Bunny bugs

[LittlePuffyTail]

So I see lots of pics of bunnies outside on leashes and my question is: Are fleas a problem for outside hoppers?

I would love to take Storm and Bindi out but I worry they will catch fleas and I have 4 indoor cats who would spread them all over the house (oohh, I’m feeling itchy just thinking about it). What do you do if your bun gets fleas? I know most flea killers cannot be used on kittens so I assume not on buns either?

[BinkyBunny]

Yes, there is that risk. It also really depends on where you live. Where I used to live in San Francisco, I let them outside in our small back area, and they never got fleas or mites etc. But now in Alameda, where the backyard is bigger and where more wild animals,(raccoons & possoms) and other cats come and go more easily. They were outside only once and they ALL got fleas. (however, it was in the summer/falll, fleas usually are less in the winter months) And we recently took in an abandoned cat, and since he is an indoor/outdoor cat for now, he has to get regular treatments of Advantage otherwise he will bring in fleas over and over.

I think the difference between where I was, in the city, was that everyone’s area is so sectioned off, that they don’t get so much animal traffic, and parasitic stuff is less likely to spread. Also, raccoons can spread diseases via there urine.

I know of people who have made their backyards great places for some outside exercise, but they either don’t have flea problems in their area, or they have sectioned it off in such a way that makes it difficult for other animals to visit.

I found some HRS articles about options and advice about outdoor exercise.  I found it very interesting and learned a bunch of stuff too!  http://www.wisconsinhrs.org/Articles/Taking%20in%20the%20Outdoors.htm

[DukeBabette]

I have 3 Boston Terriers and the two bunnies.  The pups brought fleas into the house.  Babette got them and they did a job on his little head.  So pitiful!  I started researching online- then talked to his vet- and the ONLY product that is safe for them is REVOLUTION for KITTENS.  Just thought I would pass that along.

I used it on him and he was fine.

[MooBunnay]

I also had a bunny that got fleas, the landlord of my apartment building had brought their dog up to my apartment and gotten fleas in the carpet. We also used a small dot of Revolution for kittens (between the shoulder blades of the bunnies so they couldn’t lick it off) and that worked for her.

[ScooterandAnnette]

We checked with our vet about fleas before taking Bailey out for the first time.  We were told that because our climate gets so cold in the winter that even in the summer fleas weren’t much of a problem here at all, so we felt pretty safe taking him on a leash.  People are always so surprised and say "You walk your bunny?!" and we say well no, it’s really more like the bunny walks us.  They seem to like having the room to just run around.

Annette

[Gravehearted]

Yep, my bunnies never go outdoors and still managed to get fleas! Both Revolution and Advantage are safe choices for bunnies 🙂
Never ever Frontline though.

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