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hedgehog fleas and rabbits.. (&people)

C

chelle

Warren Veteran
Hi

I've rescued 3 little hoglets from a late litter...all wondering about my garden....I've got them indoors to help them gain weight...but theyve got fleas....I found one near archie my rabbit on the kitchen floor and it wouldn't die so I put it in some hibiscrub. I just had some therem..it died pretty fast.

Im told the fleas are host specific just to hedgehogs...but are they really?
Paranoid now about the rabbits..my house and us.

Can I get rid of them off the hedgehogs..they were jumping everywhere.. eeeerr gives me the jeebies.
 
Jack's-Jane said:
I'd flea treat all your animals and also try to quarantine the Hoglets.

http://en.wikivet.net/Archaeopsylla_erinacei

http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00dis/Parasitic/Flea_Inf.htm

In view of the above then I'd flea treat all of your animals and the environment in which they live xx
Click to expand...

Thanks Jane. Ive been told not to worry by so many sources and yet a few contradict.

I've never treated my rabbits for fleas.. does it effect their immune systems or health/ are there any reactions?

What do I use?

Thanks :-(
 
chelle said:
Thanks Jane. Ive been told not to worry by so many sources and yet a few contradict.

I've never treated my rabbits for fleas.. does it effect their immune systems or health/ are there any reactions?

What do I use?

Thanks :-(
Click to expand...

I would speak with your Vet about the best product to use for your Rabbits. The Vet should be able to discuss with you about any potential risks/side effects of the product he/she recommends :)
 
Can you get the hedgehogs to a wildlife rescue? They will equipped to feed them up and look after them over the winter, without the risk of them becoming too dependent on people.
 
Yes the hedgehog fleas can transfer to your bunnies - best to treat with advantage (each bunny) licensed for tx of fleas, and to treat your house with an approved spray such as indorex. You can get advantage from pets at home's some pharmacies or your vets. Whatever you do don't be tempted to buy frontline, it has fipronil in which is toxic to bunnies. Treat the hoglets as well, they will feel much better!
 
I'd check with a wildlife rescue the best product to use on hedgehogs.

Although fleas might prefer a specific animal, it doesn't mean they won't take a passing bite from another.

Make sure your rabbit's vaccinations are up to date too.
 
Im looking back at this & realising that the same time last year i had to treat for fleas due to the hedgehogs....now ive not got any hogs this year - I've seen one hoglet in the garden but apart from that nothing and Ive got flea's. Well Ive found 6 so far over a couple of weeks ...the buns are being treated with advantage and Ive got indorex too...about to do the whole house when new cans arrive.

Makes me feel all horrible...
 
Hedgehog fleas are host-specific. They can only live on hedgehogs, but you may find them paying a "visit" to other animals and feeding from them. And you. :/

I'd get the hoglets treated anyway because the parasite load won't help them gain weight, as well as the general "horribleness" of having fleas in the house!

Interestingly enough I rescued and rehabilitated sick/underweight hedgehogs for years and I never saw a single flea. More ticks than I could count (including over a hundred on one hog), but no fleas.

Good luck with the baby hoggies! I do love the little stinky messy prickly little things. :)
 
aaah Ive not got them this year - it was last year. i just thought it was strange that i was treating fleas the same time as last year.

But I am keeping an eye out for one little hoglet that i saw one night and havent seen since...i will catch it and weigh it to check it will make it through the winter...

The last hoglets we had were full of fleas...and one big tick..shame poor things..but soon de-flead and comfy and cosy and the washing I had to do everyday with all their stinky poo that they would usually leave behind as they run..lol.....they are very interesting little things..

Silverleaf said:
Hedgehog fleas are host-specific. They can only live on hedgehogs, but you may find them paying a "visit" to other animals and feeding from them. And you. :/

I'd get the hoglets treated anyway because the parasite load won't help them gain weight, as well as the general "horribleness" of having fleas in the house!

Interestingly enough I rescued and rehabilitated sick/underweight hedgehogs for years and I never saw a single flea. More ticks than I could count (including over a hundred on one hog), but no fleas.

Good luck with the baby hoggies! I do love the little stinky messy prickly little things. :)
Click to expand...
 
Interesting little things that are perfectly happy to do a huge stinky poo in their food bowl and then walk a mixture of food and poo all over their blankets and then sleep in them. Yuk.

But I love them anyway. :love:

I think one of the best moments of my life was with a hedgehog. She was tiny and really really underweight, full of worms and refused to eat. The vet said she wouldn't survive and that I was wasting my time but gave me Baytril and some recovery food for her anyway as I insisted she should be given a chance.

I spent three weeks syringe feeding her every two hours. It took an hour each time to give just a few ml because she fought me every step of the way, but I figured if she had that much fight in her that was a positive sign.

Anyway one night I noticed she was quieter than usual, not struggling much, not biting me as much (grumpy little pest). And then when had I refilled the syringe and prepared to gently restrain her so I could insert the syringe again, she sniffed and licked the food on the end of it! It was the first time she'd showed any interest in eating at all and it was beautiful.

5 minutes later she was eating out of a bowl all by herself and two months later I released a healthy 1kg hedgehog. It was totally worth all the work. :)
 
oh wow! Thats such a beautiful experience and you gave her life! I know exactly what you mean.....those moments when they realise we are helping...and they help themselves or fight a little ore...aaah bless you :)
 
Silverleaf said:
I do love the little stinky messy prickly little things. :)
Click to expand...

I think you've just described them fairly accurately - lol! I've got 7 in this year to over winter. Clarence, who was strimmed when he was around 3-4 weeks old, is an absolute joy, clean and tidy and no trouble at all. The other 6 are a bit of a nightmare. They are quite shocking, the worst I've had so far.

Clarence had a couple of fleas when he came in, but the late babies did not. No ticks either just bellies full of worms.
 
Silverleaf said:
Interesting little things that are perfectly happy to do a huge stinky poo in their food bowl and then walk a mixture of food and poo all over their blankets and then sleep in them. Yuk.

But I love them anyway. :love:

I think one of the best moments of my life was with a hedgehog. She was tiny and really really underweight, full of worms and refused to eat. The vet said she wouldn't survive and that I was wasting my time but gave me Baytril and some recovery food for her anyway as I insisted she should be given a chance.

I spent three weeks syringe feeding her every two hours. It took an hour each time to give just a few ml because she fought me every step of the way, but I figured if she had that much fight in her that was a positive sign.

Anyway one night I noticed she was quieter than usual, not struggling much, not biting me as much (grumpy little pest). And then when had I refilled the syringe and prepared to gently restrain her so I could insert the syringe again, she sniffed and licked the food on the end of it! It was the first time she'd showed any interest in eating at all and it was beautiful.

5 minutes later she was eating out of a bowl all by herself and two months later I released a healthy 1kg hedgehog. It was totally worth all the

Silverleaf said:
One of my favourite memories is of JJ, my first hog baby. He used to wake up around 10 - 10.30 each night and his dinner would always be waiting for him. One night we went out, I didn't have time to make his dinner before hand and we were late back. I discovered a very disgruntled JJ had totally trashed his cage, it was a complete train wreck. I just couldn't believe what he had done. I made sure his dinner was never late again and he never trashed his cage again
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Click to expand...
 
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