My rabbit is scratching ears, shaking head, and has brown urine. Is he sick?

I am sorry to hear that Paisley isn’t feeling well, and thank you for your question. From what you are describing, she could have an ear infection. Unfortunately this is very common in lop eared rabbits, and often gets quite severe before they show any clinical signs at home. It may also be affecting both ears, and she may not be showing it. Ear infections can be simple and only affect the external ear, or they can be deep and be present past the ear drum and into the middle and inner ear. My recommendation would be to take Paisley to a veterinarian who is familiar with rabbits. They can perform an exam of the ears and collect samples to look for infection. They can then prescribe anti-inflammatory pain relievers and may prescribe antibiotics as well. If they suspect that the infection may be deep, they would recommend imaging with radiographs (x-rays) or a CT scan. Please don’t give Paisley any human medications, as many of them are harmful to our furry friends. I would not recommend cleaning the ears until you have visited the vet either, as many cleaners are not safe to use if you don’t know if the ear drum is intact or not (i.e. they can be damaging/toxic to the middle and inner ear). I hope that gives you a place to start, and I wish you and Paisley the best of luck!

What a cute bunny! From the photo the area on the skin looks as though it has healed- if there is a defect in the skin itself then an exam by the vet is recommended as he may need antibiotics. I cannot see any redness to his eyes in this photo, so I am not sure if you mean that his eye color is red or if he has red eye lids or the white of his eyes look red. If he is rubbing at his eyes/blinking alot, has excess tears or a green or yellow discharge from the eyes these would be cause for a vet exam as well. The red color to the urine can sometimes be a result of diet http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=18+1803&aid=2839. If he is not acting lethargic and is eating/drinking I would monitor the urine for a few days- if he becomes lethargic/is straining to pee/stops eating or drinking or the urine continues to look red then an exam is recommended.

Bunnies can get ear infections as well as ear mites. I would encourage you to have her evaluated by your veterinarian soon. Ear medication may be recommended. Best of luck and I hope ahe improves aoon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

It could be that Lusi is experiencing bladder infection, and that the brown color of his urine is due to blood. I would have him seen by a vet first thing in the morning for a physical exam and urinalysis to diagnose what is causing his urine to be brown so he can be treated.

Hello. What you are seeing are porphyrin pigments in the urine. This is perfectly normal & may come & go. Make sure his pelleted diet is fresh & appropriate for rabbits. Rabbits absolutely need hay & grasses to live well & should be available to Snow all day long. You can feed other green leafy plants such as broccoli, cabbage, chard, parsley, celery leaves, watercress, kale, endive & carrot & beet tops. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It does look like urine infection. Mochi most likely will need a course of antibiotics to get better. Please, take him to your regular vets today or tomorrow as the medications he needs are prescription-only. If you mange to collect a urine sample from the bottom of the cage that would be very useful. Typically urine test gives instant answer if a rabbit has cystitis, or if there is anything else to worry about.

Thanks for reaching out about Flash. Warm ears are not necessarily a fever. Watery eyes could be lacrimal duct obstructions or infections. If still concerned about Flash being ill, a veterinary visit is recommended. Is he still eating? Try wiping the eyes with a warm washcloth. Good luck.