I noticed a couple weeks ago that I had been catching fleas on on my feet in my room, so of course the first thing I did was check Nyx. This is easier said than done, since she still does not like to be picked up or held, and she’ll only tolerate pettings if it’s her idea first. I saw a few of the little monsters on the back of her neck, and managed to somehow flea comb her enough to get the ones I could see. I came away with a long scratch on my arm and bite marks on a few fingers and a bunny that thumped at me for three days every time I came in my room. Seriously, she HATES being handled. After the flea combing debacle I grabbed all my clothes and all the sheets and blankets and pillowcases off my bed and took them outside to the utility room. I washed them in dishwashing liquid and white vinegar and for a week or so after that everything seemed to be okay, but when I came home from a weekend trip with the boy this afternoon, I caught three or four fleas on my feet within five minutes of stepping into my room. Of course, I went to check Nyx again, and this time I don’t think a flea comb is going to help much. The back of her neck is red and irritated and I can see fleas crawling through there. They’re on her ears, too, and since parts of her are a very dark grey, God only knows where else they are.
As soon as I saw that the fleas were back I went into deep-cleaning mode again. I cleaned her carrier, put her in it, and stashed her in the bathroom where it’s cool with some water and noms while I tackled my room. I threw out EVERYTHING that was in her pen; literally all that was left were her bowls, her litter tray, her water bottle, and her hay box. I even tossed the last little bit of timothy hay, since I was afraid they might be in there too (I’ll get her more tomorrow). Then I cleaned her whole pen corner with salt-and-vinegar water, rinsed it well, and set my box fan in front of it to dry. I’ve double-trash-bagged all my clothes and bed stuff and it’s all sitting in the utility room waiting to be washed again.
That’s really all I know to do room-wise, but poor Nyx is miserable. I read elsewhere on the interwebs that Advantage topical flea medicine is safe for rabbits, but I couldn’t find any in town today. I’m going to look in the town where I work tomorrow, and failing that, I’m going to ask my boyfriend to check the Walmart where he lives so I can pick it up Thursday. I honestly don’t have the money right now for a vet visit, or I would have taken her today.
My question is, until I can get my hands on the Advantage, is there anything at all I can do for the poor thing? Anything I can put on her or give her that won’t poison her but might give her some relief? I hate seeing her so frustrated and aggravated and not being able to do anything for her!
//edit\\
I think I know where the fleas originally came from–a little dog that my mom dog-sits for her boss sometimes. So as soon as my room is done, guess who’s getting a bath?