Help! My rabbits have fleas

[AmberRae]

They probably got way more than they needed but ivermectin is not hard on a rabbits system at all. I am sure they are just fine and parasite free. <br /><br /> -- Mon May 22, 2017 8:10 pm -- <br /><br /> KimitsuKouseki,
It's great to hear you have used ivermectin on Vienna marked. I have 3 rabbits that carry this gene and have been hesitant to use it one them. I will feel Korea comfortable now

 

[macksmom98]

whew, that's good news

 

[KimitsuKouseki]

Many of us learn as we go with what we have available. For me ivermectin is not available at all in any form in canada and I had to obtain my ivermectin through contacts who went to the US. I was given the injectable version once by a breeder who was quitting and gave me 4 of her rabbits and a bunch of stuff too. I never got to use it though cause my bunnies were up to date and didn't need it and my friend badly needed it cause she had mite infestations so I gave it to her. When she went to the US she bought the drop version and gave me a bottle, I have plenny for a few years now and that's considering I treat the babies before I sell em too.

AmberRae
I was not even aware there was a risk for vienna gene before you mentionned it. I've treated 5 vienna marked 7 months ago and again 1 month ago. None of em had any issue. Doesn't mean theres no risk but in my case I feel better knowing they are safe from parasites.

 

[dollcan]

See if you can get ahold of diatomaceous earth, food grade. Use a little on your hands and rub it into the fur. Also sprinkle under the cages. It cuts the carapaces of the fleas and other unwanted insects causing them to die. It also works as a dewormer when ingested.

Will this also work with mites? ty

 

[AmberRae]

Yes, DE works great for mites. Just make sure you massage it down into the rabbits fur.

 

[macksmom98]

I am checked him today and he still looks flaky, I treated Sunday so this afternoon will Ben 48 hrs. Is it too early to see some improvement?

 

[SarniaTricia]

The flaking might take a while to clear up after the parasite is gone.... I wouldn't worry... Ivermectin is very effective

For those others out there.... I have been told to not treat bred, Breeding or nursing does.. is that true with the 1% topical too

 

[macksmom98]

I gave preventative to all of mine that are not pregnat and nursing, but did not treat any that are, so thats perfect And ill just keep an eye on it then. At what point is he no longer contageous? I am just wondering now about the comb, grooming table, etc....rather than trying to put him with any does to breed. Thanks!

 

[KimitsuKouseki]

The flaking might take a while to clear up after the parasite is gone.... I wouldn't worry... Ivermectin is very effective

For those others out there.... I have been told to not treat bred, Breeding or nursing does.. is that true with the 1% topical too

For any kind of ivermectin this is true, but I treated 3 does that I bred a couple days prior without adverse effect
Any warnings like this is like the best before date on food. Some times you can bend the rules and you'll be fine. They put those warnings for safety, so it's up to you if you'd rather have a does with parasites for a month or if you'd rather risk it a bit. I would not do this with a doe who's 2 weeks before or after the birth of the kits though. But if it's a doe who's been just bred or who has kits who are basically weaned already; should be fine.

At what point is he no longer contageous? I am just wondering now about the comb, grooming table, etc....rather than trying to put him with any does to breed. Thanks!

As I said before, give it a week. Even after the parasites die, the dead skin will take a bit to finish flaking off.
Many people here will advice against giving a bath, but I wash my rabbits when I feel the need. For exemple, my white lionhead doe decided to shove her face in poo and pee or something and she's all gross and if unwashed she'll get clumps and she wont be able to clean it all herself wich will stain her fur -_- Yes this has happened a couple times already, silly girl.
Anyways, point is, if after a week your bun still looks very flaky, this is what I would do and I know many here will yell at me for this :
- Give a bath making sure to rub the skin gently but thoroughly.
- Dry your bun with a hairdryer. Some buns hate it, others love it, Eva literally seeks out the warm wind ^^ This'll help your bun dry faster so it wont be bothered as long but the main point is it'll help any flakes blow out of the coat.
- See how your bun does from there after few days. It's hard to judge if a second dose is needed when you have symptoms from before treatment stil going. Hence the bath to wipe the slate clean. Some flaking is still to be expected, but it should be minimal. If it looks as bad as before, give another dose.

 

[macksmom98]

So I monitored this guy and so far nothing has really changed. So I did take your advice and gave him a bath. He seemed fine with that and the blow dry after. I noticed his feet look nice and flake free, not sure if this is a sign mites are gone or just because he can groom that area better. The main problem area seems to be on his back, where it's harder for him to get to. I went ahead and gave a second treatment of ivermectin paste, since I really felt the flakes should be gone by now too. Wondering if there is anyway it could be anything else? Dry skin? Going to regularly supplement with a bit of oats and boss to kind of boost condition and promote good hair growth. He's not looking great and we have a show over Labor Day I want him to attend.....anyway, lmk if anyone has any other thoughts....

 

[KimitsuKouseki]

Good thing he did well with the bath, at least you got to see if things were better or not that way.
One thing you might want to check is if he is a vent disease carrier. It could have activated wich can cause flakes, a doe I got was in that condition when I got her. Ivermectin didn't help her, she was an active vent disease, the flakes on her belly and near her genitals were yellowish while on her back they were white like mite flakes look like.
For details on how to check if you don't know check this thread where I posted a detailed explanation on what to look for and how to treat it http://rabbittalk.com/vent-disease-hutch-burn-help-t31706.html
The penicilin should be able to be purchased from tractor supply, the link is just to show wich type to buy cause weird sciency names are weird

 

[macksmom98]

Ill look again but his gentiles seem to be the best area on him. His face is also clear, and I know that often that will get flakes since they lick their bums, in vent disease. The main problem is on his back. I will double check that tho, and its good to know what else to look for. I am also wondering if the meds I purchased at tractor supply were stored and handled correctly, and if maybe the meds could just be bad. I am also glad he tolerated the bath well, that's not something I have ever done before. I felt is was worth a shot in this case....

 

[KimitsuKouseki]

I personally like giving baths to my rabbits, especially the white ones since they get dirty easy, but not all rabbits will do well with em. You now know yours is ok with it so give him a bit and try again. If you think the ivermectin you got didn't help, go buy the drop on kind I recomended. Store it in your fridge between uses.

After this I'm sad to say I don't have an idea what it could be. You'd have to go to a vet and have the skin tested.

 

[macksmom98]

You know what, he doesn't have the flakes around his genitiles but he does have some almost little pimple like bumps. They are white so I didn't think much of them before, and their aren't a lot. He's been with 2 girls amd I haven't noticed any issues with them either. I'll look down there on them now too. Is it possible he didn't infect them?

 

[KimitsuKouseki]

It's possible they infected him or that he infected them. Threating them all is the best way to be sure the issue is gone for good. Buying pennicilin you'll have excess to treat everyone anyways. If you can give me a picture of the pimples you saw it'd be great.
The dosage I said in that post is still correct, but last time I treated my rabbits I liked to reduce dosage on everyone by 0.075cc. Less risk of diahrrea, did take a few extra injections extending treament time to clear symptoms though.
So 0.1cc per 1lbs -0.075cc
exemple 3.5lbs rabbit is 0.35cc - 0.075cc = 0.275cc

A few of my rabbits are unwanted bunnies that were neglected or from random unaware breeders, and so far all of em have been carriers when coming in. It seams this disease is extremly common here and most breeders aren't even aware of it.

 

[macksmom98]

I'll get a pic in the morning. Not thrilled about giving injections but will do what we need to do. I actually think he's had it since we got him. His hair hasn't been normal, although the flakes weren't as bad....

-- Sat Jun 03, 2017 10:34 am --

Do you have a Facebook where I can pm you these pics? I can't get them to post here, I typically do have lot of issues getting photos on RT. <br /><br /> -- Mon Jun 12, 2017 8:35 am -- <br /><br /> Just an update. He got his second bath yesterday and is continuing to look better. Skin from what I see is lookinh normal, still a few flakes to be seen but obvious improvement. He used to spray and rub his head in it too, and since getting bathed he's no longer doing that. I also bathed a Cali that has repeated staining, and she's looking good too. Both tolerated it very well. We live in TX so no worries about them having problems controlling body heat. And I am still avoiding bathes as much as possible but no longer afraid to do them if it's needed......checked again and now I am thinking no vent disease either. I think we are on the mend!

 

[KimitsuKouseki]

That's great news ^^
Glad the few baths are helping.

 

[macksmom98]

Yes, so far hes had 2. I completely aggree with you not to over do it, so they were pretty spred out but I am thriilled we seem to have found a solution, which was the ivomec. but getting rid of the flakes helped me to realize it worked! Hes getting BOSS routinely too so hopefully that coat will be in excellent shape in a couple of months