Should I be concerned? a flea

[bantambunnies]

Found what I think was a flea on one of my rabbits the other day. Looked briefly at her fur, didn't find any more fleas, droppings, etc. (I know all too well what fleas and their droppings look like.) The doe in the neighboring hutch is about to kindle. We usually end up bringing our bunnies indoors a lot, where we have an indoor dog. I definitely don't want to bring fleas inside.

Should I be worried? Can I do anything just in case?

 

[akane]

If there are fleas in the yard you and your dog will bring plenty in to infest the dog. Pretty much everywhere in the US dogs and cats have to be treated at least during warm months. Fleas don't really like living on small mammals. If the infestation is bad enough they may start to attack small mammals and occasionally manage to reproduce on them. Usually if they get that bad the small animal succumbs quickly and they don't have time to go through many generations. Keeping things cleaned and trimmed is the most useful. There are herbal treatments for dogs and cats that should be safe for rabbits if you start to notice some fleas. Advantage from a vet can be used on rabbits. Revolution probably works too. Frontline is not very thoroughly tested.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I would just apply some food grade diatomaceous earth to her and the other rabbits. The fleas will dehydrate and die in a day or two.

 

[Zass]

I would just apply some food grade diatomaceous earth to her and the other rabbits. The fleas will dehydrate and die in a day or two.

Not just the bunnies, but also dust the pans or areas around and under the cages. That will kill fleas that aren't directly on them.

 

[akane]

DE and pesticides are only somewhat useful for small animals. The fleas will keep coming if they are living in the area and they will often bite before they are killed. It's kinda like killing a mosquito after it's bit your dog. You don't lessen your chances of heartworm. Killing some in the trays and surrounding area can help but repelling them from biting is better.

 

[Dood]

Fleas don't really like living on small mammals.

I vehemently disagree

Just like most parasites fleas are somewhat species specific and some species LOVE small animals while others prefer dogs.

The cat flea is more often a found on squirrels and chipmunks than cats and severe infestations can kill and entire nest of the rodents kits by sucking them dry

The pigeon flea can run amok in a chicken barn and battery caged birds often over groom their feathers since they cannot dust bathe or preen properly to rid themselves of these pests.

Only rarely have I found fleas on cottontail rabbits and they resemble cat fleas so may not do well on rabbit blood.

It is completely possible that the single flea you found is for a different host species and will not propagate on your rabbits so just be vigilant and watch for more of the little blood suckers.

 

[bantambunnies]

Okay, thanks. Would it be okay to mix DE with the nestbox material, just in case?
My guess is that the flea just hopped in from the yard or maybe got carried in by our free-ranging rabbit. Haven't found any more so far. I'm not really worried.
(BTW, we are using the Costco brand of flea/tick stuff on the dog. He should be good, but I don't want to take chances by bringing fleas inside.)

 

[GBov]

I wish I had good luck with DE and fleas (and ants) but it just didnt seem to work for me.

But in the Deep South we make fleas in numbers uncountable so even if the DE is reducing the numbers ten thousand dead fleas just wont show up in a population of millions. Am fighting the usual summer fight :evil: and vacuuming three times a day - both dogs and the cat are treated but nothing seems to work longer than two weeks - but the numbers are still insanely high.

My new best sound - it USE to be a slug going up a vacuum hose - is a bag tied tightly and full of the contents of the vacuum cleaner. The fleas inside sound like rice crispies as they hit the plastic trying to find a way out. :twisted:

All wire cages are GREAT to keep fleas off the buns though. After a flea feeds or needs to lay eggs it get OFF the host animal to either hide or lay eggs. If your cages are above flea jump height they can't get back onto the rabbit.

If you put DE in the nest box be sure to put it deep down so the kits cant breath it, its bad for lungs.

DE does do one super job for me down here though, it is GREAT for killing barn fly larvae!!! I need to get some more for the pig pen. The silly pigs have found and eaten all the solder fly larva in their pen so the barn flies have moved in. The SF larvae eat the barn fly maggots so the pig pen is the only place we have a problem this year.

The only time I had fleas on rabbits was when I had a large walk in pen for a grow out area. THOSE buns had fleas so I stopped using that cage entirely for rabbits and used it for quail instead.

 

[Miss M]

I wouldn't put the DE in the nest box. Some will get in there from the doe, anyway, and I frequently find babies tunneled all the way to the bottom, so they'd get into it.