| Date | August 2019 |
| Clinic | Balcatta |
| Species | Velvet Lop Rabbits |
| Medical Condition | Ear Infection |
| Outcome | Successful |
07/10/2019
This is a story of two orange velvet lop twins who are very much loved by our whole team. They recently presented to our Balcatta team as they were both showing signs of bilateral ear infections.
In order to assess the level of ear infection present Louie and Fae both had a CT performed. This identified that the ear disease was severe for both rabbits on both the left and right sides, however slightly worse on the right in both patients.
CT is an incredible technology that allows us to get 3D images of your pets’ problem areas, which can greatly help us to assess any areas of concern in more detail than x-rays and is a particularly valuable tool for assessing ear conditions in rabbits.
We often get asked what level of hearing the rabbit has after this procedure
We have found that most rabbits undergoing this surgery generally already have a lot of pus present in their ear canals meaning that their hearing is already reduced considerably (think of a rabbit wearing thick ear plugs right at their ear drum), so we tend to find their hearing is fairly similar after the procedure to what it was before.
In this case both rabbits were scheduled to have the surgery with Dr Sam on their right ears to begin with.
Loui has previously had an enucleation (eye removal surgery) and relies heavily on his sister Fae for support. So, on the day we performed Fae’s surgery first so she could have some time to recover before supporting Louie through his recovery.
During the surgeries, both bunnies had their vitals monitored carefully, and they received warmed fluids intravenously to support their vascular system. Their airways were maintained with a specialised rabbit laryngeal device known as a V-Gel, this allows us to have total control over their breathing.
We used a specialised air blanket to keep them warm which unlike some heat mats and heat bags has no risk of accidentally over-heating and burning them – it’s like floating on a small warm cloud.
"Both surgical procedures were a success"
Louie and Fae were up and about eating only hours after their surgery and able to go home that night.
Once they fully recover, the second surgery on their left ears will be performed. We have no doubt that soon Louie and Fae’s ear problems will be a thing of the past!
