Mites

[a reader of books]

I know there must be dozens of threads on this, as well as plenty of articles online, but I'm very tired and don't really have the energy to look into it right now. But we just got back from Casper's laser therapy and he's had some dandruff in his neck so the vet took a look at it, and it's mites, so he and Saar have had Stronghold (when I was giving it to Saar I saw she has some dandruff in her neck, too). What I'm wondering is if I need to do any cleaning? Do mites live in the environment? Casper's moulting, so I've been brushing him, so are there mites in the brush now? How would I clean that?

If someone has some advice I'd really appreciate it. I forgot to ask the vet, and I don't really have the energy to call them right now.

 

[joey&boo]

I'd remove fur from the brush after each grooming session & wash with warm soapy water. Hoover / wash / steam what you can, concentrating on the areas they spend most time in. Just what you need when you're so tired

 

[Shimmer]

Mites tend to be in the environment all the time, but normally cause no issues and they don't get the chance to be problematic. You can't really elimate them completely. Normal, regular hygiene procedures ought to be sufficient to minimise their numbers.

There's usually an underlying health issue if the mites become noticeable on a rabbit. It could be something that makes grooming more difficult so they are not removed as efficiently as usual (eg dental or arthritis), or something more systemic that you are not aware of yet. I would suggest a full vet checkup, as well as treating the affected rabbit(s) to clear the current infestation. If you are already aware of issues that could be contributing to the issue, it might be a case of regular (maybe monthly?) mite treatment.

 

[a reader of books]

I'd remove fur from the brush after each grooming session & wash with warm soapy water. Hoover / wash / steam what you can, concentrating on the areas they spend most time in. Just what you need when you're so tired

Ah, thank you for your reply, j&B. I'll do that. Most of their rugs and beds (and of course the pee pads) gets washed every day anyway because they've been peed on. But I'll see what I can do.

Mites tend to be in the environment all the time, but normally cause no issues and they don't get the chance to be problematic. You can't really elimate them completely. Normal, regular hygiene procedures ought to be sufficient to minimise their numbers.

There's usually an underlying health issue if the mites become noticeable on a rabbit. It could be something that makes grooming more difficult so they are not removed as efficiently as usual (eg dental or arthritis), or something more systemic that you are not aware of yet. I would suggest a full vet checkup, as well as treating the affected rabbit(s) to clear the current infestation. If you are already aware of issues that could be contributing to the issue, it might be a case of regular (maybe monthly?) mite treatment.

Thank you for you reply, too, Shimmer. I thought I remembered something like that, that they usually only start causing trouble if there's underlying health issues. Neither of them are in very good shape, really. Casper's getting noticeably old and has collected quite a bunch of minor issues by now, and his arthritis is getting worse, and I think Saar has arthritis as well since she doesn't groom herself much. She's already on a lot of pain relief, though, and can't have laser therapy with her tumour, so it hasn't really been a priority to look into it, though I do keep meaning to ask the vet to take a look at her recent x-ray. The Stronghold needs to be repeated in a month, so maybe we'll just need to keep repeating that, then, yeah, if it's because of underlying stuff that we can't do much about.

 

[bunny momma]

Steam cleaning may be useful for items you cannot wash like rugs bed and sofa.

 

[a reader of books]

Steam cleaning may be useful for items you cannot wash like rugs bed and sofa.

Ah, that's a good point. Thank you for mentioning that, bunny momma.

 

[Cinnabun14]

Aw, I'm sorry to hear this reader. I know Diatomaceous earth shouldn't be fed to rabbits, but could you "pet" it into their fun to try and kill them off? It's very powdery, so I'd be careful around the nose/mouth area, but if you use small amounts it should be fine. And you can sprinkle it onto any area to kill them (but like I said, there's a bit of a powder risk). I'd check with a more experienced member before doing this though, because you're not supposed to breathe it in, and I know bunnies are vulnerable to that sort of thing

 

[a reader of books]

Aw, I'm sorry to hear this reader. I know Diatomaceous earth shouldn't be fed to rabbits, but could you "pet" it into their fun to try and kill them off? It's very powdery, so I'd be careful around the nose/mouth area, but if you use small amounts it should be fine. And you can sprinkle it onto any area to kill them (but like I said, there's a bit of a powder risk). I'd check with a more experienced member before doing this though, because you're not supposed to breathe it in, and I know bunnies are vulnerable to that sort of thing

Aw, thank you, and thank you for the idea, Cinnabun. If they're not supposed to breathe it in or ingest it, then putting it on their fur doesn't seem very safe, as they'd get it in their mouths and noses when they groom themselves and each other, I would think? I think the Stronghold has taken care of it, thankfully, as they're not looking dandruffy anymore

 

[Cinnabun14]

That's a very good point reader, you know what's best for Casper and Saar I'm glad to hear they've lost their dandruff!