What can I do for itchy bunnies?

[Bunny 13]

I have angora bunnies and I tecently found a problem! I can only figure it was from some bad hay that was brought into my hutch. I think they have gotten fur mites! They look like they have a severe case of dandruff! And they now seem to all have it! I spin their fur so it is a real problem! I want them healthy but with winter coming on they are loosing their coats! I have tried DE but it only works for a short time then it comes back. Does anyone have a suggestion other than taking them all to the vet?

 

[Popsicles]

You will need a course of ivermectin for all your rabbits - it depends on where you are, you might need a veterinary prescription, I’m not sure. The main thing is you will also need to treat their environment - there are various sprays you can buy to kill mites, but you’ll need to take all the rabbits out to spray, then return them a few hours later (follow directions on the spray). Otherwise it will just keep coming back like you described. If you’re not certain it is fur mites, a trip to the vet might be necessary.

 

[Bunny 13]

Thank you very much for your reply. I think I will make an appointment for a couple of bunnies and maybe they will help me determine how much ivermectin I will need and what the spray is that will get rid of this terrible problem!!! I can’t thank you enough for your reply!!! (And my bunnies thank you too!!!)

 

[JBun]

Injectable ivermectin 1% solution(10mg/ml) can be bought online or in farm stores otc, but the dosing has to be precise based on the weight of each rabbit, as an OD could prove toxic. I prefer to draw it up into a syringe then remove the needle and give orally. If you are not comfortable calculating dosages I would suggest going to a rabbit vet and having them calculate dosages and give the med.

Dosage is 0.4mg/kg, which comes to 0.018ml per lb of body weight when giving the 1% ivermectin solution(always double check correct dosages). It's a minuscule amount, so it's important to measure the dose accurately using a 1cc syringe. The treatment needs to be repeated at least 3 treatments 10-14 days apart. There are some risks using this med. Rarely when dosed correctly, some rabbits will be sensitive to the med and have a toxic reaction to it. It's been particularly noted in blue eyed white, dutch, and vienna marked/carrier rabbits, believed to be linked to the same mdr1 gene in dogs that makes some sensitive to ivermectin. The other option that might be safer for susceptible rabbits is using Revolution(selamectin) topical treatment at 18mg/kg, but it is rx so you would need your vet to prescribe it.
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Parasitic/furmite/fur_mite.htm
http://medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Parasitic/earmite/Psoroptes.htm

 

[Bunny 13]

Wow! That sounds pretty precise. I have 14 rabbits and guessing it can get pretty expensive unless I can get a vet to work with me on this problem. I would feel terrible that I let my bunnies get this and then to cause a death trying to get them healthy again. Thank you so very much for give big me this information! I appreciate it!

 

[Reese_loves_her_bun]

I have angora bunnies and I tecently found a problem! I can only figure it was from some bad hay that was brought into my hutch. I think they have gotten fur mites! They look like they have a severe case of dandruff! And they now seem to all have it! I spin their fur so it is a real problem! I want them healthy but with winter coming on they are loosing their coats! I have tried DE but it only works for a short time then it comes back. Does anyone have a suggestion other than taking them all to the vet?

If it is mites you’ll have to get a mite spray (with ivermectin). But you can’t just treat the bunnies without treating their cages. I’d just clean them out really well and then use the spray to disinfect/kill the mites. Be very thorough because if you don’t they could come back again

 

[majorv]

It will be very expensive if you go the Revolution route. If you have all your rabbits’ weights I would suggest you take 1-2 rabbits to the vet and confirm mites, then ask them to tell you the dosage for ivermectin orally. You can get ivermectin at a feed store or Tractor Supply. You can also get the 1cc syringes there. You only need one needle to draw it up with since you would give it orally. Be sure to clean their cages/environment also. We found that 2-3 treatments were usually enough to clear up mites. Ivermectin needs to be stored in a frig. Unless your rabbits carry the Vienna gene or are Dutch they should be okay with ivermectin. Just make sure the vet shows you how much to draw up.

After our first vet visit for mites - and, yes, they can get mites from hay - we did it ourselves if it happened again.

 

[Bunny 13]

thank you for your help. I will be calling the vet first thing in the morning. I am checking my bunnies to find the worst ones and will plan on taking them. Where I go to the vet there is only 1 that does rabbits and I think she is only there 1-2 times a week. So if I’m licky I may be able to get them seen this week. Thank you for helping me and my bunnies with this problem!

 

[jamesewaller]

thank you for your help. I will be calling the vet first thing in the morning. I am checking my bunnies to find the worst ones and will plan on taking them. Where I go to the vet there is only 1 that does rabbits and I think she is only there 1-2 times a week. So if I’m licky I may be able to get them seen this week. Thank you for helping me and my bunnies with this problem!

dear bunny 13,yes,-you are right-- get a diagnosis-then you can deal with the problem,--several ideas come into play here,-in my facility of bunz,I use advantage{orange box]-for-tics- fleas,mites,etc.-because you need them gone-fast-,-and there is a diatomaceous earth{food chemical codex grade}-we donot want a bug invasion compromising our bunz-health.-sincerely james waller for joseph r cottontail/bdenium rip

 

[Bunny 13]

Thank you for replying to my dilemma! Is the advantage the one for cats:2-5 lbs? I have an appointment for 2 of my bunnies for Friday at 2:30. Thank you again for your help!!!

 

[JBun]

dear bunny 13,yes,-you are right-- get a diagnosis-then you can deal with the problem,--several ideas come into play here,-in my facility of bunz,I use advantage{orange box]-for-tics- fleas,mites,etc.-because you need them gone-fast-,-and there is a diatomaceous earth{food chemical codex grade}-we donot want a bug invasion compromising our bunz-health.-sincerely james waller for joseph r cottontail/bdenium rip

Advantage is not effective against mites., just fleas. Ivermectin or Revolution(selamectin) are the primary antiparasitics used to treat mites in rabbits.

 

[jamesewaller]

Thank you for replying to my dilemma! Is the advantage the one for cats:2-5 lbs? I have an appointment for 2 of my bunnies for Friday at 2:30. Thank you again for your help!!!

dear bunny 13,-the advantage{insecticide}-orange box 5-9lb.small cat.-4 tubes,-now understand no insecticide can be made safe,therefore one must follow the directions very carefully.--you might even talk to the dvm before appling...the exam will give you a better heads up for treatment,..sincerely james waller

 

[jamesewaller]

Advantage is not effective against mites., just fleas. Ivermectin or Revolution(selamectin) are the primary antiparasitics used to treat mites in rabbits.

dear jenny bun--,thank you for your input,-I was never advised by my exotic dvm-to use anything other than-advantage {insecticide}-on the bunz-therefore-this-is the only product I have tried and trust to do exactly what it says--I just like to keep things simple as possible,--perhaps I am too primative,but it works...as for the ear mites it is not a good idea to use more than one product at a time-and I did not want to compromise the treatment of the buns,--sincerely james waller-for joseph r cottontail/bdenium rip

 

[Bam Bam]

Hello all,
I have a question.
Is the Invermectin the same as Revolution.
In our rescue our vet uses Revolution and just puts a couple of drops on the back of our bunnies necks. Is the invermectin orally more effective.
Also someone responded with Advantage that is used for cats. I had someone who treated their bunny with what is used for cats and their bunny passed because whatever they used said only to use for cats.

 

[Popsicles]

Revolution is a brand name for the drug selamectin. Selamectin is very similar to ivermectin, you might find that either or works better depending on the parasite and what resistance is has etc. As far as I understand it, you can use Advantage for cats on rabbits, but if they used too high a dose it could very well be toxic.

 

[majorv]

Revolution can only be gotten from a vet or with a vet’s prescription. Ivermectin is available without a prescription at many feed stores. We’ve used both for mites. They are both very effective. Because we had 25 rabbits it was much more economical for us to use ivermectin.

 

[Bam Bam]

One more question.
Does revolution work better placed on the neck or the ivermectin. Orally

 

[majorv]

The revolution administered topically vs the ivermectin administered orally worked pretty much the same for us.