Worms!! :(

[Buture]

I lifted my 1yo Netherland Dwarf up today to clean some soft poop that was stuck on the hairs around her butt and saw she has WORMS! They're white, thin and pretty much as big as a staple. I saw about 7. I naturally entered defense mode and started cleaning around there. She also has irritation around her butt, probably from the poop. Basically happened overnight. I put (not a lot) antibiotics (that i got from a vet, of course) in the worst parts after cleaning it well. I'm a college student and i can't really afford a vet right now (i've taken her twice for when she had some pink eye and another checkup and it's left a serious dent in my wallet), so is there anything i could do? Anything that i can feed her or that i can buy at Petsmart? I saw someone say they fed theirs some dog deworming medicine and it worked? Though other research say dogs and cats cant get the same type of worm as rabbits do. I'm still praying it won't get passed on to me from my rabbit. Though my rabbit acts normal, it's really painful to know this is going on. I just want to know if i can do something and if this is serious.

 

[Kipcha]

I know some vets will just weigh your rabbit and give you the meds, is that an option? Especially if they have seen you multiple times before, sometimes they will.

I would be very careful with any kind of home remedy (Ivermectin in a horse tube, for example, has been known to have some serious side effects on some rabbits), it can be done but I would not recommend it.

I would not recommend just getting a random dog dewormer either...

 

[Buture]

Yeah, i'm uncomfortable with giving it anything but the exact medicine. My only hope is to ask the vet that we went to if i can just buy the medicine, not pay the consultation fee. (80$)

EDIT: I called the vet and they told me there's no pinworms in rabbits and it could be maggots, which is serious business, in which case they'd have to see me. So they basically roped me into the 80$ consultation fee which i can't afford. Urgh. So... i have no idea what to do.

 

[audrinasmommy88]

Rabbits do get pinworms...i highly doubt it is maggots. Sounds to me like your vet just wants your money

 

[LakeCondo]

Has she been outside, where there are wild rabbits or around rabbits who do go out?

Has there been an infection & flies around to lay eggs in the raw sores & create maggots?

 

[pamnock]

The very thin nearly hair-like worms are most likely pinworms - they lay their eggs around the rectum and are one of the most common internal parasites of rabbits. Maggots are thicker.

 

[Bunnylova4eva]

This sounds like Pinworms to me. Our vet told me they can't be passed on to people from a rabbit. Also, he said since they can be hard to erradicate, sometimes people opt to just not treat them. I however didn't like the idea of not treating for my bunny and it was causing him to not eat well. And, with your bunny it seems to be inpacting his digestion if he's having a poopy butt. Our vet said if their appetite or tummy is impacted then treat it. Otherwise, he said it really doesn't hurt the bunny most times. In your case, I think the bunny needs to be treated. They gave me Panacur, one dose a week for 3 weeks and then the worms were gone.

 

[Buture]

I appreciate all your answers! I actually panicked and ended up going to the vet. She took my rabbit in and it turned out to be maggots. I was pretty shocked, but i'm glad i ended up going (since the situation is more serious than with little worms). She gave my rabbit a shot to kill parasites, an oral antibiotic and some anti-inflammatory antibiotic for the rectum/vagina area which is pretty bad right now.
...i guess a 244$ bill is better than flystrike.

And yes, i did put my rabbit outside occasionally in her fenced in area. I'll be way more careful from now on.

 

[Bunnylova4eva]

Glad to hear you got it figured out! I hope she feels better soon!