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How to Treat Rabbit Ear Mites

If you keep a colony, you know that rabbit ear mites come with the territory. Here are 5 effective rabbit ear mite treatments using items you have at home.

Rabbit ear mites are par for the course when you keep rabbits. Fortunately, they are quite easy to treat. (The Grow Network)

Image by Heidelbergerin from Pixabay

How to Treat Rabbit Ear Mites

If you are going to raise rabbits, then eventually you’ll have the problem of ear mites. It is pretty easy to diagnose. Quite simply, there is an ever-growing buildup of gunk in their ears.

If rabbit ear mites are left untreated, your bunnies will get more and more lethargic, stop eating, and … I am not sure what else because I’ve never let it get that far. But I presume it eventually leads to a miserable death.

Rabbit Ear Mite Treatment #1: Campho-PheniqueCampho-Phenique is a proven rabbit ear mite treatment. (The Grow Network)

Bill is an older friend who got me started in raising rabbits. He gave me his technique for treating ear mites. Bill uses drops of Campho-Phenique in the rabbit’s ears. (Campho-Phenique is an over-the-counter medication for cold sores.)

Bill told me not to worry about getting out the crud. Just get the drops in down far enough to work, and the rabbit will scratch all the junk out. This is because as the mites die from the Campho-Phenique, they tickle the rabbit’s ears.

Sure enough, the rabbits shake their heads and scratch out all the gunk. It works.

Rabbit Ear Mite Treatment #2: Honey

Clean your rabbit's ears a bit before applying a mixture of honey and water to treat ear mites. (The Grow Network)

Image by Lolame from Pixabay

But what if there comes a day when I can’t get my hands on Campho-Phenique? Yes, yes—this fear stems from that old “store closing” concern. But I am also in love with the idea of true self-reliance.

So I hit the Internet and checked out a bunch of options on home remedies using medicine I could grow or find myself.

TGN’s “Raising Backyard Meat Rabbits” eCourse: Learn everything you need to know to successfully raise your own meat rabbits—right in your backyard! 

I decided to try the honey method for treating rabbit ear mites. And I want to report that it is working very well.

Unlike Bill’s method, the honey method requires first using tweezers to clean out the biggest pieces of gunk from the rabbit’s ears. It probably would work without the cleaning, but … I just couldn’t stand seeing it in there.

The mixture I made was about 1 tsp. of honey to 2 tsp. of warm water. I put about 2 or 3 dropperfuls of the honey mixture into each ear and massaged the ears so the solution would get way down in there.

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Sweet Application Tips

I applied this twice a day for the first few days, then switched to once per day.

It’s been about a week now, and I can see that this method is very effective. The ears are almost completely clean, and the rabbit is much, much happier.

I am planning to switch to applying the honey mix once every two days pretty soon.


FYI: Yes, the rabbit’s fur just below the ears gets a little sticky when the honey mixture gets on it. It dries out and stiffens there, but it is not a problem and doesn’t hurt the rabbit. Every couple of days, I use a piece of cloth and some warm water to clean the area.

If this treatment ultimately doesn’t work, I‘ll let you know, but from what I am seeing so far, this is an excellent home remedy for treating rabbit ear mites. The next time the problem comes up, I might try another home remedy just to test out different techniques.

Reader Advice on How to Treat Ear Mites in Rabbits

Since I first published this article in 2014, TGN Community members have left some great comments regarding other home remedies that have worked for them in treating rabbit ear mites. I’m including three of the recommendations below, but be sure to check out the comments section of this post to read more!

Rabbit Ear Mite Treatment #3: Olive Oil

Applying olive oil inside your bunny's ears is a proven method for dealing with rabbit ear mites. (The Grow Network)

Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay

Stephanie uses olive oil successfully—a dropperful in each affected ear once a day for a few days. When she does this, she says it clears up the ear mites in less than a week.

“One time, a doe had mites so bad that I was sure the bunny was going to die, the way she was rolling around aimlessly. After a day with the olive oil, she could stand upright again. By the third day, she was hopping around normally.”

Rabbit Ear Mite Treatment #4: Triple Antibiotic OintmentIs this effective rabbit ear mite treatment in your medicine cabinet? (The Grow Network)
Debbie suggests using triple antibiotic ointment. Squeeze most of a tube down into the affected ear, and use the rest of the tube to cover the rest of the ear. After that, leave the ear alone. She says that most of the debris will be dislodged from the ear within a few hours, and the ear will start to heal.

“Usually within three days, the ear looks so much better. And one has to fuss with it less, which means less pain for the rabbit. Yes, it gets a tad messy, but it’s well worth it. The rabbit will bathe itself, and within a week, it will all be cleaned up!”

Rabbit Ear Mite Treatment #5: Mineral Oil

Karen recommends applying mineral oil every day for 5 days and then once more a week later.

“We don’t take the gunk out unless we can’t get the oil in. They shake it loose within a few days, and it beats scratching the ear with tweezers. This has worked every time for us!”

How Long Should You Treat Ear Mites?

Apparently, rabbit ear mites have a 21-day life cycle. Why is that important?

Well, it means you have to make sure you treat for that long just to ensure you’ve wiped out every last possible egg or reproducing adult.

Click here for a handy PDF file describing ear mites, plus skin and fur mites too. I will warn you that the treatments they recommend are chemically oriented. But the rest of the information is good, and the photos of these microscopic creatures are fascinating.

What Do You Think?

If you know another successful trick for how to treat ear mites in rabbits, please share it in the comments below!


This is an updated version of an article that was originally published on January 7, 2014. The author may not currently be available to respond to comments; however, we encourage our Community members to chime in to share their experiences and answer questions!

The Grow Network is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for our team to earn fees for recommending our favorite products! We may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you, should you purchase an item after clicking one of our links. Thanks for supporting TGN!

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This post was written by Marjory Wildcraft

COMMENTS(75)

  • gena says:

    Do these treatments work with other animals with ear mites, aka dogs and cat? It sounds like if it will work with pets that could save a lot of people a lot of money spent for vet visits.

  • Cory says:

    Brought my cat to the vet with ear mites and was told mineral oil works as a home remedy for cats and dogs. Of course they wanted to give my cat a $25 treatment but having 7 cats and dogs I decided to try the mineral oil. I would imagine it would work on bunnies also.

  • M says:

    Does this work for dogs and cats

    1. Marjory Wildcraft says:

      From what I’ve read it does work for dogs and cats.

    2. GinaGuzzo says:

      It works for any animal that honey is safe for them to eat. Since it’s just honey and water the only concern would be is it safe for them to invest as some of the honey will get on their fur. When they clean themselves they will invest minor amounts. Very minor!

  • Nora Wilson says:

    I have always used mineral oil. We keep a good supply around in our animal first aid box along with bag balm etc… I do wipe out the gunk from the mites because I like the bunnies to look clean and happy. We also use warm mineral oil for people earaches especially on cold, windy winter days when we have to work outside. We use a little cotton to keep the oil in and the wind out.

    1. Marjory Wildcraft says:

      Thanks Nora, love to hear from you as always.

  • heloise says:

    I think if rabbit or anybody has something going on in the ears, that is a sign something not right is going on in the intestines maybe from food or stress… because the ears are connected to the internal organs, for example intestines,

    1. Marjory Wildcraft says:

      Hi Heloise,

      Yes, that is the next area to look into. Vitamin deficiencies or digestive problems.

  • Mary Jane Lawrence says:

    Mineral oil has worked well on our rabbits. The 21 day cycle is news to me. I’ve never had to treat more than one time for success. Maybe just lucky.
    -And I take the gunk out with tweezers too. If I had that crap in my ear I’d want it out ASAP.

  • For cleaning mites out of rabbit ears, try hydrogen peroxide, which can be found in any drug store. I use it to clean ear wax out of my ears. I just pour a very little into a small empty jar lid. I lie down and pour the peroxide into my ear, leaving it up to five minutes. Then I rinse it out with a bulb syringe and warm water. A rabbit’s ears may not need to be rinsed out.

    OATS-FED CHICKENS LAY MORE EGGS. I read that chickens don’t lay any/many eggs in winter because of the cold. But a couple found out that when they were fed OATS to the chickens, they laid more eggs. It’s worth trying. I’d like to hear how it works for others.

    1. Thanks Robert. A neighbor of mine swears by oats for chickens int he winter. She say it warms them up.

    2. Michelle says:

      Chickens lays eggs according to the amount of daylight aka sunlight during the day, hence when our days get shorter as in daylight hours the hens slow down in production. When daylight hours are getting longer they tend to lay more eggs. I hope this was helpful.

    3. Ashli says:

      My ducks always get oats mixed in their feed! 365 days a year!

    4. Christene Graham says:

      Chickens do not EVER lay more than one eggs a day. All of these claims to “get your hens laying more eggs” are false.

      1. Linda says:

        When chickens are laying less than one egg a day, production can potentially be increased.

  • Karen says:

    We never had even one instance of ear mites when we raised rabbits. We always kept our rabbits very clean, and with a good diet, consisting of alfalfa hay, pellets, and sometime, for a treat, all-grain. We also gave them lamb’s quarters and other wild greens, which they consumed with gusto. I raised the young ones with all-grain as a food choice for them, and they loved it, growing fast and big and healthy.

  • Le Sellers says:

    We’ve successfully used both petroleum jelly (Vaseline™) and mineral oil. A Q-Tip™ is all it takes in either case.

  • Karen says:

    We only use mineral oil, or if we don’t have that, olive oil. We apply every day for 5 days and then once more a week later. We don’t take the gunk out unless we can’t get the oil in. They shake it loose within a few days and it beats scratching the ear with tweezers. This has worked every time for us.

    1. Nice confirmation Karen. The main concern I have about oil, its it is difficult to get in a grid down situation. Not a problem right now of course, but I am always thinking.

  • nettie horner says:

    To comment on the rabbit ear mites. What I learned about 30 years ago was that you have to cut off the oxygen supply to the bugs. Vasaline would work, I even heard of using thick motor oil when nothing else was around. So in conclusion thick greasy goo would work. Maybe even rendered lard. Peppermint essical oils help keep bugs away. In my travel trailer It had rat and mice nests in it. So
    I spend 40 hours vinegar and water washing the entire unit. Now every month In each corner of the trailer I put cotton balls dipped in peppermint or eucliptus oil. No more pests and it smells very nice. Enjoy.

    1. Nettie, yes the oxygen cutoff sounds like a plausible reason for why all the varities of treatments work.

      Hey, nice tip on repelling mice and rats. A cat could work too.

  • John R says:

    I’ve never noticed a problem with mites. Is this a problem for warm weather only or do they come to visit in the winter also?

    1. Its winter now. I’ve seen them in all seasons here.

  • Virginia says:

    What kind of honey? Pure, unpasteurized? Thankx.

    Also, re: intestinal health, Cheerios is trying to go non-GMO, they say it is almost impossible as 85% of corn grown in US is GMO. My local farm store said some alfalfa growers, here, have switched to ROUND-UP ready, GMO alfalfa. There is organic, corn, chicken scratch available, at double the price, but no available for sure organic rabbit pellets from alfalfa.

    1. Raw local honey my neighbor produces. I heard about the cheerios. And the GMO alfalfa. It makes you want to grow your own…

  • Alan says:

    In all the years that we had rabbits when I was a kid we never had a problem with ear mites.
    I had rabbits here for only two years and no problems.
    What I was taught way back then and what I read recently said to keep them from getting ear mites keep them away from your chickens.
    Chickens carry and spread those mites and that is why we have always keep them far apart.

    1. Oh, that might be. These rabbits are in an experimental area that is semi-free range (they get the run of a big fenced in area). And they share that with a small flock of chickens.

      You know what is funny? The chickens yield to the rabbits at the food pan which they sometime share.

      1. Alan says:

        Have you seen a rabbit fight?
        A cat we used to have tackled a wild cottontail years ago.
        The cat pounced and the rabbit rolled over and thrashed the tar out of it with it’s hind feet.
        Cat left the bunnies alone after that.
        I believe it was Jasmine not Toni.

        1. Oh yes, rabbits can fight. I found that out by having too many bucks in a small space one time. Yikes, they are vicious!

  • Ron Holmes says:

    I would be a little worried that ants would be attracted to the honey. If that would happen, I don’t think the rabbit would be a happy camper.

    1. That hasn’t been a problem yet. And you could clean it a bit more than I have been doing.

  • Graeme Richter says:

    Hi Marjory, I would also like to find out how coconut oil goes due to its germ killing properties, very natural also.

    1. I bet that works well, but there is the question of ‘how do I make coconut oil”?

      1. cloe says:

        you buy it at a store

        1. Korrina McIntyre says:

          I have been using coconut oil on my cats ears (it is safe for cats). The only trick is to warm it just enough to melt but yet NOT be hot– no Pouring hot oil in tender ears! I use an eyedropper to get about a half teaspoon in their ears. Have someone hold the animals head so they don’t thrash or jump while the dropper is in the ear

    2. cindy says:

      I tried it last night. I had no mineral oil. I hope it works.

      1. Sarah says:

        I have been using coconut oil mixed with tea tree oil for my rabbit’s ears. They are looking much much better!

  • Karen Franck says:

    Thank you for your website! Honey and mineral oil are new to me. For my dogs I use green tea, apple cider vinegar, hydrogen peroxide – equal parts. Works well. After the 21 days, I just do it periodically to keep the ears clean.

  • I’ve not had that problem with my rabbits, by others have suggested to me that if it happens, use olive oil or baby oil.

  • stella jane says:

    This is my 25th yr raising SATIN rabbits — the fancy shiny fur large meat rabbits. Darren of Green Change is correct to use OIL. But if the oil isn’t what you’d use on your own body, then no. Most mothers do not use baby oil because of the petroleums….doubt that would be good for rabbits either in the long term! HOWEVER in 25 yrs I did not invite in new rabbits nor cats and never got ear mites. NECK MITES come from birds visiting your feeders and they are easily smothered by a teaspoon or two of BAG BALM, a coarse antibiotic salve used on cows.
    NOTE: as with most mites, you cannot see them. In the thick fur of a rabbit in winter, you can feel the scratches from the rabbits claws.
    I do it ONCE, then check in two weeks. If there is any evidence of scratching, repeat. It can be contagious if left go a long time. Those ear mite pictures….well WHY are the rabbits being kept? Once a rabbit, a delicate creature, is damaged it rarely regains its health.
    Best of luck raising healthy stock! Here’s my article below and good links to USDA info.
    *J

    How-to raise rabbits and gardens!
    Rabbits love Roses …and other rabbit research
    And why you might raise rabbits even if you are vegan
    PermacultureActivist.net/articles/rabbits.htm
    29 True Facts about Rabbits
    ardengrabbit dot com/facts.html

    TEACH CHILDREN to raise rabbits…. give them
    good survival skills 4 the 7 generations !

  • Pat says:

    do you grow your own food for the rabbits? if so what. thanks, pat

    1. I grow about half of the food for the caged rabbits. I also have rabbits in tractors (small movable pens) that get maybe 60% – 90% of their food from the lawn they are moved over. I have some colony rabbit experiments (rabbits in a larger pen) which are eating about 60%-90% of their food from the small green paddocks there – it’s still very experimental. I am also working with an area where I am creating habitat for wild rabbits and are 100% feeding themselves for what I’ve encouraged to grow.

      of what is growing there Its a convenience thing.

  • Bibs says:

    I hope ALL preppers realize they can’t be getting all set up for post-collapse in a place which not be suitable after banking and commerce go 15th century. Product distribution systems, until the products are gone, will no longer be more than a couple of miles.I.E.: walking distance. Rabbits, or whatever livestock had better have owners who won’t need to go to the store for anything. Do you have a cool cellar or equivalent with room for your food and your animals feed, and adequate , well fenced garden area? Independant means to deliver water? Your cellar will need to have medical supplies keeping cool and safe for perhaps a very long time. I’d say, list the stuff in your animal AND people medicines which you had better have plenty on hand. Today if possible.
    I read statements from Preppers describing escape routes they are contemplating which don’t seem very well thought through. Folks, water is the key. Your faucets will produce nothing. The mojave dessert is NOT the place to go, with very rare exception.

  • I enjoy the dear information and facts people contribute towards your posts. I’ll search for your website and view once again here often. I am just rather specific I will be explained to lots of completely new products here! Enjoy for the!

  • first time having rabbits says:

    This is the first time we have ever had rabbits. well during these cold months we don’t go out and pet or play with the rabbits, so they have turned a it wild. They do no let us carry them. 🙁 well a couple of days ago I noticed the rabbits ears full of gunk. anywho how do I hold them or get them to put and remedies if they don’t let me. any advice would help…

    1. I don’t handle my rabbits that much either. I encourage my kids to play with them, but that usually only happens when they are cute babies. You are correct that rabbits will get very skittish quickly even if they had been very tame if you don’t keep it up.

      Well, make sure your arms and especially our precious wrists are well covered. Rabbit have powerful hind quarters and can cut you deeply. If you haven’t watched the video… well here is another shameless plug. In the rabbits section of “Grow Your Own Groceries” I do show you how I hold my rabbits. And I’ll summarize here.

      A rabbit associates being picked up from above as a predator such as a hawk killing it. So try to avoid that method if at all possible. And sometimes it is not possible, but try not to hold them by the scruff of the neck or from the back if you can. I usually pick up the rabbit and then quickly tuck its head into the space between my arm and my side. Keeping its head in the dark, confining its body somewhat, and having its feet supported (usually against my body) the rabbit feel sale and secure.

      I hold the rabbit like this for a minute or so to let it get over the ‘freaked out’ phase.

      From the rabbits perspective it is like being picked up by God. It would freak me out too!

      If you can do what you need with the rabbits head tucked in, that’s great. If you need access to the ears, then just make sure your holding the rabbit firmly and be as calm and soothing as you can.

      You know what? I think I’ll make a video out of this…

  • Avantika says:

    PLEASE HELP.
    Hello. I really liked your article and it seems to be very helpful in my case, since I am an Indian resident and Selamectin isnt commonly available here, and ordering it online would be very costly. I can administer Ivermectin on her, but she is only 3 months old and rather young for it.

    I could not get hold of Campho-Phenique Oil where I live, but baby oil (or any other oil like olive oil) and camphor cubes. Phenol is not an over the counter medicine here.
    Will it be okay if I mix half a camphor cube in 1 tsp of baby oil ?
    Also, are we supposed to use a dropper and put it inside the inner ear canal or apply it with a brush or cotton in the insides of her ear ?
    Please respond to it soon. Thanks.

    1. Anonymous says:

      Avantika,
      I am reading everyones comments and I’m saddrned that no one addressed your questions. Therefore, if you read this then know that any type of oil would work or the above honey & water rememdy. Use a dropper to put droplets inside the ear and use cotton swab to coat the inner ear that you can see.

      I use raw honey, unpasteurized, and water or granulated sugar for most skin infections from animals to humans. Sugar & honey have natural antibiotic properties and converts to small amounts of hydrogen perioxide. This has been used for centuries before antibiotics and anti fungals were developed. It’s used in battlefield medicine, vetrrinarian medicine once again and intensive care units of hospitals when an infection is antibiotic resistant. Mayo Clinic in U.S.A. did a very extensive study to find out why Sugar and Raw Honey had such healing affects and found the above.

      To use sugar on a wound you cleanse the wound, pour sugar granules into wound and wrap or cover wound on a human, same for animals. Change dressing several times a day. Infection in a body feeds off sugar, glucose, therefore, the infection in an animal or human will immediately go toward and feed off the sugar instead of the sugar, glucose in our own tissues. Healing time is exponentially quicker and very little scarring involved.

      I made a sugar paste once since I didn’t have raw honey on hand and because of the location of the injury and infection on a stray cat, right behind his ears & head, I was unable to make a wrap or bandage the area. The sugar paste dried into it’s own bandage. Within 6hrs the infection was dripping down, into his coat. Infection was literally being pulled from the body tissues as it was attracted to the sugar paste. I’ve never seen anything like it. His fever stopped, he was near death. By 12hrs the size of the wounds were smaller by a few mm. I continued this routine 3x’s a day until healed.

      Please keep in mind that I had taken the cat to a veterinarian twice before and all the medications for inside his ears and outside wounds had failed. The first time nothing worked. The 2nd time the medicine was thought to help, took a very long time, and when I thought he was healed, everything came back full blown and worse. He had terrible antibacterial resistant infection and yeast, fungal infection that wasn’t responsive to medical treatment. Sugar/Raw Honey was also found to have anti fungal properties, as well. All in all… Sugar and raw honey is good remedy for humans and all animals.

      I have very serious auto immune issues due to chronic leukemia. Therefore, if I get a small bug bite, mosquito bite, small scratch etc, a nasty infection always follows. Whenever I use the Centuries old remedy I heal quickly, whereas, if I go to the doctor the antibiotics don’t start working quickly and can put one in danger of building up a resistance so that if needed, the antibiotics won’t work.

      As far as the ear mites… You can use the mineral oil or any type of cooking oil these kind people have suggested with a dropper forctthe inner ear and then use a cotton swab or ball to swab the the inside of ear you can see and also swab the tips, edges of ears. They suggested a timeline of 21 days. I hope this helps. You don’t have to use Camphophenique or Camphor, it’s only a suggestion and personal choice. Tea Tree oil can be used, I’m sure you have that in India and you can refer back to the previous comments for the mixture amount….as in…how many drops of that mixed with a certain amount of drops of water or other oils.

      I’ve very much enjoyed reading the article and comments. I came here looking for ideas for my dog and cat since I suspect they have ear mites and since it’s been 40 years that I last dealt with ear mites for rabbits back then I wondered if the same would work as well now. Thanks to everyone for the ideas and help.
      Happy and Healthy 2017 to everyone!

      1. Anonymous says:

        Side note: Sugar and Raw Honey also have natural steroidal properties also, therefore, swelling and redness went down quickly and cat became more comfortable within a couple of hours.

        Normally you wouldn’t make a paste out of sugar but instead, pour sugar directly into wound and then bandage. I had to make a paste due to the location of the cats wounds, right behind his ears, on his head. He would’ve shaken his head and sugar granules would’ve flown everywhere and the location of wpunds made it impossible to bandage. Otherwise, when I have a wound or my animals have wounds I pour the sugar directly into the wound after wound has been cleaned well with soap and water and then I bandage. This should be done at least 3x’s a day. If there’s no sugar granules on bandage when you remove in order to clean and repeat the process this is a good sign. You will see the puss and infection covering the bandage when you remove. As you progress into the healing process and there’s sugar granules that aren’t being absorbed when you remove the bandage then that means infection is subsiding, it’s no longer drawing and feeding off the sugar because very little if any infection is left. Just a little fyi…

        ***Clean water is a must.***
        I use distilled water that I buy from the store and not drinking water because distilled water has gone through a better purification process. Never use tap water for wound care unless you boil it first and then let it cool down.

  • Austin says:

    I used wd40 I sprayed it in the ears for about a week and they cleared very well

    1. Michael Ford says:

      Hi Austin – I talked with some friends about this today and they suggested that mineral oil or orange oil would be good solutions too. You could put either of those in a spray bottle for convenience.

  • shorty says:

    We use mineral oil and campho phenique, equal parts.

  • Holly says:

    Does any one know how long it takes for the infestation of ear mites to get to the point of not seeing symptoms to showing the scabs and gunk an redness? I have 12 rabbits and for the first time tonight have found an ear mite infection in an Angora buck I purchased a month an a half ago……I have to say seeing him with this uck mess is beyond upsetting and its hard to not feel responsible even though I keep very clean quarters and healthly diets. After readings everyones post, its helps, but want to learn what may have caused this in hopes to avoid in the future. We do have a few free range chickens but the rabbits all though outside and a few feet off the ground have no direct contact with them, can being in the same area transfer mites without contact? Also, about 2 weeks ago, we bought bagged deer corn, I have always in the past given these to my rabbits as treats, is it possible they came with that?

    1. Khalid says:

      Hi,
      I have couple of rabbits and one of the female rabbit is infected with the same ear mites. Ear edges is getting rough and hard and the neck fur is also starts dropping. First i thought it was due to the male rabbit which always use to lick her ears and neck but then i realize that this is something else.

      I have read all the comments and its easy for me to use Honey/Olive Oil or Vaseline for the remedy, but the thing is the male rabbit use to lick/groom the infected female rabbit ear and neck. Question is if oil/vaseline is used for remedy then is it going to disturb the male rabbit digestive system when he try to lick? Actually i can’t separate them as they both are in love. 🙂

      Her age is around 4 to 5 months.

  • Norma says:

    Hi All great info on here. wanted to post a word of caution though. Peppermint or any mint family is used to dry up milk in lactating does, you might consider not using it on or near lactating or pregnant doe rabbits. Fresh mint leaves fed to a milk impacted doe with a soothing mint wash/compress has never failed me here. Not so good if mama is feeding babies. Choose a plain oil till litter is weaned. Thanks

  • Backyard_homesteader says:

    Cooking oil works very well, i am using vegetable oil and the day after the first treatment her ears were near clean and she started attacking everything but seems to be back to normal now.

  • Ashley says:

    I pure peroxide in the ear dig it out w a q-tip
    When it’s all out I do a drop in each ear of olive oil
    Do the olive oil for three days after

  • mike says:

    Just started using Campo-Phenique 2-3 drops each ear, should that be done for a few days and then 1 drop in each ear until the 21 day cycle is over? She is the kids rabbit and an older rabbit we got from a farm, now she stays inside and should be ok after we get rid of them hopefully.

  • Kat M. says:

    Recently we’ve been fighting an ear mite problem here. We have 2 rabbits and both have had them First time for both I had to take them to the vet. 120.00 for 1st visit, toe nail clip and a shot. Then every 14 days there after for up to 2 or 3 more shots. I believe that was 21.00 a shot. Thankfully they didn’t have this problem at the same time. I’ve been using Vitamin E in each ear. I make a tube like shape with tissue then dip in VitaminE and carefully rub up and down inside the ear. If I continue to use this method will it prevent me from having to run to vet each time an ear mite problem accures? Your help is greatly appreciated. Ty, Kat

    PS… I found these little rabbits about a year apart running the neighborhood. Already cost a fortune but, we’ve grown to love them.

  • veronica corona says:

    i was wondering if apple cider vinegar and olive oil are okay to use on ear mites ? with have given my rabbits anitbiotics and she is still scratching but she is not fully covered in mites in her ears only on the edges, so i guess the early stages of ear mites

  • sam anto says:

    Best and natural home remedies for ear mites in cats are spraying mixture of apple cider vinegar and water on affected area. Read more on http://tiny.cc/sicfjy

  • pj says:

    Can you use it on guinea pig for ear mites or mange coconut oil

  • Pamela Belden says:

    My rabbit’s whole ear fell off and looks like he bled to death after using this???

  • Cody says:

    I used vegetable oil the first 2 days and seen a huge difference. I used a cough syrup syringe to apply it. He’s a new buck, and I’m a brand new breeder, so a few drops quickly turned into a couple squirts because of the squirming and what not. I digress. I left the poor guy alone on the 3rd day and still he continued to improve. Today i mixed 1:1 honey and water and applied half a squirt to each ear, wich he quickly shook off a bit. But i just went to check on him and a little more gunky scabby stuff is gone and hes seeming happier every day.

  • Grandpa says:

    Yep, another home remedy is to mix warm red oil with salt and apply to the ears and leave some drops in the ear. You might end up messing up the beautiful fur colour but its very effective. Cheers

  • Apeksha says:

    I have a 6 month old buck. He has recently developed ear mites and is very disturbed. He is scratching and shaking his head all the time. I am a new owner and don’t know much about rabbit home remedies. I am concerned about the honey water remedy if that works for all breeds of rabbits. I live in India and here the medicines are not easily available. Also, the oils are available in stores and they are not completely natural. I have tea tree oil and peppermint oil available in India. Can I mix one of the two above mentioned oils with coconut or sunflower oil? Please suggest.

    1. Charlotte Richardson says:

      I use Young Living Essential oils and know that the Tee Tree mixed with coconut oil is not going to do anything but good for the rabbit. But remember that LESS IS BETTER!! Use ONE drop of Tee Tree in 10 mg of coconut oil.
      I would do this if honey were not available. I don’t like the chemicals on anybody or thing!

  • Stephanie says:

    I have successfully used olive oil more than once. A dropperful each day for a few days. It’s a rare kitchen that doesn’t have any olive oil in it. Cleared it up in less than a week. One time, a doe had mites so bad I was sure the bunny was going to die the way she was rolling around aimlessly. After a day with the olive oil, she could stand upright again. By the third day she was hopping around normally.

  • Charlotte Richardson says:

    I have not tried the honey on the mites, but am getting ready to head out to the rabbits and try it on one of my nursing does. I raise bees and can tell you that honey cures everything from A to Z in and on humans AND critters. WHY didn’t I think of honey? LOL. My little Amy doesn’t have them bad, but from what I hear, it doesn’t take long. So, it’s honey today! And since she has little ones still nursing, I’m crossing my fingers that I don’t end up treating everybody!!!
    Stay tuned, I’ll be back with my thoughts in a couple of weeks!!

  • Mitch T says:

    I’ve sucessfully used mineral in the past. A couple of treatment does the trick.

  • Debbie says:

    The three way ointment (triple antibiotic) works wonders as well. Softens the debris so the rabbit can dislodge them without having to scrape off and it also works to heal the sores left behind. I just squeeze the tube into the ear and cover the ear with it, leave it alone, and w/in a few hours most of the debris is dislodged from the ear and the ear can start to heal. Usually w/in three days, the ear looks so much better and one has to fuss with it less, so less pain for the rabbit. Yes, it gets a tad messy, but well worth if. The rabbit will bathe itself and w/in a week it’s all cleaned up. Hope this helps !

  • Owl says:

    I have had excellent success with using glycerin and colloidal silver. I haven’t had any bad cases to deal with since I’m still new to bunny business but I also use it on my dogs with good results.

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