Flea bath with dawn soap

[becca]

My vet suggested that I give y 2 month old bunny a flea bath with dawn soap. I’m not sure if this is okay, I don’t want her to die from it as I’ve read that bunnies shouldn’t be given baths

[kurottabun]

I googled and saw that Dawn is a dish soap…?

Bunnies should never be bathed thoroughly and if it’s a “bath”, it’s usually just a butt bath to clean a severely soiled bottom. Even then, only warm water is used and if necessary, a tiny bit of natural baby soap. Bunnies are able to clean themselves very well and don’t require baths. I’d think that since dish soap is used to wash away grime, it’d be too harsh on a bunny.

I’ve not encountered fleas on my bunny, but I’ve seen many threads that recommend topical medication like Advantage or Revolution for fleas. Frontline or anything that contains Fipronil should never be used on bunnies.

[becca]

Hmm.. I’m not sure why my vet would tell me to wash her with dawn soap if it wasn’t safe. I know that dawn dish soap is used to clean animals like ducks with oil spills on them. I also have read on Binky bunny a blog saying that they used dawn and bathed their bunny to get rid of fleas. I do plan in getting medication.. but that’s not going to get rid of the ones living on her now. It’ll only stop flea eggs from hatching and kill larvae. Idk I’m just confused why my vet would tell me to do that, knowing that’s she’s only 2 months old and is a rabbit. I would plan on drying her completely so she doesn’t get cold. I just want these fleas gone, I feel so bad for her. All she does is excessively scratch and bite her fur and lick her fur.

[kurottabun]

Do you have a flea comb that you could use to comb her? That should get rid of the existing visible fleas, and the ones that you can’t see (eggs or larvae) can be killed by the meds.

A good point of reference on how to deal with fleas can be found on the HRS website, which is one of the most trustworthy sites on rabbits out there. Here’s an excerpt:

Fleas and Mites

Safe treatments to prevent and kill fleas on rabbits include Advantage (imidocloprid), Program (lufenuron) and Revolution (selamectin). (Note: Advantage has been known, rarely, to irritate the skin of certain rabbits.) The latter is preferred, as it is also effective against various types of mites that cause symptoms of mange, ear canker, and “dandruff” (which is often caused by fur mites in the genus Cheyletiella). Apply to the back of the neck or other area where the bunny can’t readily groom it off. It is essential to thoroughly clean your rabbit’s cage and exercise areas after each treatment to control reinfestation, since fur and dander in the environment may contain mite eggs.

A flea comb is a non-toxic device that takes more patience, but is both physically and psychologically rewarding. Most rabbits learn to love the attention of being flea combed, and it can be used as a supplement to your main flea-control program.

The following products should NOT be used on rabbits:

Frontline (fipronil) has been linked to neurological damage and death in rabbits, although this product is apparently safe for dogs and cats. The manufacturer (Merial) has placed a warning on the Frontline label stating that Frontline should never be used on rabbits.
Flea powders, even those considered safe for cats and kittens or advertised as “rabbit safe”, are not recommended for use on rabbits.
Flea shampoos, even those considered safe for cats and kittens or advertised as “rabbit safe”, are not recommended for use on rabbits. Bathing of rabbits, in general, is strongly discouraged because the stress of the bath itself can cause serious health problems, and has in some cases been linked to the death of the rabbit. Flea baths or dips are NOT recommended for this reason.
For environmental flea control, sprays and “bombs” are not recommended, as they may leave harmful residue that the rabbit can ingest. Safer alternatives include borax and diatomaceous earth, worked into the carpet where fleas leave their eggs.

Baths

Although a rare bunny may grow up swimming in the family pool and going on camping trips where she paddles around in the lake, the vast majority of rabbits, like their ancestors, do not relish getting wet. Even an occasional bath is quite stressful to the average rabbit, and is not recommended.

NEVER–unless your veterinarian advises it to bring down a fever–should you give a sick rabbit a bath. Because seemingly healthy rabbits can have undiagnosed problems, it’s best not to subject them to the stress of a bath. If your rabbit is very badly infested with fleas, there’s a good chance that he is already compromised and may go into shock when bathed. There are many safe alternatives to flea control (see these under “Fleas,” above). Also, a thoroughly wet rabbit takes a very long time to dry, so spot cleaning the dirty area with an application of baby cornstarch (available at any supermarket in the baby section) (do not use talcum, as it is carcinogenic) and then gently combing out the dirt with a fine flea comb is better than a wet bath.
A wet rabbit can quickly become hypothermic. If your rabbit is wet to the skin for any reason, be sure to thoroughly blow dry the bunny until even the undercoat is dry and fluffy. Normal rabbit body temperature ranges from 101oF – 103oF. Because rabbit skin is very delicate, and rabbits are sensitive to heat, never use a blow dryer on a setting higher than “warm,” and constantly monitor the temperature of the air on the bunny’s skin by placing your hand in its path.

[LBJ10]

There are only a few emergency situations where a bunny should be given a full bath. Unless the fleas are life-threatening, a bath is not necessary. And if it were, I wouldn’t use Dawn soap.

If your bunny simply has fleas, Revolution or Advantage will do the trick. As KurottaBun said, never ever use anything containing fipronil on a bun. Diatomaceous earth is safe for treating bun’s environment. But care should be taken so the powder cannot be directly inhaled by bun. It isn’t toxic, but the fine powder can irritate their sensitive lungs.

[Sirius&Luna]

It sounds like the vet isn’t very experienced with rabbits. Sometimes what is a completely normal treatment for an animal like a dog or cat is just not at all appropriate for a bunny. Rabbits count as ‘exotic’ pets, so most regular vets don’t have a huge amount of experience in treating them, which can be risky for the bunny.

If you let us know which country you’re in, we can help with finding a list of vets that are experienced with treating rabbits

[Q8bunny]

Dawn soap is extremely stripping and would severely irritate a bun’s very delicate skin – even for just a butt bath.

Sounds like your vet is not bunny savvy. Revolution (or similar) is your best and safest bet.

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

Yikes, bad vet spotted! Rabbits are indeed considered exotic pets and many vets have no clue about how to treat them properly. Glad that you trust your instincts and are informing yourself! Now to find a knowledgeable vet too.

[becca]

I got the vet off of house rabbit society… I live in Massachusetts. I’m supposed to weigh my bunny and let them know how much she weighs so that they can dose out advantage flea medicine for her. But I’m scared to even go through them because of their improper knowledge. I don’t have the money to go to any other vet.. because it’s requires to do a check up at a new vets in order for them to prescribe me anything. But since I’ve already been to this one vet they are going to prescribe it to me without a payment visit

[kurottabun]

I think the HRS only lists the clinic itself? It could be that the vet who used to work there no longer does and it’s a new vet who’s not as knowledgeable.

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