Does my rabbit have a flea problem?

[Oreobunny]

Hi guys, so I've had my bunny for a while and he's been healthy and playful ever since I've had him, he's a poop machine. Anyway, today while petting him I happened to notice an ant like bug crawl across his fur, I immediately grabbed it and threw it off. It then occurred to me that there might be more, I found one more but I was unable to snatch it out completely from the bunny's fur, I spent 45 minutes looking for it until I finally gave up, but I didn't find any other ones in the meantime.

It never really occurred to me that my furry friend can possibly get ugly bugs living in his fur, now I know it can happen, and I'm a little freaked out. I inspected his fur thoroughly and found that he had spots on his skin where it seemed like little black crumbs were piled up in some areas.

ARE THOSE FLEAS? EGGS? :cry4: I now realize why he scratches his ears or head very desperately at times, and rigorously biting some of his fur (I just assumed it was a part of the grooming process). He's usually biting around his butt area, legs, or back, and he's so sensitive to that area and I am unable to completely check what is going on down there. Is this a flea problem? Is this severe? If this is a flea problem, what is the best way to treat it (please do not suggest the vet as an only reply), how is this usually treated? I've attached a picture of his fur, please help me confirm what those are. Any and all help will be appreciated, thankyou!

 

[ivy]

You can get a spot on treatment called xeno 450 just goes on back of neck between ears just make sure u wear gloves and rub it in well as you want to minimise consumption but it gets rid of mites ect

 

[ivy]

There is 6 in a box so we last some time

 

[Oreobunny]

There is 6 in a box so we last some time

Thanks Ivy! Have you ever experienced any side effects of this drug with your rabbits?

 

[missyscove]

Looks like flea dirt to me. There are no good products labeled for use in rabbits so you'll need to use a dog or cat product off label. Revolution (active ingredient selamectin) is my personal favorite, but, because it treats heartworm, it's prescription only here in the US. If your rabbit has a current exam at your vet usually they'll prescribe you some without an additional exam. Some vets will even sell you some just if you tell them it's for a rabbit. Another safe option is Advantage (imidicloprid).

I wouldn't use any product other than those two, especially not a pet store product because some of those we know cause problems in animals.

Never use frontline or any other product containing fipronil on a rabbit.

Treat all the pets in the home and make sure to wash any towels, blankets, etc. that your rabbit has access to.

Also, invest in a flea comb. They do help.

 

[CuddlyHollands]

Putting Apple Cider Vinegar in their water also helps, it makes the rabbits oil from there skin unpleasant to the fleas, ( doesn't make the rabbit smell bad to u ) I think is 2 tablespoons for every gallon of water

 

[ivy]

Iv used xeno 450 on all 3 of my rabbits several times with no side affects you can buy online this product is specially designed for the rabbits in my personal opinion I would never use a dog or cat treatment on a rabbit but Iv never tired it !!! They can be a little lazy after but that's normal and it says it on the box just make sure you wear gloves and rub it in well only use one pipet at a time and I would repeat again after 4 weeks

 

[Ana_The_Dreamer]

My rabbit gets fleas from my dog ALL the time. (My dog is such a flea magnet no matter what I do. Oy.) I give her a monthly flea treatment using "Advantage II Once-A-Month Cat & Kitten Topical Flea Treatment."

It works wonderfully and has no side effects. I usually order mine from amazon.com but you can find it at local pet stores as well. (Here's a link: http://www.petco.com/product/9668/A...ferralID=1fc36e80-5096-11e4-886a-001b2166c62d )

In my experience, you probably should look into flea treating the room your bunny is in, not only the bunny. You can find pet friendly carpet dust that you rub into the carpet, leave for 12 hours, then vacuum it up the next morning. I have to keep Nessa out of the room while that's being done. It doesn't have a horrible chemical smell and does a great job getting rid of the fleas! The reason I'm suggesting that is because usually when my rabbit/dog gets fleas: the fleas migrate into the four corners of my house. Flea bites are no fun for both humans and bunnies. :X

Flea combs are very helpful like missyscove suggested. Before I did my flea treatment I would comb through Nessa's fur and when a flea was caught in the comb, I'd dip it in a bowl of 75% hot water and 25% rubbing alcohol and keep combing. (My vet suggested this.)

Good luck!

 

[JBun]

Yes, that does look like flea dirt. You do not want to use Xeno. The active product in it is ivermectin, which has been found ineffective against fleas. You would basically just be wasting your money. Not to mention that Xeno is a brand name product only available in certain countries, mostly European ones, so you may not even have it where you are at. Though ivermectin itself is available in most countries as an injectable solution.

Plus, another caution you have to consider when using ivermectin, is that some rabbits with the vienna gene(dutch, dwarf hotot, BEW, etc) can be sensitive to the effects of ivermectin, and it can be toxic to them. This is similar to the MDR1 gene in collie dogs.

As Christina mentioned, Revolution or Advantage will treat fleas in rabbits and both are considered safe to use on them. I personally would go with Revolution(selamectin), as it seems the safest to use and most effective. It is available as Revolution or Stronghold, depending on your location.
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Parasitic/fleas/Fleas.htm

 

[whatever4andnomore]

Our cat somehow got fleas and then we found that thumper one of our rabbits also got them. Edgar was treated with a generic frontline type product and we used a spray from petco that was recommended for thumper. The combination of treating edgar the cat and thumper seems to have worked. I have not noticed anymore fleas, and the fur is growing back in thumper's bald patch as well as her flea bite bumps have disappeared. She also seems to be feeling better, too, poor girl. So far, the other two rabbits and guinea pigs have not gotten the fleas thankfully. I have hard wood floors, so no carpet to hide in.

 

[woahlookitsme]

totally agree with missyscove and ana on this one!! Revolution or Advantage asap and treat all animals in your household as well as the environment. 95% of the flea population is said to be living in the enviornment and only 5% is on the actual pet.

Also agree that any product with the active ingredient ivermectin is NOT going to treat fleas (A great example would be why heartguard in dogs is not labeled for flea treatment because the active ingredient is ivermectin). However if you were treating for things like fur mites then ivermectin would be a good choice. Though I agree with everyone that what you have taken a picture of is flea dirt.

And do not use ANY product with fipronil (aka frontline, sentry, or fiproguard) as it is deadly to rabbits!