This just in...no surgery today for Herbert!

I love Dr. Nathanson at North Seattle Vet clinic. She called me an hour after I dropped off Herbert...and his huge carrot-stain on his white dudelap (the masculine term for 'dewlap'). She said she looked in his ear and it wasn't completely closed up. She could see a little opening (very small). So she asked if I would be interested in a new treatment that she's trying with rabbits. It's really for cats, but she's having some success with it, and it won't hurt him. It's medicine that helps to un-swell the tissue and open up the ear canal so that we can get antibiotics deep into the infected area, and so that cleaning out the ear is possible. The medicine is contained in a lanolin-based plug that slowly dissolves over time. She sedates the bunny a little (not nearly the amount they'd need for actual surgery) and puts the plug deep in the ear. Then she wants to see him in a week to see if it's working. It may simply delay the inevitable, but I certainly think it's worth a try, especially because he's a happy dude otherwise and doesn't seem to be in any discomfort (except when Babette tries to steal his carrot, which he has expressed significant discomfort about).

So, a plug in the ear. Kinda like an ear suppository. He's now officially a Butthead.

An excellent view of the ear in question, displayed during an impressive flop demonstration that happened several months ago.