Mites

[Cindi Davis]

I have a doe with mites and do not know how she got them. Darn it !!!!
I have treated with flea spray does anyone know of anything else to do for her. I feel like a lousy mom right now

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I would buy food-grade Diatomaceous Earth and rub it into her fur well. It will dehydrate the mites. Sprinkle it all over her hutch as well. If you have wood framed hutches you will have more problems with mites- they will hide in the cracks of the lumber, so make sure to pay special attention to those areas.

 

[Peach]

You can go through many different kinds of treatments but one I have used from minor to severe cases is: Mineral Oil.

Nothing special. Nothing overly expensive. Basic and safe.

To make it work you must: treat the ear(s) daily. I say treat consistently. They may look gone, but eggs can still be in the ear and cause the mites to come back. So even after it looks cleared up,keep treating for a few more days!

Treat both ears! Those nasty little things like to jump ship to the other ear if left untreated....so just treat it like you would if it did have mites.

I love mineral oil. I think the oil negative effect was on one doe and she got dry skin and fur fell off. It was probably from over cleaning, but it grew back no problem after treatment. I use mineral oil for rabbits and reptiles.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Are we talking about ear mites or fur mites? I have never used D.E. in ears- if they are ear mites, I would treat with some type of oil as Peach suggests.

 

[Miss M]

I'm thinking she's talking fur mites, rather than ear mites, since she was using flea spray.

I was using the food-grade DE on a doe, but had to switch to Ivermectin because she was due to kindle (DE is bad for kits to breathe). The DE was working, though. You have to apply it I think once a week for four weeks or something like that.

If you have a wooden hutch, you may have to resort to Ivermectin to get rid of the mites.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I'm thinking she's talking fur mites, rather than ear mites, since she was using flea spray.

That was my thought too. I just wanted to clarify, since Peach had a different interpretation of the post.

 

[SatinsRule]

I have used both VetRx and Mineral Oil by themselves with good success in getting rid of mites, but the key to using either one is to pour it into the ears liberally to ensure that the mites inside the ear get soaked with it. A day or two after applying the above to the ears, use some cotton swabs to get any scabbing or collected wax out of the ears, then put in a second dose of mineral oil.

It's not a bad idea to keep a spray bottle of Bactine around, either. Often times, the affected rabbit will scratch their ears and open some cuts in the ear lobe in the process, and Bactine is good for healing those cuts up.

As for fur mites, I use Equate (Wal Mart) topical ointment, and it heals up very well in a relatively short time. It's the cheaper form of Neosporin ointment, and it works the same.

Getting rid of mites is a serious matter because absent of doing so, it's a problem which will keep reinventing itself.

 

[Cindi Davis]

it is fur mites and Thank you All for your feed back. What I have done is spray the doe all over, and her cage, I also have some of the Diatomaceous Earth and am using that as well. Her cage is all wire no wood thank goodness. I will also start her on the Ivermecton today. I have also sprayed the cage above her for safety of the other Doe .
This is the first time ever for me. I was also told that mites can come from stray cats which I unfortunatly have in abundance around here. (it really makes me mad too) so I am treating my whole rabbitry for that with Diatomaceous Earth to keep it under control as I have litters coming. Its just embarrassing since I try and keep them as nicely as possible. Hopefully this will get rid of the problem. Other than the darn wild cats around here :evil: :angry:

 

[ottersatin]

FUR-MITES



Will look like flakes of dandruff. It is caused by: Chyletiella Parasitivorax and Listrophorus Gibbus. They occur most commonly on the back of the neck. An over-population may cause Dermatitis.



SYMPTOMS



An un-thrifty coat, loss of fur around the face , neck and back.



TREATMENT



A good Cat flea powder, Listerine mouthwash rubbed into the infected area will make short order of the Mites. You can also use a droplet the size of a small green-pea of Ivermectine/Zimectrine Horse Paste Wormer. Repeat treatment in ten days. Do NOT use treated animal as a meat source for at least 30 days after last treatment.
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

 

[Cindi Davis]

Luckily its not an overpopulation thing, she just happens to be in a lower cage where feral cats can get close to her evidently. But if I have to will keep a dog back there lol to keep cats out. Today is my mission day for treatment of the whole area

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Sprinkle the DE under the cages too- the mites may be dropping off of the cats. It helps with odor and fly control, so it wont be "wasted" if that isn't the case.

Here is a link to the non-burrowing fur mite, Cheyletiella parasitovorax:

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_disea ... r_mite.htm

Here is another:

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm ... 3&aid=1597

 

[AnnClaire]

And a good pellet gun. Sit outside in the evening and pop the cats with a pellet and they will begin to avoid your property! I have several alley/stray cats and peoples' pets that thought the bunnies were a great thing to investigate. That pellet changed their mind rather effectively and cats are territorial, so once you have the local population avoiding your property, you will only have the occassional traveling wanderer to have to deal with.

And, don't worry, with their thick pelts, a pellet rarely will kill a cat unless you get it directly in the back of the head at fairly close range. And, if you are a good shot, just aim for their flank/rear end and watch them high tail it out of there!

It also works with stray dogs!

 

[MamaSheepdog]

And a good pellet gun. Sit outside in the evening and pop the cats with a pellet and they will begin to avoid your property!

I would recommend an air-soft gun rather than a pellet gun. Air-soft pellets will leave a welt on human skin, but they don't penetrate. Pellets will.

I have had both a pet cat and a dog shot by a pellet gun. The cat I had to take to the vet and have the pellet removed from an infected wound (I was about 8 at the time- now I would just remove it myself). The dog was a great dane who went on an adventure, and when he returned we thought he had been bitten on the hocks by a coyote- but years later he was x-rayed for something else and there was a pellet lodged in his hock.

 

[Cindi Davis]

GOOD NEWS My Doe is looking SOOOOOO Much better, hair is starting to come in , I brushed her and non came off. YIPPEEEEEEEE