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Antiparasite treatment??
- Thread starter Radish
- Start date
Brinsley Bunnies
Alpha Buck
Likewise. Only use parasite treatment if your rabbit actually has parasites. No point in overdosing a rabbit if it isn't necessary.
Look for flaky skin (dandruffy) fur loss, loss in fur condition or use a flea comb to look for other critters visible to the eye etc.
Look for flaky skin (dandruffy) fur loss, loss in fur condition or use a flea comb to look for other critters visible to the eye etc.
abbymarysmokey
Wise Old Thumper
I use ivermectin once or twice a year because lice are so common, symptomless, and are very difficult to spot with the naked eye.
Snowy
Wise Old Thumper
Do you do all your bunnies as a regular thing even if they don't need it?, do you inject ivermectin?
Brinsley Bunnies
Alpha Buck
That's true. We have a microscope here so I guess it's a bit easier to take skin scrapes and samples etc if I'm not absolutely sure.
I'd use Ivermectin spot on as I think there are too many side effects to ivermectin injectable. I used a spot on treatment a few years ago and my bunny had a bad reaction to it but at least I was able to immediately wash it off and it wasn't already full steam ahead in his system.
Snowy
Wise Old Thumper
Do you treat on a regular basis or do you wait to see if they have mites?
abbymarysmokey
Wise Old Thumper
No, I don't inject. I use spot-on...injectable ivermectin doesn't seem to kill lice anyway.
It's virtually impossible to say that a rabbit doesn't have lice unless you spend ages parting every bit of fur. Obviously a bad infestation is easier to spot, but I don't want it to get to that point.
Snowy
Wise Old Thumper
Oh right, I always worry about the spot on when you have 2 or more bunnies together incase they start grooming, is it dangerous if they lick it?
abbymarysmokey
Wise Old Thumper
I don't think it would hurt them if they injested a little bit, but I always put it in places where they don't groom, i.e. between the shoulder blades and down the back.
It doesn't really seem to make the fur wet if you part the fur and dab a small amount on the skin in a few different places
Snowy
Wise Old Thumper
OK maybe I should give that a go, how often do you use spot on on a bunny?, I mean would you do it regularly say twice a year?
Sorry for all the questions but this is different to what I had previously been told and I am really interested, I have one bunny who has to have regular baths at the vets because we cannot control his mites.
Snowy
Wise Old Thumper
Can I ask why not?
Personally I don't feel they need it. I treated Mack & Lex for a mite problem (though only Mack was showing with one) about 2 weeks ago and in the other years I have been keeping bunnies I have never had a mite issue with my own (the rescues did tend to get them from stress).
I only rearguard bunnies who are at risk now, though two years ago when it was hot I did panic a little and do the lot with flyguard.
Santa
Wise Old Thumper
I agree Sooz - it's supposed to be perfectly normal for there to be very low levels of mites lurking all the time, they only cause a problem when they get out of hand, usually a sign of bun being poorly so it can actually be quite helpful as an 'early warning' of health issues when they get to the stage that you can see them!
It's a bit like expecting there to be no bacteria on your hands at any time, it'd just be unfeasible and pretty pointless to achieve, and would cost a lot of money and your hands would crack with the chemicals.
I'm the same with rearguard - it's a pretty potent chemical and I think it can lull you into a false sense of security...for healthy buns in clean accommodation with no excess caecatrophs I don't feel they're a high enough risk for me to justify the use of chemicals.
It's a bit like expecting there to be no bacteria on your hands at any time, it'd just be unfeasible and pretty pointless to achieve, and would cost a lot of money and your hands would crack with the chemicals.
I'm the same with rearguard - it's a pretty potent chemical and I think it can lull you into a false sense of security...for healthy buns in clean accommodation with no excess caecatrophs I don't feel they're a high enough risk for me to justify the use of chemicals.
Thanks for the replies. I only asked the question out of curiosity since I use spot on xeno450 every third month on my five buns. i have a terrible dread of mites after an out break of grain mites we had once in a sack of guinea food which we bought and didn't know was contaminated and the mites got everywhere in my house and on my dogs and all my small animals and we almost had to have the place fumigated. we just thought the batch of food was a bit dusty and didn't know the dust was from mites...unbeknown to us the manufacturer had not been rotating stock properly and the food was well out of date but they had removed the tag attached with all the BB4 dates and other info.
I can't bear the thought of mites everywhere and not being able to get rid of them and I know cheyletiella mites are supposed to be awful and I just can't take the risk:lol:
I shall continue to treat mine as usual then xx
I can't bear the thought of mites everywhere and not being able to get rid of them and I know cheyletiella mites are supposed to be awful and I just can't take the risk
:lol:I shall continue to treat mine as usual then xx
Jack's-Jane
Wise Old Thumper
abbymarysmokey
Wise Old Thumper
Ivermectin spot-ons are much kinder and safer than baths, if the choice is between the two then I'd defo go with spot-on :thumb:
IMO you can't compare animals with humans...we don't have a fur coat, and I'd like to think that most humans take regular baths/showers. I don't treat myself for fleas, but I would definitely treat a cat regularly! :lol:
Snowy
Wise Old Thumper
I'm sorry but I have just spat coffee all over my screen:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
Not quite sure what to do now as there seems to be a difference of opinion, maybe I should speak to Paula and see what she says on it, many thanks for all your answers it's very interesting
