Summer brings on fleas. I learned the hard way this year. The vet told me in October to start putting monthly doses of flea-mite stuff on Buttons so when it comes to summer, he will be prepare… Did I listen? No.
Buttons’ head was covered in fleas. They crawled in and out of his hair. Every time I saw one I made sure to chase it down and remove it. But the more I did that, the more seemed to appear.
I had a left over Waggs & Purr brand selamectin dose, for 9 week – 2.5kg dogs. This will be fine for Buttons. I knew it would take a 2-5 days before the fleas would start dying. So I carefully watched him and nothing seemed to change.
I read on the internet that the best way to remove fleas and all their eggs and poop, was to get a flea comb and use warm water with some vinegar in it – it’s better than dish soap. Repeat the process twice a day for a few days.
I raced to the vet to get a flea comb, came back and tortured poor Buttons.
It seems like I have to be prepared each year. It is rare for bunnies to get fleas, but those nasty little blood-suckers can spread Myxomatosis, so I have to be very careful.
Flea-Things
According to the Rabbit Disease website, I don’t have myxo where I live, so I’m a little less concerned.
However, these flea-things, which aren’t really fleas, they are tiny black dots that crawl through the hair and if you brush the hair the wrong way they appear. Fleas jump, these tiny weirdos don’t. But they are super hard to kill. You can’t squish it between your fingers, somehow they have a super strong shell. That’s why I resorted to vinegar – that will destroy any hard-shelled creep.
Apparently, these tiny weirdos live under the ground and wake up to breed in warmer weather. They love hibernating under gum trees, shaded areas and places of organic matter like mulch or fallen, rotting leaves.
They bury less than 1cm under the dirt for shelter, and can be woken up of the dirt is scratched. Their eggs fall to the ground when laid, where they will hatch within 1-12 days.
When awake, they hide in crevices, dark areas like folds of fabric or on the underside of fallen leaves.
They multiply quicker if there is a supply of food (warm-blooded animals). They also reproduce rapidly in carpet or fabrics that are undisturbed.
Experts have said that due to any unusual weather, fleas will multiply in larger amounts in the environment. In some areas around the world, fleas amounts have increased as much as 60%. Many pest control companies cannot keep up with the demand for removing fleas from backyards.
One way to get rid of them is to spray your yard with nematodes of roundworm (baby roundworms) which will feed on the eggs, larvae and adult fleas. This can take 3-4 months to take effect. Roundworm nematodes are dangerous for rabbits (and humans, dogs and cats) and if a rabbit accidentally ingests roundworms or the nematodes, they can cause internal issues.
Other ways to lower the amount of fleas is to mow frequently, avoiding over watering, treating all your pets at the same time with flea spot-on, raking to remove debris, keeping rodents away from hay and food, remove junk from the yard and keeping lids on bins.
Throughout the warmer months, wash your pet’s fabric bedding frequently.
Make sure you disturb everything frequently, fleas hate light.
Removal
This is the comb I purchased. It did a pretty good job. I initially throught it would be too flimsy because of the plastic head, but it is actually good.
I filled a bucket with warm water and put a good slosh of double strength vinegar in it. The vinegar’s acid breaks the shell of the fleas. I ended up getting about 20 fleas from him. If you look carefully, you can see them floating around in the water.
Each time I combed Buttons, I dunked the comb in the water. I was careful not to make him too wet, because you’re not supposed to bathe rabbits. You can tell by his pointy cheeks that he is not really enjoying it. I put wood shavings in the travel box base because I thought they’d soak up most of the water and give him something to grip onto. But I won’t be using them again, they stuck to his belly. A towel is the better option.
Buttons’ undercoat hair was so thick that the comb couldn’t get through it. It really only combed the top layer. I had to use a lot of water to get the water down as much as I could. I cupped water with my hands and tipped it over his back to make sure that it got down to his skin. I was really careful not to get any in his ears, mouth or eyes.
After being combed, I dried Buttons with a soft dry towel, which he enjoyed tremendously. He came out so fluffy. But he smelled like vinegar.
I put him back in his pen to finish drying off – mind you it was a 26°C day. He dried really quickly, and looked like a cloud for the rest of the day.
Never bathe bunnies. They lose their natural oils in their hair. It can take them months to get their oils back. Once you wash a bunny, they don’t dry off easily – especially in cooler weather.
It’s really important to make sure they don’t get cold because their hair won’t act like an insulator. Some people choose to blow dry their bunny if they have to wash them, but the noise of the blow drier might be too much for the bunny’s ears.
Also, if you put your rabbit in water, it can get a UTI, and that is an immediate trip to the vet.