Almost 3 weeks ago Kiwi went to the vet for some fairly severe flakes on his ears. The vet couldn’t find any mites on a skin scraping, but said all the symptoms pointed to fur mites & prescribed 3 doses of Revolution. The good news is his ears are getting much better. He still has some flakes on them, but many are gone and he’s no longer having clumps of fur come out of them. He had his second dose of treatment on Monday and today (Friday) I found a patch of flakes on his back, maybe the size of a quarter. They aren’t nearly as bad as his ears, but it’s still there. I’m thinking maybe this is a re-infestation? Is that even possible while they are still on treatment?

Initially after his first dose I scrubbed his cage down (he lives in the house), got rid of all his toys that weren’t plastic & washable, & began freezing his hay before feeding it to him. We do not have any other pets he could get them from, and I’m also vacuuming the carpet daily. I’m washing my hands when I’m done handling him, and making sure I use a lint roller on my clothes after holding him. However, I’ve noticed that as the flakes are falling off his ears, while some must be landing in his bedding and things, many are landing on his back, neck, & the sides of his face. I do wipe them off him every morning & night, but could those be causing it to spread?

How seriously should I be cleaning his cage & how often? Is changing out his bedding & cleaning out his litter box every few days enough? Or do I need to be scrubbing his toys & food dish, along with the bottom of his cage (it’s plastic)? Also, is there some alternative to his bedding I should be using now while he’s being treated? He needs something in his cage, or else his feet will just slide around on the plastic, making it very hard for him to get around. Is there a specific cleaner I should be using on the cage bottom? At first I used a mild vinegar solution, and then rinised it all very well. I would hate to need to take his cage apart every few days & do that. Is there a natural safe spray maybe I can just wipe it down with? I’m really at a loss for what to do, and he only has one more treatment of Revolution left. I’m terrified it may not work, and since he’s a Dutch rabbit, the last thing I want is to give him ivermectin, as there’s the worry he may be too sensitive to it. Any advice would be appreciated.