Can Rabbits get fleas?

[MandaRae]

We bought a harness for our Dutch Bunny. My husband is concerned if we bring her outside she will get fleas.
Can this happen? If so is there something we can do to prevent them?

 

[ardadz09]

Yes rabbits may get fleas, but with some safe flea treatment (that can be in shampoo) they are easy to prevent !

 

[JBun]

Yes it can happen, but usually it will happen because you have other pets in the home(eg. cats, dogs) that are infested with fleas first. Usually flea prevention isn't used or necessary with rabbits, unless you have another pet already infested or a preexisting problem with fleas in your area. And in colder times of the year, it will be even less likely to occur. But even though it doesn't usually occur, rabbits can sometimes get fleas.

If you notice there's a problem with fleas around your rabbit and/or area outdoors and you feel flea prevention is needed, the best and safest flea prevention/treatment for rabbits is Revolution(selamectin) at 18mg/kg, which is 3 times the cat/dog dose due to rabbits having a faster metabolism. And you would need to get it from your rabbit vet, as it's prescription.

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Fleas

Yes rabbits may get fleas, but with some safe flea treatment (that can be in shampoo) they are easy to prevent !

Please DO NOT shampoo and bathe a rabbit to treat fleas. Bathing a rabbit for any reason is strongly discouraged except in very specific circumstances, and usually only a butt bath when absolutely necessary, due to the high risk of hypothermia, shock, and/or stress induced cardiac arrest occuring. As well as the flea shampoos potentially not being safe for rabbits.

 

[1report]

Yes rabbits may get fleas, but with some safe flea treatment (that can be in shampoo) they are easy to prevent !

I THINK YOU ARE WRONG ABOUT BATHS AND FLEA SHAMPOO because it’s a rabbit not a cat or a dog. But Revolution for kittens is what vet put on my dwarf rabbits necks for fleas. And vet didn’t use the full tube of meds either because the rabbits didn’t need the entire tube.

 

[1report]

We bought a harness for our Dutch Bunny. My husband is concerned if we bring her outside she will get fleas.
Can this happen? If so is there something we can do to prevent them?

Believe it or not our house got infested with fleas and all we had was 2 dwarf rabbits. Fleas could be in the hay you buy. Fleas could be on the ground outside and you can bring them in the house on your pants legs when you walk in your house. So it doesn’t matter if rabbits go outside or not, they can still get fleas. We had to take rabbits to some one else house and take everything outside that belongs to rabbits. Then we flea fogged the house and vacuumed several times and mopped with bleach and water several times. We had to take dwarf rabbits to vet for flea meds which was kitten Revolution 2-5 pounds and the vet didn’t use the entire tube because rabbits didn’t need the entire tube. But kitten revolution flea meds on the back sort of near the neck got rid of their fleas infestation. Those poor rabbits were packed with fleas. They’re fine now. But do not use flea foggers while pets are in the house if you ever get fleas in the home. They will need to go outside the home and don’t leave their food toys etc in the house because the poison spray will be on everything. But do wash their bedding etc to get fleas from off it. So yes take rabbit out side for air they will love it. Don’t let fleas stop you. Why not just put the kitten revolution flea meds on rabbits now just like we do for cats and dogs. I actually bought this prescription meds online from a Canada website because you don’t need a prescription from Canada websites. I bought the regular kind of revolution for kittens 2-5 pounds from Canadapetcare.com
If you are unsure of what to do then just call your vet and ask them for flea meds for rabbits and they can show you how to use it and sell you the meds too. Since I know what to do now I’m not paying a vet again all that money for some darn fleas and their overpriced meds. And they had the nerve to use the generic brand of revolution too. Meds last for 3 months in the rabbits system. Oh well Good day!

 

[1report]

We bought a harness for our Dutch Bunny. My husband is concerned if we bring her outside she will get fleas.
Can this happen? If so is there something we can do to prevent them?

We bought a harness for our Dutch Bunny. My husband is concerned if we bring her outside she will get fleas.
Can this happen? If so is there something we can do to prevent them?

How are rabbits with fleas treated?​

Because fleas affect dogs and cats, all animals in the house should be treated. There are no rabbit-specific drugs for managing fleas. All products used are for dogs and cats, and their use in rabbits is described as 'off label.' Topical cat medications, such as Advantage® or Revolution® appear to be safe but should ONLY be used under the guidance of a veterinarian familiar with rabbits.

 

[JBun]

Believe it or not our house got infested with fleas and all we had was 2 dwarf rabbits. Fleas could be in the hay you buy. Fleas could be on the ground outside and you can bring them in the house on your pants legs when you walk in your house. So it doesn’t matter if rabbits go outside or not, they can still get fleas. We had to take rabbits to some one else house and take everything outside that belongs to rabbits. Then we flea fogged the house and vacuumed several times and mopped with bleach and water several times. We had to take dwarf rabbits to vet for flea meds which was kitten Revolution 2-5 pounds and the vet didn’t use the entire tube because rabbits didn’t need the entire tube. But kitten revolution flea meds on the back sort of near the neck got rid of their fleas infestation. Those poor rabbits were packed with fleas. They’re fine now. But do not use flea foggers while pets are in the house if you ever get fleas in the home. They will need to go outside the home and don’t leave their food toys etc in the house because the poison spray will be on everything. But do wash their bedding etc to get fleas from off it. So yes take rabbit out side for air they will love it. Don’t let fleas stop you. Why not just put the kitten revolution flea meds on rabbits now just like we do for cats and dogs. I actually bought this prescription meds online from a Canada website because you don’t need a prescription from Canada websites. I bought the regular kind of revolution for kittens 2-5 pounds from Canadapetcare.com
If you are unsure of what to do then just call your vet and ask them for flea meds for rabbits and they can show you how to use it and sell you the meds too. Since I know what to do now I’m not paying a vet again all that money for some darn fleas and their overpriced meds. And they had the nerve to use the generic brand of revolution too. Meds last for 3 months in the rabbits system. Oh well Good day!

Selamectin doesn't stay in a rabbits system for 3 months, but is actually absorbed and eliminated from a rabbits system more rapidly than it is for cats and dogs, which is why a higher dose is needed when treating fleas, and may need to be given more frequently than would be needed for cats and dogs, to be effective with rabbits.

This is based on the study conducted that shows rabbits metabolize the drug/antiparasitic faster than cats and dogs. Rabbits underdosed at the cat/dog dose, will risk it not being effective and also possible parasite resistance developing due to the underdosing. It's advisable to dose selamectin at the current veterinary recommended dose of 18mg/kg for rabbits when treating fleas. When in doubt, please consult with your knowledgeable rabbit vet.

https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/ajvr/73/4/ajvr.73.4.562.xml
https://www.vgr1.com/revolution/

 

[Johndxu]

Please indicate how these medicines apply to rabbit, injection or oral?

 

[Lionhead owner]

We got a lionhead. We read that sawdust isn’t good for them so bought hay at a Home Bargains shop. It cost £2. We got rid of all of the sawdust and put hay in a white floored cage. Within 24 hours there were loads of little mite things in there. We took the rabbit and some mites to the vet. The vet checked her over and put some mite treatment on her neck. The vet got a steel comb, brushed her gently and then tapped the comb on white paper. She also looked closely on the furriest bits (behind the ears, back end etc) for signs of red skin or itching. The vet also put a bug under the microscope. It was a rabbit mite but to get an official report was an extra £50 because they would have to send the bug away. So I complained to the shop. They offered me the £2 back. I had to pay for the vet, the treatment, carpet cleaning service and I had to throw lots of her toys away and buy new. Eventually they offered me a £30 voucher to spend in their shop. Insulting.
However the vet did tell me that some shop bought treatments aren’t suitable for baby rabbits, that it is a bit unusual for rabbits to catch mites if they just live in a normal garden nowhere near wild rabbits and that it’s better to sponge down bits of a rabbit rather than give them a bath.
I have no idea if this is “good information” but it might help a bit.
Any thoughts from more experienced owners would be much appreciated.

 

[Lionhead owner]

This was our bun at the time. Just so you can see how fluffy and hairy she was/is.

 

[JBun]

Please indicate how these medicines apply to rabbit, injection or oral?

Revolution (selamectin) and Advantage(imidacloprid) flea treatments are topical spot on preparations only. When using, label instructions and specific rabbit dosing should be followed, as advised by your knowledgeable rabbit vet. Again, when in doubt,  always consult with your knowledgeable rabbit vet first.

 

[Blue eyes]

We bought a harness for our Dutch Bunny. My husband is concerned if we bring her outside she will get fleas.
Can this happen? If so is there something we can do to prevent them?

Welcome to the forum.

There are several other considerations (besides fleas) when thinking of bringing a rabbit outdoors. These are discussed at the following page. Also, please be aware that there are many different types of harnesses sold for rabbits but there are only 1 or 2 of those that are actually safe. The H-style harness can be searched here on the forum for further info.
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/bringing-outside.html

 

[1report]

Kool info, my vet said it would last for 3 months but I didn’t believe it. No 3 month meds have ever kept working in any of my pets for the full 3 months. Seems like they wear off in about a month and maybe a half. I also have cats and dogs too. I wish this meds could be administrated in like a drop formate. Like for example if a rabbit weighs 3lbs how many Revolution drops would it be appropriately and how often should they take it? Hopefully everyone could learn how to measure it accordingly.

 

[1report]

Yes all

Believe it or not our house got infested with fleas and all we had was 2 dwarf rabbits. Fleas could be in the hay you buy. Fleas could be on the ground outside and you can bring them in the house on your pants legs when you walk in your house. So it doesn’t matter if rabbits go outside or not, they can still get fleas. We had to take rabbits to some one else house and take everything outside that belongs to rabbits. Then we flea fogged the house and vacuumed several times and mopped with bleach and water several times. We had to take dwarf rabbits to vet for flea meds which was kitten Revolution 2-5 pounds and the vet didn’t use the entire tube because rabbits didn’t need the entire tube. But kitten revolution flea meds on the back sort of near the neck got rid of their fleas infestation. Those poor rabbits were packed with fleas. They’re fine now. But do not use flea foggers while pets are in the house if you ever get fleas in the home. They will need to go outside the home and don’t leave their food toys etc in the house because the poison spray will be on everything. But do wash their bedding etc to get fleas from off it. So yes take rabbit out side for air they will love it. Don’t let fleas stop you. Why not just put the kitten revolution flea meds on rabbits now just like we do for cats and dogs. I actually bought this prescription meds online from a Canada website because you don’t need a prescription from Canada websites. I bought the regular kind of revolution for kittens 2-5 pounds from Canadapetcare.com
If you are unsure of what to do then just call your vet and ask them for flea meds for rabbits and they can show you how to use it and sell you the meds too. Since I know what to do now I’m not paying a vet again all that money for some darn fleas and their overpriced meds. And they had the nerve to use the generic brand of revolution too. Meds last for 3 months in the rabbits system. Oh well Good day!

Yes all that money for vet to sell me and administer flea meds for 2 dwarf bunnies. But At least they felt better from being attacked by several fleas. They could have got anemic from getting bitten so many times by fleas and lost all their iron and got really sick if I haven’t taken them to vet to get this flea meds. The good thing is once you get the meds and know how much to use you should only need to pay for flea meds and not a vet visit exam fee too. I’m glad everyone cares about their pets and are on this website trying to help their bunnies feel comfortable. Good job everyone!!

 

[JBun]

Kool info, my vet said it would last for 3 months but I didn’t believe it. No 3 month meds have ever kept working in any of my pets for the full 3 months. Seems like they wear off in about a month and maybe a half. I also have cats and dogs too. I wish this meds could be administrated in like a drop formate. Like for example if a rabbit weighs 3lbs how many Revolution drops would it be appropriately and how often should they take it? Hopefully everyone could learn how to measure it accordingly.

It can be drawn out and measured using a 1cc syringe, into specific amounts to be applied, if you understand mg of active ingredient per ml of the liquid and how to calculate correct dosage based on this. This way a larger tube can be used to save on costs when having to apply multiple times or to multiple animals. Some rescues/shelters will do it this way. But you do have to know what you're doing so too much or too little doesn't get applied, particularly too much, as that could result in possible OD of the antiparasitic.

I would be reluctant to trust a vet that's telling you that the flea treatment lasts that long. I'm not sure that it can even last that long for cats and dogs, but certainly doesn't for rabbits. It would probably be a good idea researching rabbit vets for your area, to find a more knowledgeable rabbit vet for any future medical issues, if at all possible.

https://rabbit.org/veterinarians/

 

[MandaRae]

Welcome to the forum.

There are several other considerations (besides fleas) when thinking of bringing a rabbit outdoors. These are discussed at the following page. Also, please be aware that there are many different types of rabbits sold for rabbits but there are only 1 or 2 of those that are actually safe. The H-style harness can be searched here on the forum for further info.
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/bringing-outside.html

Good to know about the harness we got one labeled for Rabbits but I double check the list.
We also have a play yarn from when the kids were babies, I used it for the baby chicks

 

[Blue eyes]

This photo shows a couple of those "sold for rabbits" harnesses that are dangerous:




And here is a link to a thread that has photos of the correct H-style harness:
https://www.rabbitsonline.net/threads/rabbit-harness-good-idea-or-not.95782/#post-1121528

Weed killer, fertilizer, poisonous plants... all need to be avoided as rabbits will eat the grass and don't know what's toxic. Mites and ticks are other pests to avoid. And if there are cottontails around, check the maps for possibilities of RHVD2 being in your area.