Flea Medication and Solutions?

[LittleSailorCash]

Here we go. Spring time. The perfect time for bugs to bounce and pounce. My bunny has been itchin and today I saw one.

What do I do? What kind of flea repellent/medication do you use if you use one? I hear you can pick some up at a local store, even if it’s for cats and dogs.

How do I check bunny for fleas and keep him clean?

Gotta catch this early. Thanks for your help in advance.

[Luna]

Some flea medications are toxic to buns, but I believe Revolution is ok(?) (please verify before use). Did you see a bug or specifically a flea? Increased or constant scratching or shaking of the head can be signs of fleas, but it also can point to ear mites or an ear infection too. Does Sailor Cash ever go outside? It’s not common for an indoor bun to get or be at risk of getting fleas.

[Deleted User]

My boys were both given Revolution when they had mites. They went in for two round separated by 6 weeks between each one.

[LittleSailorCash]

He went outside when I walked him for the first time. Are house bunnies…..not supposed to be walked? His space was being worked on and I didn’t have elsewhere to put him so we went for walkies. He actually liked it a lot. He took well to an old oak tree. This is my first house bunny so please excuse my trial and errors… 

I don’t really plan to walk him again since his space was set up today and he’s been very happy about it!

All those symptoms are what’s going on. Headshaking and scratching. I’ll check his ears but I saw a flea on the floor. The horrible part is I have other animals around (See profile). We’re gonna strap down asap. I’m going to look into Revolution definitely. 

[Deleted User]

It’s not really recommended to take a bunny out on a harness because they can easily get caught and tangled in it or come loose. They can very easily injure themselves for life and need an amputation or worse. There are some people who do it, but there are too many horror stories of things happening that make many steer clear of it.

[tobyluv]

Revolution is a safe medication for rabbits. You can use the kitten formula. You put the drops on the back of their neck.

DO NOT use Frontline or any flea medication containing fipronil. It’s very dangerous to rabbits.

You will need to keep the house, especially any areas the rabbit stays in, well vacuumed. The fleas are only on the animals at times, otherwise they are in carpets and rugs, upholstery, etc. where they may lay eggs.

You should check your other animals and treat them too.

[LittleSailorCash]

Thank you for the information! I’m returning the harness to the store.

[LittleSailorCash]

Ok. Glitch. What I meant to say:

Oh my tomogachi. Revolution is a bit pricey. Whew! I’ll save the money up somehow. Thank you for your info, tobyluv!

[LittleSailorCash]

Ok. Update. The only thing I can afford atm is Advantage II Flea Prevention for Cats. It says 5-9 LBs. Sailor is 3.15 LBs roughly. What do you think? Can it be used? Even though he’s 2 pounds off? The kitten version is twice as much and I won’t be able to get it for a while.

[professorzap]

When I got my last bonded pair back in about 2002, I used advantage because they had fleas. Each rabbit was about 3 pounds, so my vet gave me a needle and syringe so that I could pull out half the amount from the package–using half on each rabbit. That was with regular Advantage (before advantage II came out–apparently some rabbits are more sensitive to the new formulation). So maybe get a needle and syringe and use half of the “vial”? Once I only had one rabbit, I would use half a vial and then set the remainder upright somewhere and use it the next month.

[jerseygirl]

Yes, Advantage was just Imidacloprid which was safe to use. Advantage II has an added medication that Im not sure is okay. The box also indicates not to use on other animals (i couldn’t say whether original formula also had this on box or not but it was used on rabbits). I think Advocate was also just Imidacloprid but Im unsure if that is even available anymore.

Here is what wabbitwiki site says about Advantage v’s Advantage II

Advantage was reformulated and is now labeled as Advantage II. This new formulation has treatment for other parasites in addition to fleas. Although still generally safe for rabbits, some rabbits have shown more sensitivity to this new formula. Revolution, available only by prescription, treats fleas and mites safely.

The original Advantage formula only contained imidacloprid. Imidacloprid kills adult fleas and has some effect on flea larvae, but it did not kill flea eggs. Advantage II is infused with the insect growth regulating chemical called pyriproxyfen. Pyriproxyfen artificially maintains elevated levels of the juvenile growth hormone in flea eggs and this prevents the eggs from hatching.

Advantage Multi is another option, it contains added ingredient of moxidectin which treats some forms of mites. It may be prescription only though, depending on where you live.

Have you used a flea comb on him at all (putting any fleas you find into soapy water) ? That will help until you are able to find suitable topical med. You could also try using food-grade diatomaceous earth powder, taking care not to get it near the eyes. It won’t act as a preventative but may deal with existing adult fleas.

[LittleSailorCash]

No, I haven’t. I’ve lost my flea comb stupidly enough before I even had him. I’ve checked for mites—he’s clean. I’ve just treated my other animals today and we had a vet appointment for Sailor tomorrow but we came up short on the money for revolution. The vet visit is free, just have to pay for the meds…luckily. That’s why I was asking about advantage ii. Sailor is shaking his head and scratching even more now. I’m trying to move as fast as I can. All comes down to it? I might not have a choice but to go with advantage ii. There’s almost a $35 price difference..

Jerseygirl, I live in America.

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