My rabbit keeps shaking his head, but his ears look fine. Why?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Small Animal | Rabbit | Male | neutered | 1 year and 5 months old
My bunny keeps shaking his head, but I've checked his ears and found visibly wrong.
3 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on April 9th, 2017
Rabbits get ear mites commonly and it's very difficult to see all the way into a rabbit ear canal without the proper equipment. Schedule an exam with your rabbit vet to have his ears examined with an otoscope. He may need to be sedated for this, and your vet may want to do an ear cytology as well. I have used topical Revolution very successfully to treat rabbits in the past if this is his issue. Also, ear mites are very contagious between bunnies!
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on June 17th, 2019
Thanks for reaching out about Snowbow and including the photos, but the pictures are out of focus. A veterinary visit is needed to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. The ears probably needed to be clean out, with anesthesia or sedation. Good luck.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on November 12th, 2018
Thanks for reaching out about your rabbits. Rabbits can acquire ear mites from other rabbits or even cats. Isolation is important to prevent re-infestation. If you still have ear mites, then they should get another round, but the dose needs to calculated based upon the rabbits weight. Too little won't be effective, too much could be toxic. Other things can cause shaking of heads, including ear infections. Those animals need antibiotics. Rabbits are very sensitive to which antibiotic used so a veterinarian should be consulted. Good luck.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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