Can my pet rabbit have fleas? Fleas are parasitic agents that are most commonly found on the bodies of domestic animals such as dogs and cats. Therefore, rabbits are among the animals that can get fleas. Fleas are caused by any number of reasons, but the major culprit of them all is a dirty and unhygienic environment. Are you worried that your rabbit has fleas? Then start taking care of its environment.
Rabbits generally thrive in a clean and well-kept environment. They have a very sensitive body system and any small infection if left untreated can be very life-threatening. Nonetheless, even after observing the proper hygiene and maintaining a clean environment, your pet bunnies can still contract fleas.
It, therefore, becomes imperative that you check your pet rabbit for fleas from time to time. In this article, we will cover the following:
- Can I use cat flea treatment on my rabbit?
- Do rabbits die from fleas?
- Can rabbit fleas transfer to humans?
- What can kill fleas instantly?
Come along!
Can I Use Cat Flea Treatment On My Pet Rabbit?
The first thing you notice when your pet rabbit has fleas is it begins to scratch its body a little too often. If you ignore this, you may be putting your pet bunny at great risk from a serious infection.
The first thing you should do as a pet owner is seek urgent medical attention. But the problem with some pet rabbit owners is that they prefer a quick fix to get a thorough treatment program. Another common mistake with rabbit breeders is thinking that all flea treatments can be used on rabbits.
As pointed earlier, rabbits are extremely sensitive and can react adversely to things that don’t agree with their systems. You should never make the mistake of using the same flea treatment for your dog or cat on your pet bunny. The result could be very fatal.
Treatment Procedures
There are basic treatment procedures you should take when your rabbit has fleas that may not involve the use of chemical agents. The most popular of them is the flea comb. A flea comb works only in cases where the infestation is minimal. In more serious cases, you may need to go for flea treatment medications recommended by a trained vet. These medications are generally grouped in stages and will depend on the severity of your rabbit’s situation.
Adhere to the vet’s recommended dose and make sure you apply it in regions of the body far from your bunny’s reach. The best areas to apply the flea medication are the mid-neck and spinal regions. These are hard-to-reach locations so the rabbit does not wipe off the medication in error, or worse still, ingest it. Ingesting flea medication can be very dangerous to your rabbit’s health.
Certain flea treatments are entirely bad for your pet bunny. They may work for dogs or cats but maybe fatal when used on a rabbit. Because of their strong constituents, using them can send your rabbit into a fix. But most importantly, you must always endeavor to keep a clean and well-sanitized environment. Lastly, also ensure that you groom your pet rabbits regularly to reduce the risk of getting fleas.
Can Pet Rabbits Die From Fleas?
Fleas are very common among animals and are not inherently dangerous to their health. But when fleas are left untreated in rabbits, they can lead to negative consequences.
Rabbits can contract fleas from dirty environments or other infected house pets like dogs or cats. They can also get them from contact with wild rabbits. Generally being outdoors puts them at a greater risk of getting these parasites. Where dogs and cats can stay for years with fleas and may not have any known fatalities, rabbits, on the other hand, are not so lucky. This is because rabbits are very fragile and have a weak immune system.
Fleas cause untold damage to the rabbit’s skin and can even penetrate its body when allowed to fester. A rabbit will exhibit early symptoms of flea infestation by scratching or nibbling on its skin. Since they are difficult to spot, fleas can stay on their host’s bodies, where they bite, suck blood and also lay their eggs.
When it gets to this level, then you need to seek urgent medical help. Leaving flea infestation without the proper treatment can cause serious skin infections in your pet bunny which can have fatal consequences.
Adverse Effects of Fleas Infestation
Some of the adverse effects of flea infestation include:
- Fleas cause skin infections which can send your rabbit into shock and consequently lead to its death.
- Fleas can lead to anemia in rabbits as a result of excess bleeding. They may become very weak and pale.
- A flea infestation can also lead to loss of hair or scaling. Scaling is a condition where your rabbit sheds off dead powder-like skin from where fleas have eaten up.
- Fleas can infect rabbits with a deadly virus called myxomatosis which is very deadly.
Can Pet Rabbit Fleas Transfer To Humans?
Fleas are parasites that live and feed on the bodies of their hosts. So, if your rabbits happen to be infested with fleas, you must take the most care when handling the situation. Understand that fleas are oftentimes difficult to see with the naked eyes and are also very fast. Once it gets on the bodies of both animals and humans, it latches quickly and begins to breed.
Though it is harder to spot on the bodies of animals, it is a lot easier to spot on the body of humans since we don’t have furs. It is also easier to tell you have contacted fleas since they bite on the skin and leave itchy sores.
Sadly, fleas can cause more damage to humans than leave sores. Dangerous bacteria called Bartonella can also be transmitted from fleas through human skin or from the ingestion of flea fecal droppings. This can have mild consequences such as bloated lymph nodes, and low to mid-grade fever. But in more severe cases, Bartonella can attack the nervous system leading to serious fever, migraines, body pain, and chronic weakness.
What Can Kill Fleas Instantly?
Fleas are very notorious parasitic creatures and need to be eradicated as quickly as possible since they breed fast. As a pet rabbit owner, there is no need for alarm when there is a flea infestation in your rabbits. There are fast, reliable methods of dealing with fleas but most importantly, you should remember that not all these methods are safe for your pet bunny.
Before using any of these methods, make sure to consult first with your vet doctor to find out which one is safe for your pet rabbit. Below is a list of flea management techniques and treatment procedures to eradicate fleas in rabbits:
Oral Treatment:
These are small tablets ingested by animals such as dogs and cats. They are also great for rabbits since they are designed like food. Oral medications are very fast in eliminating fleas from rabbits within a few short days. Examples of oral medications include Capstar, Comfortis, Sentinel, Trifexis, Simparica, and NexGard.
Some of these medications are effective at treating other parasitic ailments in animals. Nonetheless, they should be administered with discretion since they have adverse effects.
Flea Collar:
Although flea collars have gone out of fashion since the advent of more advanced medications, they are still great at eliminating fleas. You can get one at most local pet shops. A common example is Seresto collars which are popular among dogs and cats. Seresto collars are also long-lasting; staying effective for upwards of 8 months or more.
Direct-application Treatment:
These are medications you can rub on the body of your pet rabbit to get rid of fleas. The trick is to make sure you apply it in regions of the body far from your bunny’s reach such as the mid-neck and spinal cord regions. These places are hard to reach in case your rabbit attempt to wipe off or ingest the medication. Some reliable direct-application treatments include Advantage Multi, Revolution, Revolution Plus, and Bravecto. They are great for most house pets including dogs and cats.
Bathing Your Pet Rabbits:
Although bathing does not eliminate fleas from your rabbits, it is also a great way of limiting the spread of these harmful parasites. Bathing also helps wash off flea eggs and fecal dropping from the bodies of your pet rabbit.
To make the process a lot better, you can introduce mild regular shampoo when washing your rabbit’s body. Please do not use flea shampoos on rabbits as they react badly to them.
Aside from these few treatment procedures, you can also observe the following strict hygiene routine to ward off the infestation of fleas around the home and your pet bunnies:
- Vacuum your home regularly and thoroughly
- Always wash curtains and dirty house linens with hot water.
- Use flea sprays safely around areas prone to flea infestation around the house.