• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

Fur Mites and treating the hutch and ques about Zantac

Rabbers

Mama Doe
Ozzie was off his food last week, he's been to the vets and had Zantac and is back eating well, although he is still having the Zantac twice a day.

He went back for a check up yesterday and all was well - he's put on weight and everything. But the vet spotted mites and he was treated with something like Spot On.

I'm taking his girlfriend today to see if she has mites too, although it doesn't look like it to me.

My questions are:

Whats the best product to clean out the hutch with to treat any mites there? I've scrubbed with a bleach solution (because last year one had EC so I still use this once a month or so to keep on top of EC spores). Is that enough?

Also how else can I prevent mites? I've bought some pet shop hay thinking that'll have less chance of mites than the farm stuff i normally buy.

And as Ozzie is still on the Zantac (just to finish off the little bottle - vet advised), is it likely that'll the lack of appetite will return? The vet couldn't find what was making him not eat - it didn't seem to be a blockage etc.

Thanks and sorry for all the questions!!!
 
You don't usually treat the hutch with mites. When I had a rabbit with a bad lice infestation I sprayed the hutch out with household flea spray because that kills just about anything.
 
She did and said there were no spurs. One set of molars (the right side) had some uneven wear but there was no sign that it was bothering him - no redness, abcesses, he didn't mind her touching his cheeks etc.

Do you think the uneven wear may be a problem? He's eating fine now...:?
 
Do you think the uneven wear may be a problem?

Its certainly something to bare in mind, some Rabbits are very sensitive to even the slightest tooth 'issue' and some will eat as normal when they have huge spurs causing ulcers on their cheeks and tongue.
 
Oh dear. Is there anything else I can ask the vet or that the vet can do to ascertain whether this is the problem? or is it a case of just waiting to see if more symptoms appear?

Thanks
 
Oh dear, your poor bun sounds a bit under the weather doesn't he. :(
It is believed that mite populations exist on most bunnies anyway, even healthy ones, at harmless levels and buns keep the levels under control by having a robust immune system and regular self-grooming. However, when a bunny gets sick or run down, their immune levels drop and they often don't self-groom so well, especially dental buns of course. This gives the mite populations that already exist a chance to breed out of control and hence you get an infestation. Therefore, there's no point stressing too much about scrubbing the hutch thoroughly or worrying too much about the hay, although a batch from a farm with a mite infestation will of course 'up' the 'load' on bunny's skin.
I would just give the hutch a good clean as you would normally with normal disinfectant or bleach or whatever you use and change all the bedding, you can't really get rid of the mites anyway as bunnies normally carry them, you just want to reduce the load so that bunny has a chance to get better and fight them off himself, much easier to do with fewer around that's all.
His wifey bun will probably need a treatment too even if she's not showing them, just as a preventative, and to stop her reloading Ozzie whilst he recovers.

I agree with Jane, his teeth could be what is putting him off his food if this is has been going on for a while. Ileus can persist for several weeks, so i'm pleased he's having a course of Zantac. Perhaps a course of metclopramide as well would really help to push his tum along again? Of course, everytime he is off his food his tum will slow down again so it might be worth having another look at his teeth. Good luck :)
 
Back
Top