Routine treatments/preventatives

I thought that a few of us might benefit from this but what does everyone suggest doing routinely to look after our buns.

This is what I do at the moment;

1. Vaccinated against myxi every 6 months a
2. Vaccinated againstVHD anually
3. Wormed for 9 days every 6 months (Is 9 days okay?)
4. Fly-free or reguarded in summer (live by a canal)
5. Use Jeyes fluid and boiling water to clean litter trays and hutch.

But following on from the Cheyletiella thread is there anything else that is recommended as a preventative against anything else, mites/fleas etc? I'm a bit confused and just want to look after my buns properly.

I give my rabbits a bromelain tablet when they're moulting, but other than that I just watch them and monitor poos etc - they don't go on grass though which does help - hedgehogs and cats leave poo and who knows what else on the lawn, plus we have rats etc - at least I can disinfect the patio and it keeps their nails worn down. I use fly repellants in warmer weather too.

i do 1 and 2 the same as you

3. worm mine for nine days every fourth month
4 use Xeno450 every three months.
5. Clean litter trays twice a week with antibacterial washing up liquid.
6. Spray litter trays with Virkon once a month.
7. Scrub out hutch/pen/cage once a week with dilute bleach solution and spray with and antibacterial and antifungal spray( made by Dettol)

also check bunnies etc manically three times a week for small crawly visitors:lol:

will be getting rearguard this week when dogs go to vets.

elve said:

I give my rabbits a bromelain tablet when they're moulting, but other than that I just watch them and monitor poos etc - they don't go on grass though which does help - hedgehogs and cats leave poo and who knows what else on the lawn, plus we have rats etc - at least I can disinfect the patio and it keeps their nails worn down. I use fly repellants in warmer weather too.

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what does a bromelain tablet do?

i don't put mine on grass either, much prefer them to run round on the patio

I worry a bit about using too many chemicals on them too, do rabbits need fleaing or does the xeno stuff take care of that?

I don't give mine bromelain tablets, I've tried fresh pineapple but they aren't interested but can tell that all fur is passing through well due to the stringy poops that appear, I just make sure poops are nice and big and that they are eating and drinking well to pass it through as well as giving them a grooming to get rid of loose fur.

I vaccinate as you do but everything else is a case of only treat if any symptoms arise.

What about routine use of probiotics? Good, bad, pointless?

Muppet2 said:

What about routine use of probiotics? Good, bad, pointless?

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I use those too but not all the time, only a couple of days before going to the vets and a few days after and when we take them anywhere different and when moulting

I vaccinate 6 monthly now for myxi and yearly for VHD.
I dont routinely worm, I do not believe it is necessary to worm unless the bun has a problem that warrants worming. I feel that the new worming paste is a bit of a money making gimmick and do wonder if the bun will become immuned to it eventually with such regular use:?

Again, I would only use a fly repelent if my bun had a rear problem but I do use mozzy coils in the garden during the summer months, mainly in the morning and at dusk and they are situated where they actually use the loo

Advantage or stronghold are the only ones I know that can be used as a cure as well as a preventative for flea's but I do not use it. I might have used it if I still had my cats but then my cats were always done so they wouldn't of spread flea's to my buns soooo, I suppose it depends on whether you have other animals and whether a preventative treatment is used on them as to whether the buns need doing I suppose, or if you have outside buns and neighbouring cats visit that may be carriers then maybe it is better to use a preventative:?

I use the bog standard hutch cleaner but then I am not a rescue or have multiple buns that could cross infections. The only time I would bleach everything down is if they went down with something infecteous I do use diluted bleach in the area that they wee in though to get rid of the smell as they use the same 3 spots in the garden - the toilet, the bidet and the blow dryer:lol::lol:

I do use lino in the hutch though so the wood does not get soaked in urine and the wendy house is carpeted which gets changed every 6 months

edited to add - I use liquid paraffin when I get stringy poo's or in a bad moult as mine do not like pineapple and the only thing I do use regularly on 1 of my buns is vitamin E

I vaccinate against Myxo every 6 months and against VHD annually.
I worm any new intakes with a 9 day course of Panacur 10% Liquid at a dose of 0.2ml/kg
I do not use Rearguard or any of the spot-on flea treatments. I do use fly-strips and netting in the Summer and always clean out every pen every day, including washing down with a Milton Solution.

I dont use any probiotics as a 'routine' but only as supportive care for Bun's on abx. I dont use Bromelain tabs but I do groom fluffster Buns regularly to minimise ingestion of too much fur. I never use Liquid Paraffin based laxatives. My Vet says than can cause serious problems by coating ingested food/fur and making it impossible for water to be absorbed into the ingesta. This can result in GI obstruction

Janex

I think I'll stick to what I do then and just keep an eye out for creepy crawlies

Lots of cuggles = prevents loneliness

Sorry, there is always one :lol: