How To Treat Rabbits With Fleas
Losing your rabbit to fleas doesn’t have to happen. Fleas are pesky little bugs that feed on the blood of rabbits. They can irritate your bunny and leave them with painful, irritated skin.
Fleas can make your pet very uncomfortable. Not only do they bite and itch, but they can make your pet’s skin unhealthy as well. That doesn’t even take into account the fact that fleas carry other diseases as well as a number of parasites. This means it’s important to get rid of related issues promptly so that your pet can remain healthy and happy.
Treating fleas on rabbits can be daunting. Rabbits are very delicate animals, so using the wrong remedy may prove to be very harmful to your pet, and even result in their death. It is important, therefore, that you choose the best products for you to use in treating your beloved pet.
How To Treat Rabbits With Fleas
How To Treat Fleas On Rabbits
Fleas on rabbits can be a problem. They can make your rabbit itch and scratch, which can cause sores and infections. They also transmit diseases like tapeworms and myxomatosis. The good news is that flea treatments are available for rabbits!
What Are the Symptoms of Fleas on Rabbits?
Rabbit fleas are tiny insects that live off the blood of their host animal. If you see your rabbit scratching more than usual, or if he’s licking himself excessively, it’s possible that he has fleas. You might also notice black specks around his fur where the adult fleas have been feeding.
Treating fleas in rabbits is a unique process. The treatment methods used on dogs or cats do not work well on rabbits, so it is important to use products specifically developed for rabbit care. Flea prevention products are available in many forms, including sprays and drops. Since rabbits are delicate animals, they require special attention when treating fleas.
Rabbits can suffer from secondary infections if their skin becomes irritated by flea bites. It is important to treat fleas as quickly as possible to prevent further complications.
Treating Fleas On Rabbits With Sprays
Spray treatments for rabbits should be applied directly onto the coat of your rabbit’s fur and skin, making sure not to get any into their eyes or ears. You may need a second person to help you hold your rabbit while you spray them down with the product. After spraying your rabbit down with the product, gently massage it into their fur until all parts have been covered. Be sure not to leave any clumps behind when you finish applying it! Once finished massaging the product into your rabbit’s fur, let him sit still for five minutes so that he can absorb
How To Treat Rabbits With Fleas
Rabbits have very sensitive systems. Using the wrong flea treatment medication can prove to be very harmful to your bunny; it can make them sick, or—in the worst case scenario—it can even be fatal.
I always recommend consulting a veterinarian that has experience with rabbits. They will be able to recommend a rabbit-safe product as well as give you the correct dosing information.
Getting the correct dosing information from your veterinarian is extremely important. Rabbits range from tiny, little 1-pound minis all the way up to 18-pound giants.
This means that, in many instances, a topical product designed for cats may still be an overdose for some rabbits, but not enough for larger rabbits. Your veterinarian can help you figure out the correct and safest dosage to keep your pet rabbit protected from fleas.
There are several flea and tick medications which, in my experience, have appeared safe and effective against fleas in rabbits, such as Advantage for cats and Revolution. In most instances, I choose to use Revolution because recommended dosing has been established for rabbits. It also has the possibility of treating other parasites such as ear mites, which may also be an issue for your bunny.
Always check with your veterinarian before giving your pet a new flea and tick medication.
Flea combs
Flea combs can help to catch adult fleas and reduce the number of the pest bothering your rabbit. By itself, this is unlikely to solve a severe flea infestation, but it can help alleviate some of the misery of your rabbit, to keep them from being bitten by fleas all day long.
To use a flea comb:
- Get a bucket of soapy water ready (you can use dish soap)
- Make your rabbit comfortable and start combing through your rabbit’s fur to remove the fleas, eggs, and flea dirt.
- As the flea comb collects debris, rinse it in the soapy water to kill the fleas.
- Repeat the process twice a day for a week to see if the situation has improved. If there are still a lot of fleas, you will probably have to resort to one of the rabbit-safe medications.
This method may also be difficult with rabbits who are highly sensitive to grooming. Many rabbits hate the feeling of being brushed and will get very stressed out if you have to comb them for hours every day. If this is the case, it’s a better idea to use the medication after getting advice for dosage from your veterinarian.
Safe medications for fleas in rabbits
As a general rule, cat flea medications are going to be safer than dog flea medications, but there are very few that are tested for safety with rabbits. The medicine that is best known as being safe for rabbits is Advantage (by Bayer). This is the only over-the-counter flea medication that is recognized as safe, however it can still have some minor side effects for sensitive rabbits.
Advantage should not be used with rabbits who are younger than 8 weeks old or with elderly rabbits, so it’s best to consult your veterinarian before applying the product. You will also need to reduce the dosage of the medication to lower the chances of causing skin irritation.
The other rabbit flea treatment that is safe to use is Revolution (called Stronghold in the UK). This is a prescription medication and can only be obtained through a veterinarian. This is also what is used to treat and prevent other parasites such as ticks and mites. Your veterinarian may recommend the prescription if your rabbit is sensitive to Advantage or there are other health concerns for your rabbit.
Both of these medications kill the insects through their life cycle, including adult fleas, larvae, and eggs. It will also prevent a recurring infestation on your rabbit for 2-4 weeks. In the meantime, you will need to clean your home to prevent the fleas from coming back after this time period.
If you have multiple rabbits, you may need to separate them temporarily to prevent them from grooming each other for a few hours after applying the medication. They are both topical treatments that are placed on the neck in the back of the ears and need some time to disperse through the rabbit’s coat.
List Of How To Treat Rabbits With Fleas
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| Color | Green |
| Item Dimensions | |
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| Width | 3.38 Inches |
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| Release Date | 2018-10-01T18:06:46.064-00:00 |
- 6-month supply of advantage II topical large cat flea prevention
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| Color | Blacks & Grays |
| Item Dimensions | |
| Height | 4.25 Inches |
| Width | 1 Inches |
| Length | 6.5 Inches |
| Weight | 0.05 Pounds |
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