Do Jamie and Sapphire have fleas?!

Following on from two recent threads regarding Sapphire's extreme weight loss I have, potentially, made another discovery... not quite sure that the discovery could be explaining why she's lost so much weight though.

I was grooming Jamie and Sapphire when feeding them this morning and I noticed loads of little flecks of dirt....there is nothing moving but when I googled them it looks like it could be flea dirt Jamie is in great condition ... his weight is good, his fur looks beautiful and his behaviour is normal. Sapphire, on the other hand, is very skinny and is refusing, point blank to eat hay...and even readi grass I bought for her this morning, she eats everything else though, and her fur looks fine and she's running around acting happy.

I'm waiting for my cheque to clear then I am taking Sapphire to the vets, this should be tomorrow as I paid the cheque in on Friday afternoon.

Could this be why she has lost so much weight? Just seems a bit extreme if that's the case.

I know EXACTLY where the fleas have come from if they have fleas My irresponsible next door neighbour, who I posted about some time ago, still has the two male cats and although Feline Friends paid for them to be wormed and de-flead, as well as Cats Protection neutering them. They are constantly sleeping on the top of Jamie and Sapphires rabbit hutch... presumably taking preference over the plastic sheeting I cover them over with on a night as it'll get warm? How can I stop them going on top? The garden is shared but these are the only cats who go in it.

Lou xx

If it is fleas then you will need to get a treatment called Advantage from your vet - this is the only licensed product for rabbits for fleas in the UK. You will need to treat both buns, clean out their hutch and use new bedding. You may need to throw away any bedding stored nearby as it could have fleas/eggs in it.

To keep the cats off the top of the hutch I would buy some of these (they are pricey though i'm afraid) and screw them or glue them to the top of the hutch. We've just put them up on our fence.
http://www.greengardener.co.uk/product.asp?id_pc=6&cat=1&id_product=285 You want the Prikka cat strips. One pack should be enough for the top of your hutch easily.
Cheaper option would be to roll up some plastic netting and staple it to the top of the hutch in coils - cat won't want to sit on anything bouncy or unstable.

Fleakies are horrid things.:shock:
And cats will get them unless treated on a regular basis (and still get them imo).I have 3 of my own!!
If you see any evidence of fleas, then treat pet with advantage flea treatment for BUNNIES only. Available from vet.
As for keeping those 2 cats from your hutches, I have no idea what you can do.Perhaps by making it uncomfortable?? Cats arent fussy where they sit/sleep.

...Are rabbit fleas different to cat/dog fleas? smaller perhaps? I appear to of had flea bites but my buns seem fine.

bugglebun said:

Yeah, I'm concerned as I'M the one with fleas....under the microscope they look like the bog standard cat flea thingy, but as I've put else where hutch/run/hay clear, rabbits not scratching, fur investigation seems clear...are rabbit fleas different? smaller perhaps?
(I've gone running in the country side, no other pets, no evidence of mice...)

Click to expand...

Nope they will be cat fleas, rabbits can host them but I don't think they can perpetuate the life cycle. Rabbits don't have their own fleas afaik.

Hmm, the spikes seem a good plan but I'd have to cover the entire top of the 6ft long hutch?! And then for both as no doubt they'd go on that too :?

Another concern is the amount of dead animals they are leaving out back in the garden, the other week there was a half eaten squirrel infront of Jamie and Sapphires hutch until I moved it.

I don't think I can win Would one lot of Advantage treat both rabbits? I will take them tomorrow morning,

Lou xx