Please Note - Medical Advice
Please keep in mind that posts on this forum are from members of the public sharing personal opinions. It is not a replacement for qualified medical advice from a veterinarian. Many illnesses share similar symptoms but require different treatments. A medical exam is necessary for an accurate diagnosis, without which appropriate treatment cannot be given.
You should always consult your vet before following any suggestions for medication or treatment you have read about. The wrong treatment could make your rabbit worse or mean your vet is unable to give the correct treatment because of drug interactions. Even non prescription drugs can do harm if given inappropriately.
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Urgent Medical Advice: If you need, or think you might need, urgent medical advice you should contact a vet. If it is out of working hours phone your vet's normal number and there should be an answer phone message with instructions on what to do.
I use ivermectin once or twice a year because lice are so common, symptomless, and are very difficult to spot with the naked eye.
I use ivermectin once or twice a year because lice are so common, symptomless, and are very difficult to spot with the naked eye.
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.
Do you do all your bunnies as a regular thing even if they don't need it?, do you inject ivermectin?
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.
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?
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
I only treat when they have a problem, I don't routinely use spot-ons or rearguard.
Can I ask why not?
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.
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.
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: