec (Ivermectin) pour on
http://us.merial.com/producers/cow_calf/products/cowcalf_ivomec_pouron.asp

Ivormec (Ivermectin) 1% Injection
http://us.merial.com/producers/cow_calf/products/cowcalf_ivomec_1percent.asp

Ivormec is just a brand name for Merial. There are other companies that put out both pour on and injectable Ivermectin.


Chris

 

[animalsRawsome]

You may harvest rabbits with ear mites then tease out the scabs and collect the mites for biological supply outfits in the 1960s afriend of mine and I made over 100.00 dollars from 7-8 rabbit heads after meat harvest sometimes problems can become a god send.Check with supply houses to see EXACTLY how and what to use to preserve the little buggers with.

WOW! What supply houses should I check with?

 

[Hutch]

Just to follow up on this. It is too hot here to breed rabbits in the summer so I am dosing (subcutaneous) my dormant does with injectable Ivomec as well as the bucks. I am still not dosing rabbits I raise to eat. The rabbits stress from the heat, they don't need stress from parasites too. Ear mites are a particular problem in this climate. I will probably dose them again a few weeks before I resume breeding.

The dosage on the packaging is probably too much. I am using a dosage of 0.018mL per pound of rabbit weight. So a 5-6lb rabbit gets about a tenth of a mL. 1mL=1cc. I am using 1cc slip syringes that you can order off of eBay or Amazon. So far I have gotten syringes at local drugstores and veterinary offices. They are funny about selling them even without the needles. Needles and larger syringes are available at feed stores, not 1cc syringes. Ivomec is a thick fluid and it will not easily squeeze through a small needle, allergy syringes are only marginally usable (read PITA).

And again, I would never put olive oil or any other food in my rabbit's ears.

As animalmom said, it happens. And it can happen quick.

I read on here awhile back about using Ivermectin. A small, pea-sized dose on a popsicle stick (I used a butter knife) will get rid of the mites. Follow up with another dose 10 days later to get rid of any that may have hatched out after the initial dose. The post also said that one or two doses a year will act as a preventative.

Now this thread http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=17905 says not to use Ivermectin on does that are bred. So maybe use the mineral oil treatment and see what happens.

You should always weight the rabbit before using ivormec. Use the pour on stuff . In 3 days everything is done. Yes you can use it on pregnant does. I have . If you give them to much being pregnant. There is a chance of loosing the litter. IT also kills any other parasites. THe oil is just a cover up.

The oil is not just a cover up. It suffocates the mites but it must cover the mite's body. Mites hidden under the crusts in the ears may not be killed by oil alone. The oil also will not kill all of the life stages of the mites so you must learn the life cycle of mites to kill them with oil. I think that to effectively kill ear mites with oil you must treat twice ten days apart and a third time four days later, check me on this. Washing out the ears in between oil treatments would help remove the crust and residue but the wash must be the correct pH or it will cause problems also. Some people say use olive oil but it is food and may promote microbe growth in the rabbit's ears.

Ivomec is great but it must be dosed correctly by weight and administered correctly. I used the injectable Ivomec on my bucks but I haven't been able to convince myself to use it on the does. I read one research article that mentioned something about a growth factor and Ivomec. I also wouldn't use it on any animal I intended to eat.

 

[terri9630]

I use the oil because it helps with the removal of scabs and I don't like to inject stuff into my rabbits. Food or not. You don't need anything fancy to clean the ears. Just a damp wash cloth. Also I don't have to have anything special on hand. I already have mineral, veggie, olive, canola oils and vasaloine here.

 

[therealsilkiechick]

i use vasaloine to keep the scabs softer so they don't crack and bleed and use cat ear mite drops at 1/2 the dosage for up to 3 days. the scabs shouldn't be removed because they crack and bleed and are very painful and can cause scaring. the vasaloine makes it soft so when they shake their heads or scratch they come out easier without hurting them and fall out naturally. usually by second or 3rd dose they are gone and so are the mites. i've never had the mites come back.

 

[AZ Rabbits]

I use Ivermectin on mine and it works great. I've used it with pregnant does, nursing does, etc. Absolutely no side effects and I wouldn't change it for anything. I tried everything else before and nothing worked anywhere nearly as good as Ivermectin. Just a pea sized dose on a popsicle stick and rub on the mouth. Then 10 days later repeat. Good for a year.

 

[secuono]

Just drip new cooking oil into the ears, every other day. Then clean them out on day 3. But you have to continue/repeat a week-2 weeks later to kill the hatch-lings, oil doesn't kill eggs.