Rabbit Ear Wax and Removal

Rabbit earwax or cerumen is the buildup of dead skin cells, fur, foreign debris including dust, and the normal protective natural wax designed to protect the delicate rabbit auditory canal as well as lubricate and help in cleaning it.

Rabbit cerumen is thick and resembles pus, but it is typically brownish to yellow in color and should not be confused with pus which is often creamy or white in color. Therefore, if you see white stuff in your rabbit’s ear, it does not necessarily mean it is earwax.

Finally, you must know how to distinguish between brown color from crusting and debris caused by ear mites from normal cerumen as the former will have other symptoms which will include scratching and chewing of ears, itchiness, the presence of a “thick, brown to beige crusty exudate in the ear canal” [1] among other symptoms.

Rabbit ear wax removal

Routine rabbit grooming should not only involve things such as nail trimming, brushing its hair or checking for signs of overgrown teeth but it should also involve cleaning a rabbit’s ear and removing any wax. This will help reduce the chances of infections or mites.

Wax removal is important as excessive accumulation can spur bacterial growth since bacteria tend to thrive in areas that are dark, warm and moist.  

The anatomical structure of a rabbit’s auditory canal, being vertical followed by a horizontal part before it reaches the tympanic membrane makes cerumen removal an easy job. Here are some of the easy removal ways.

• Use cotton swabs to lift it out. However, when using a cotton swab, you need to be careful not to push the wax deeper into the canal.
• Secondly, you can try using “a mild ear cleaner containing Chlorhexidine, such as Nolvasan Otic” [2]. However, if you notice the mite infestation, you should consider using Mitox or let your vet prescribe something that will deal with these mites.
• If the canal is totally blocked, your vet may recommend flushing using a specialized endoscope while this pet is under anesthesia.

Best earwax removal products 

If you need them, some of the best brands include:

• All Natural Pet Ear Cleaner for Dogs and Cats – This botanical cleanser has Aloe Vera and Eucalyptus. It will help in not only cleaning your pet’s ears and removing earwax but also treating fungus or yeast infection, minimizing odor, itchiness, ear mites, as well as any irritants.
• Eradimite  - Besides making earwax removal easier, it will kill ticks and mites in your rabbits, kittens, puppies, cats, and dogs.
• EarSolv 50g Dog Ear Cleaner Powder Cleans Out – It will help remove wax, itchiness, smelly ears, treat yeast and mites in not only your bunnies but also for your cats and dogs.

Conclusion

Ear mites really love earwax. If you do not regularly remove them and your bunny's ears, this will encourage more infestation. It is normal for these animals to have some cerumen but there shouldn’t be excessive or appear as a discharge. This could be indicating another health problem.