Cytology of the external auditory meatus in healthy domestic pet rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

The cytological examination of healthy external auditory meatus from 146 pet rabbits (108 with erect pinnae and 38 with pendulous pinnae) showed the presence of Malassezia yeasts in 54% of the animals. Yeasts were detected in both meatus in 72 cases and only one meatus in 26 cases. There was no correlation with age, sex or ear anatomy (straight or lop ears). In the animals showing the presence of Malassazia yeasts, the number of yeasts per high magnification field (obj. X100) varied from 1 to 60 (mean: 11). We can conclude from this study that the presence of Malassezia yeasts in rabbit external auditory meatus is physiological and that the frequency of these yeasts in non inflammatory ear meatus of domestic rabbits is comparable to what is observed in other mammalian species.