A new survey from pet supplement provider, Vita Animal Health, has highlighted that while 89% of rabbit owners agree poor ear health can have a significant impact on rabbits’ quality of life, only 1% were aware that rabbits often show no or few symptoms with ear disease.
The survey’s aim was to gather information on owners’ perception of ear health and cleaning and to help raise awareness of the benefits of regularly checking and cleaning rabbits’ ears.
Vita’s veterinary nurse, Tara Evans, said: “We know that many rabbits do not show obvious signs of pain, but that ear disease is common, meaning many rabbits may be suffering with ear disease while their owners are unaware.
“We wanted to raise awareness and start a discussion with rabbit owners about preventative ear care in rabbits, including how and when owners are cleaning their rabbits’ ears.”
Despite Vita Animal Health’s survey revealing that 91% of owners agree that cleaning is an important step to aiding rabbits with ear health problems, almost half of the respondents (49%) have never conducted any form of cleaning routine on their rabbit’s ears.
For those that have, the most common reason for owners to clean their rabbits’ ears was for preventative measures (46%), followed by noticing signs of discomfort (25%) and following veterinary advice (25%).
Ms Evans continued: “These results show us that owners are aware cleaning their rabbits’ ears is important which leaves us plenty of opportunities to educate on what owners should be looking out for.
“The survey showed that 57% of rabbit owners correctly identified lop ears to be a risk factor in ear health yet a contradictory 28% thought straight ears posed more of a risk. It is our job as veterinary professionals to share facts and impart our knowledge to our engaged audience.”
The survey looked into different options available for ear cleaning and identified that 51% of respondents would choose ear wipes with 25% using home prepared solutions and less than a third (31%) using a designated rabbit ear cleaning product.
“We want to be encouraging owners to be looking at their rabbits’ ears and cleaning them, however wipes can fail to provide a thorough clean and reach the deeper ear canal effectively” Ms Evans explained, “and homemade remedies may be irritating to rabbit ears.
“It is important to use an ear cleaner which is designed for and safe to use in rabbits, such as Omniotic. Our survey underscores the critical need for increased education and awareness surrounding rabbit ear health. It’s essential for owners to understand the significance of regular ear cleaning in maintaining overall wellness and preventing potential diseases.”
