Fur Mites: Best Treatment

[Happy Hollands]

It appears as though one of my adult bunnies has fur mites... I know this is easily treatable, and I have dealt with it before so know what to look for. However, it seems very very mild as there are no bald patches and just some dandruff-like flakes around the tail. I'm going to thoroughly clean the cages, and quarantine the infected bunny immediately! So far, I have thoroughly groomed and sprayed flea & tick spray because that was the only item I had on hand.

That being said, I have never dealt with such a mild case and would prefer to not topically treat with ivermectin as there is no bald spots and it would need to cover a large area of space. What powder / other treatment method is recommended? I would appreciate any and all advice, it's been a while so need a refresher on how to treat this ailment! Thank you!

 

[Happy Hollands]

@JBun - do you have any suggestions?

 

[JBun]

I believe in using the appropriate medication when it's needed. That would mean that if it is fur mites that your rabbit has, then either ivermectin or selamectin. Anything else often can cause problems with rabbits, some of which could be toxic. I'm not sure what spray you're using, but you should be absolutely sure it's rabbit safe if you continue to use it. Though I don't see any point in it's use unless it's going to stop the mites completely and is safe to use.

http://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Mites
I don't know what kind of ivermectin you use, but I use the 1% injectable and give it orally and not by injection. With the understanding that this is used off label by me, that doses need to be calculated precisely or an OD could occur, and that there is always the possibility a rabbit is sensitive to this med and could have a negative reaction. I'm just sharing what I do and by no means recommending you do the same. And in particular, if you're inexperienced calculating doses and doing meds, then you should take your rabbit to the vet. Seeing an experienced rabbit vet would always be my first recommendation.

If you're using an ivermectin formulation actually intended for topical application on rabbits like xeno 450, you don't cover the affected area. You apply it right at the nape of the neck where the rabbit can't groom it off according to instructions, and there it is absorbed through the skin, and that's how it gets to the mites, through the skin and bloodstream.

Regardless of whether it's a mild case or severe, it takes the appropriate medication to clear mites up. Better to clear it up when it's mild then wait too long and you have more fur loss and skin irritation, and becomes more difficult to clear up.

 

[Happy Hollands]

I believe in using the appropriate medication when it's needed. That would mean that if it is fur mites that your rabbit has, then either ivermectin or selamectin. Anything else often can cause problems with rabbits, some of which could be toxic. I'm not sure what spray you're using, but you should be absolutely sure it's rabbit safe if you continue to use it. Though I don't see any point in it's use unless it's going to stop the mites completely and is safe to use.

http://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Mites
I don't know what kind of ivermectin you use, but I use the 1% injectable and give it orally and not by injection. With the understanding that this is used off label by me, that doses need to be calculated precisely or an OD could occur, and that there is always the possibility a rabbit is sensitive to this med and could have a negative reaction. I'm just sharing what I do and by no means recommending you do the same. And in particular, if you're inexperienced calculating doses and doing meds, then you should take your rabbit to the vet. Seeing an experienced rabbit vet would always be my first recommendation.

If you're using an ivermectin formulation actually intended for topical application on rabbits like xeno 450, you don't cover the affected area. You apply it right at the nape of the neck where the rabbit can't groom it off according to instructions, and there it is absorbed through the skin, and that's how it gets to the mites, through the skin and bloodstream.

Regardless of whether it's a mild case or severe, it takes the appropriate medication to clear mites up. Better to clear it up when it's mild then wait too long and you have more fur loss and skin irritation, and becomes more difficult to clear up.

Yes, the spray I use to treat flea + ticks is made specifically for small animals. I've used it for years and never had any issues!

This is the ivermectin I have used in the past: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000HHLWPI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_KE9JYTS66PG3K686EN71. However, like I mentioned, I applied it to the bald spot at the nape of the neck to clear up fur mites. Seeing is there are no bald spots this time around, and this can be administered orally, I will do so as soon as it arrives.

What would be your suggestion for dosage (5 lb. rabbit)? My vet is not in the office this week. When researching online, it stated the proper dosage for administering Ivermectin for rabbits is 0.2 to 0.4 mg/kg every 2 weeks for 2 to 3 treatments. So, in this situation, would 0.6 mg be a sufficient oral dosage to administer every 2 weeks for 3 treatments? I would appreciate confirmation before starting the treatment process. Thank you!!

 

[JBun]

I can't recommend or suggest dosage. I'm not a vet. I can share what I've done and the readily available dosage info found online, but that's it. What you decide to do with it is your choice.

The lower recommended dose of 0.2mg/kg is ineffective against ear mites, so regardless of the type of mite, I treat with the higher recommended dose of 0.4mg/kg. When using the 1% (10mg ivermectin per ml) injectable ivermectin and giving orally instead, to get the 0.9mg needed for a 5lb rabbit, the amount would come to 0.018ml per lb of body weight(0.04ml/kg). For a 5lb rabbit that is about 0.09ml total, or I round up to 0.1ml. On tenth of an ml/cc, so a very very tiny amount. It's essential to NOT CONFUSE MG and ML as being the same or an OD will occur. Total mg of ivermectin needed is NOT the amount of ML's to give. And this is ONLY the 1% injectable solution(given orally), NOT the paste.

MediRabbit (ear mite dose)

These are my own personal calculations and what I would use, though I am not recommending you or anyone else do this without vet instruction, and certainly not without always carefully verifying correct dosage. If you don't understand how to do that, PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT DOSAGE CALCULATION AND TREATMENT YOURSELF. This is how accidental overdoses occur.

Remember, all of this is done off label as a personal rabbit owner. I am making no suggestions or recommendations to do this yourself. Only stating what I've done and have experience with. A mistake calculating the correct dose can be fatal. It's always best and preferable to rely on your knowledgeable rabbit vet for info on medication and dosage instruction.

Also, I'm moving this to the rabbitry and showroom as a more appropriate place to discuss this.

 

[JBun]

The ivermectin you have as a large animal paste dewormer, I DO NOT and WOULD NOT use. Accidental overdoses can easily occur with it's use because it is intended for use in large animals not tiny rabbits. I only use the 1% injectable ivermectin.

 

[zuppa]

Hi, I totally agree with above said that you shouldn't use any random medicine you have on hand.

Firstly, you need to diagnose properly what issue you are dealing with, it is not entirely clear for me that you have mites there, you just decided that it could be mites, but in fact you don't know and where you have dandruff around the tale is not typical for mites, it could be something else and you need to diagnose properly before applying any medication.

Secondly, if you are right and it's mites indeed, flea/tick drugs may not be effective at all, what you did it was just for you that you feel better you did SOMETHING took some action, but it's like if I had heart condition but took drugs for upset stomach because I had on hand and it makes me feel better because I took action.

Thirdly, remember that nearly any medicine has side effects, and when I use any medication I need to understand that that can cause some side effects, so if you are not sure please don't use. You can just worsen your situation and in fact if you go to vets they can see those side effects and it can be more difficult to diagnose what the real issue was initially. So do not use drugs just in case.

What you described could be not mites at all, if your rabbit had babies recently it can be related to that, or can be kind of allergy or immune system problems, lack of vitamins etc. Since as I understand you still don't have much experience with rabbits and cannot diagnose properly you shouldn't apply any random medicine just in case. And here you asked for advice without even posting a clear photo of what situation you have there, now anyone from the internet, maybe without any real experience as well, just by googling, and we have many people here who don't know but google answers and 'help' with other people's problems, we should always remember that before taking any advice.

So I second what was said, you need a specialist to diagnose and get a proper cure for your problem. Good luck and hope your bun will be better soon, please keep us updated.

 

[Happy Hollands]

For a 5lb rabbit that is about 0.09ml total, or I round up to 0.1ml.

To CONFIRM, you are stating that the best dosage is 0.1 milliliter (NOT milligram) of injectable ivermectin (1%) for a 5 lb. rabbit? And this is to be orally administered once, or HOW OFTEN? I want to be 100% confident on dosage before administrating, obviously.

Thank you for clarifying, but I would never do anything to intentionally harm one of my pets and, for any larger problem that does not have a tried + proven DIY dosage, I obviously do take the bunnies to the vet.

The ivermectin you have as a large animal paste dewormer, I DO NOT and WOULD NOT use. Accidental overdoses can easily occur with it's use because it is intended for use in large animals not tiny rabbits. I only use the 1% injectable ivermectin.

I realize now the ivermectin I have purchased is 1.87%, and is a paste so I will NOT be using. Again, to CONFIRM, the product you are referring to for use is Durvet Injectible Ivermectin 1%? If YES, please see the attached link for the product I plan to purchase. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CVMY79R/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_1CRPMBY0RWHASG7GDGTT.

Thank you.

 

[majorv]

The dosage JBun mentions is correct. We had to treat our Tans, which were 5lbs, for fur mites. Ivermectin 1% dosage was .1 cc/ml orally. We repeated in 10-14 days, as needed.
Unless you plan to need a lot of it, I believe you can get it in a 50ml bottle also. Because it’s an injectable, you’ll need a needle on the syringe to draw out the dose.
One thing we invested in, which came in handy, was a microscope. Not really expensive but strong enough to look at skin and hair samples. It allowed us to confirm if they had mites or whatever, so we knew what treatment was needed.

 

[JBun]

First,
I AM NOT A VET. Which means, I cannot tell you how to dose and treat your rabbit. If you want someone telling you specifics on what to do to treat your rabbit and how to dose, GO SEE A VET.

I'm sorry for being a bit blunt, but I do need to be firm about making this point, for you and others reading this, because this keeps happening on the forum. People come on here thinking that we can diagnose their rabbits medical condition and tell them what they need to do for treatment, and we can't do those things legally here. If someone is from a country where there isn't really vet care for rabbits, that's different, but not here. If you want specific medical advice, that's what vets are for. We can only share our experience, what we would do, and info that is already out there for anyone to find with some research, which is what I've already done.

I was pretty clear in all that I said about what I would do and the dosage I would use. So if you aren't understanding, you may not have the experience necessary to be doing this kind of thing on your own. Do what you used to do if you want, or call a vet so the right dosage and treatment is given. Better than making a mistake and ODing your rabbit.

 

[Happy Hollands]

The dosage JBun mentions is correct. We had to treat our Tans, which were 5lbs, for fur mites. Ivermectin 1% dosage was .1 cc/ml orally. We repeated in 10-14 days, as needed.
Unless you plan to need a lot of it, I believe you can get it in a 50ml bottle also. Because it’s an injectable, you’ll need a needle on the syringe to draw out the dose.
One thing we invested in, which came in handy, was a microscope. Not really expensive but strong enough to look at skin and hair samples. It allowed us to confirm if they had mites or whatever, so we knew what treatment was needed.

Thank you so much! I'm going to take your advice and use a microscope to CONFIRM mites before treatment. The syringes I plan to use are these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QM74NW...abc_TC6EA2J7XXNTSD0QHYJ0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1.

I AM NOT A VET. Which means, I cannot tell you how to dose and treat your rabbit. If you want someone telling you specifics on what to do to treat your rabbit and how to dose, GO SEE A VET.

I completely understand this, however, my vet is not in the office until next week. I do not feel comfortable seeing another clinic unless absolutely necessary. My veterinarian does not offer any sort of advice unless the rabbit is seen in person. Like you said earlier, it is easier / better to treat mites before the case is bad. I have a pregnant doe right now, so I'm trying to be as cautious as possible to prevent mites from spreading! Thank you for your suggestions, anyhow.

 

[Sam_]

First,
I AM NOT A VET. Which means, I cannot tell you how to dose and treat your rabbit. If you want someone telling you specifics on what to do to treat your rabbit and how to dose, GO SEE A VET.

I'm sorry for being a bit blunt, but I do need to be firm about making this point, for you and others reading this, because this keeps happening on the forum. People come on here thinking that we can diagnose their rabbits medical condition and tell them what they need to do for treatment, and we can't do those things legally here. If someone is from a country where there isn't really vet care for rabbits, that's different, but not here. If you want specific medical advice, that's what vets are for. We can only share our experience, what we would do, and info that is already out there for anyone to find with some research, which is what I've already done.

I was pretty clear in all that I said about what I would do and the dosage I would use. So if you aren't understanding, you may not have the experience necessary to be doing this kind of thing on your own. Do what you used to do if you want, or call a vet so the right dosage and treatment is given. Better than making a mistake and ODing your rabbit.

would it be easier to just use revolution for puppies and kittens? it's what my vet gave to my rabbits

 

[zuppa]

My veterinarian does not offer any sort of advice unless the rabbit is seen in person.

For good reason!

As I said above there's no evidence that your rabbit has mites and it is not something else. Could be allergies, lack of vitamins, post-birthing/nursing condition, barbering to name a few possibilities.

 

[majorv]

They would be okay for oral dosing. Do you have a needle that would fit it? I usually went to Tractor Supply to get these kind of supplies. If you have REWs/BEWs I would not use ivermectin on them. I did go to the vet the first time our rabbits had mites. After that we knew what to do, and the microscope was our confirmation before treating.

 

[Happy Hollands]

Could be allergies, lack of vitamins, post-birthing/nursing condition, barbering to name a few possibilities.

Nothing at all has been changed in the environment recently - that pretty much rules out allergies, according my vet. This is not a breeding rabbit, it is a spayed pet. I feed a very well balanced, organic diet (including supplements) so lack of vitamins is not something I am concerned about. Again, there is not any bald spots (*yet*) so that eliminates barbering as a possibility.

Like I stated above, I am using a microscope to confirm mites before starting treatment

 

[Donna Standar]

I'm just curious, how do buns get mites? Is this from being an outside bunny or do they get them inside as well?

 

[Happy Hollands]

I'm just curious, how do buns get mites? Is this from being an outside bunny or do they get them inside as well?

There are two main ways that bunnies can contract mites: through hay, and from an infected animal. Sometimes a batch of hay will be infested at purchase and needs to be discarded.

Adapting good habits, such as vacuuming daily and cleaning out litter boxes multiple times a week, can really help eliminate the spread. Thankfully, this is part of my regular routine anyways!

 

[Donna Standar]

There are two main ways that bunnies can contract mites: through hay, and from an infected animal. Sometimes a batch of hay will be infested at purchase and needs to be discarded.

Adapting good habits, such as vacuuming daily and cleaning out litter boxes multiple times a week, can really help eliminate the spread. Thankfully, this is part of my regular routine anyways!

Thankyou for the info. I had no idea