Ivermectin usage

[jerseywoolynewbie]

Hello there! I recently took in a new rabbit and need to worm him. I got oral ivermectin paste 1.87% for horses. I was wondering how I should administer this and in what dose and what it will treat. He is a 4 year old mini lop. Thanks!

 

[tambayo]

Problems with horse worming paste explained here :

 

[jerseywoolynewbie]

Thank you for this resource! Is there a wormer that works best on intestinal parasites?

 

[MsTemeraire]

Thank you for this resource! Is there a wormer that works best on intestinal parasites?

Fenbendazole, which is known as Panacur in some countries.

 

[jerseywoolynewbie]

Does safeguard work? What concentration? What method of administration?

 

[Alaska Satin]

Does safeguard work? What concentration? What method of administration?

I use Safeguard for non-specific problems that keep the rabbits out of condition for long lengths of time (>2 weeks) with no apparent cause - which could certainly be related to intestinal parasites. When I've dealt with these episodes of mysterious struggle to reach/keep prime condition, fenbendazole usually does the trick. The typically-recommended pea-sized amount of fenbendazole is appropriate for a typical meat rabbit (7-10lbs), and I've given Mini Rex (3-4.5lbs) half-pea-sized doses, so at 4.5 - 6.5lbs, a mini lop should be fine with a "small pea." Safeguard is apparetly available as a 10% suspension liquid for goats, but this is the paste formulation I have used successfully with my rabbits for about 2 decades:


I squirt it into their mouths, or if they reject that, smear it on their lips and inside their front legs, where they'll ingest it while cleaning themselves up.

I've watched several videos like the one above about the paste wormers, but I've used the apple-flavored 1.87% ivermectin horse paste for a similar length of time (ca. 20 years) and have yet to see a problem. I've only used the ivermectin for fur mites in adult rabbits, but it has never failed to solve that issue.


I consider ivermectin an extremely safe medication; dosage can vary quite widely before you see overdose pathology. According to the WHO, in their 1994 report about ivermectin, as reported in INCHEM.org, (WHO’s website for “Internationally Peer Reviewed Chemical Safety Information”) in mammals the margin of error for invermectin overdose is quite large:

Section 7.2.2 Collie dogs have been shown to be more sensitive than other dogs to the toxic effects of ivermectin. Depression, tremors, mydriasis, ataxia, coma and death have been seen in Collie dogs at 100 ðg/kg orally and greater, but not at the recommended dose of the commercial product (6 ðg/kg) (Campbell & Benz, 1984).

Since I will not give my rabbits anything I will not eat myself (they are meat rabbits after all), there is further interesting and reassuring information about human toxicity from the same publication - INCHEM.org Section 7.2.1 Human Data.

 

[jerseywoolynewbie]

Thank you! I will be getting some! He was a classroom pet who I ended up taking in for my family. His body condition and coat is not ideal even while on a high quality food so I figured worming would be the next step

 

[seashore]

I've watched several videos like the one above about the paste wormers, but I've used the apple-flavored 1.87% ivermectin horse paste for a similar length of time (ca. 20 years) and have yet to see a problem. I've only used the ivermectin for fur mites in adult rabbits, but it has never failed to solve that issue.
View attachment 35879

I consider ivermectin an extremely safe medication; dosage can vary quite widely before you see overdose pathology. According to the WHO, in their 1994 report about ivermectin, as reported in INCHEM.org, (WHO’s website for “Internationally Peer Reviewed Chemical Safety Information”) in mammals the margin of error for invermectin overdose is quite large:

@Alaska Satin how much of the 1.87% ivermectin paste do you give a meat rabbit? Also a pea size dose?

 

[MsTemeraire]

Section 7.2.2 Collie dogs have been shown to be more sensitive than other dogs to the toxic effects of ivermectin. Depression, tremors, mydriasis, ataxia, coma and death have been seen in Collie dogs at 100 ðg/kg orally and greater, but not at the recommended dose of the commercial product (6 ðg/kg) (Campbell & Benz, 1984).

Rough Collies (and some other breeds of dog) have a particular gene which permits some medications to cross the blood/brain barrier, hence ivermectin is toxic to them, the MDR1 gene which can now be tested for.

 

[Alaska Satin]

@Alaska Satin how much of the 1.87% ivermectin paste do you give a meat rabbit? Also a pea size dose?

Yes, that's the amount I've used.

 

[Scooter1A]

I took ivermectin via pill form from a pharmacy during covid. Gave it to my 90 year old mother and father also. Didn't hurt us any. I did have a collie dog that was killed by a vet by worming it, he never said what he wormed her with but she died after a very high fever. I used it on my horses every 2 to 3 months for as long as I can remember. Used to be able to find it as a plain ivermectin, no flavoring 1.87% for $2 or $3 pre covid. I would like to find the liquid ivermectin to use on my rabbits in case they ever get mites or fleas. I can't find it at my local feed stores. The lady I bought my buck from said to use it for mites or fleas and she uses the liquid. She said just a small drop or 2 on the back of their neck.

 

[Scooter1A]

I use Safeguard for non-specific problems that keep the rabbits out of condition for long lengths of time (>2 weeks) with no apparent cause - which could certainly be related to intestinal parasites. When I've dealt with these episodes of mysterious struggle to reach/keep prime condition, fenbendazole usually does the trick. The typically-recommended pea-sized amount of fenbendazole is appropriate for a typical meat rabbit (7-10lbs), and I've given Mini Rex (3-4.5lbs) half-pea-sized doses, so at 4.5 - 6.5lbs, a mini lop should be fine with a "small pea." Safeguard is apparetly available as a 10% suspension liquid for goats, but this is the paste formulation I have used successfully with my rabbits for about 2 decades:
View attachment 35878

I squirt it into their mouths, or if they reject that, smear it on their lips and inside their front legs, where they'll ingest it while cleaning themselves up.

I've watched several videos like the one above about the paste wormers, but I've used the apple-flavored 1.87% ivermectin horse paste for a similar length of time (ca. 20 years) and have yet to see a problem. I've only used the ivermectin for fur mites in adult rabbits, but it has never failed to solve that issue.
View attachment 35879

I consider ivermectin an extremely safe medication; dosage can vary quite widely before you see overdose pathology. According to the WHO, in their 1994 report about ivermectin, as reported in INCHEM.org, (WHO’s website for “Internationally Peer Reviewed Chemical Safety Information”) in mammals the margin of error for invermectin overdose is quite large:

Section 7.2.2 Collie dogs have been shown to be more sensitive than other dogs to the toxic effects of ivermectin. Depression, tremors, mydriasis, ataxia, coma and death have been seen in Collie dogs at 100 ðg/kg orally and greater, but not at the recommended dose of the commercial product (6 ðg/kg) (Campbell & Benz, 1984).

Since I will not give my rabbits anything I will not eat myself (they are meat rabbits after all), there is further interesting and reassuring information about human toxicity from the same publication - INCHEM.org Section 7.2.1 Human Data.

great info, thank you!

 

[MsTemeraire]

I would like to find the liquid ivermectin to use on my rabbits in case they ever get mites or fleas. I can't find it at my local feed stores. The lady I bought my buck from said to use it for mites or fleas and she uses the liquid. She said just a small drop or 2 on the back of their neck.

I get the liquid here in the UK. I put the drops on the skin inside the ear as they are absorbed faster that way.

 

[kusanar314]

Rough Collies (and some other breeds of dog) have a particular gene which permits some medications to cross the blood/brain barrier, hence ivermectin is toxic to them, the MDR1 gene which can now be tested for.

Another interesting fact is that enough of the ivermectin gets passed through the animals to potentially kill a sensitive dog. There have been many dogs of the sensitive breeds that have been killed by eating horse manure from a horse that had recently been wormed. Something to consider if you have a sensitive dog and worm rabbits, though I doubt there would be enough to kill a full size dog going through a rabbit.. but it's always best to be safe.