Should I be flea preventing my bunnies?

i_am_tre · Mar 6, 2013

Should I? It's a silly question I know but I have been looking at it and the ones I have found only ones that protect for a week. Now I know that they should be protected but if I did, it would cost me £1767 a year for my two bunnies! I love them and I appreciate care but thats a bit excessive isn't it?!

When they got mites last year, i took them to my vet and he injected them with a preventative flea and mite mixture that lasts a year and it cost me £16 each bunny.

Help would be appreciated, links to preventatives you use if you do. and if you dont, why?

Thanks guys

fruitandnutcake · Mar 6, 2013

i don't use anything, as I've never had a bunny with fleas in 25 years. I didn't even know buns could get fleas. Pebbles once had a tiny mite which I noticed after brushing him, so I took him to vets and paid about £16 for mite drops...only to realise they sold the same stuff in pets at home for about £3, and you can get it online http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beaphar-Ant...r_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1362596725&sr=8-2..contains exactly same stuff that vet gave me :roll:

The reason I don't use it routinely as a preventative measure is that Bugsy had a severe reaction to "spot on" that vet recommended for fly strike prevention. So now I don't put anything on buns skin unless necessary.

Neleh · Mar 6, 2013

i_am_tre said:
Should I? It's a silly question I know but I have been looking at it and the ones I have found only ones that protect for a week. Now I know that they should be protected but if I did, it would cost me £1767 a year for my two bunnies! I love them and I appreciate care but thats a bit excessive isn't it?!

VERY, yes! But you say below there is the injection for £16 a year....

i_am_tre said:
When they got mites last year, i took them to my vet and he injected them with a preventative flea and mite mixture that lasts a year and it cost me £16 each bunny.

This sounds odd to me. One of mine got mites as he was run down from being ill and his fur fell out. He was treated with Ivormectin. From what I know (and I could be wrong here) I've never heard of flea and mite mixture that lasts a year via injection. The metabolism alone makes this ring alarm bells as being incorrect. The reason you get vaccs done annually is because the virus/bacteria change.

i_am_tre said:
Help would be appreciated, links to preventatives you use if you do. and if you dont, why?

My buns shouldn't have access to fleas as they are indoors.
Also, I used spot on as the vet said it might be helpful whilst bun recovered and bunny lost fur as a side effect! He has been fine since.

RedFraggle · Mar 6, 2013

We don't flea treat the buns but we do make sure the cat is treated every 5 weeks as we consider him the biggest risk of them getting fleas.

Elena · Mar 6, 2013

Bunnies don't tend to get fleas, they would only be at risk if there were other animals with fleas or had access to wild rabbits which they shouldn't have anyway. I have some of the Xeno 200 (I think, it's the spray version) which I used in the past when Mini and Mischa had mites. It was diagnosed by a vet and he recommended using it and treating all four bunnies. I have a funny feeling Smudge might've had lice when I first got him as once or twice I saw very slow moving specks in his fur but I never saw them after using the Xeno. If I noticed anything in their fur I would probably treat with that once first and then go to the vets but I don't treat with it regularly, bunnies are pretty clean animals, the only risk would be from hay or from where they came from. I've only ever had problems the once.

Mrs. Bunnykins · Mar 6, 2013

In 17 years of caring for my bunnies, I've never had any problems with them getting fleas.:thumb:

i_am_tre · Mar 7, 2013

Neleh said:
This sounds odd to me. One of mine got mites as he was run down from being ill and his fur fell out. He was treated with Ivormectin. From what I know (and I could be wrong here) I've never heard of flea and mite mixture that lasts a year via injection. The metabolism alone makes this ring alarm bells as being incorrect. The reason you get vaccs done annually is because the virus/bacteria change.

my vet firstly gave me ear drops for them but it didnt help so he injected them and it all went away... either way anyway I figured I didnt have to prevent them but I just wanted to make sure as I didnt want to but them in danger of any sort.

Thank you to all of you for your answers

Should I be flea preventing my bunnies?

i_am_tre

Warren Scout

fruitandnutcake

Mama Doe

Neleh

Alpha Buck

RedFraggle

Warren Veteran

Elena

Wise Old Thumper

Mrs. Bunnykins

Wise Old Thumper

i_am_tre

Warren Scout

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