Fleas and dwarf rabbit: what to do

You may notice one day that your rabbit is scratching a little too often. Maybe after a first inspection of the fur, you also notice tiny brown droppings. Finally, you realize that small insects are flying around its nose or ears. Well, don’t worry! Your rabbit has fleas, but now let’s find out how to solve the problem.

Flea treatments for your rabbit

If it seems to you that there are only a few fleas, then a flea comb will do the job.

Follow the usage instructions on the package. But, most combs can be washed with hot water and soap or with alcohol to drown and kill the fleas.

In cases where the comb is not enough, I advise you to consult a veterinarian first to ask if it is necessary to use anti-parasitic products. You can find different types, but always look for those suitable for rabbits and never use those for dogs and cats.

The solution should be applied in the only spot where your rabbit cannot lick it off: the back of its neck. And if there are two or more rabbits living in the same house, the application should be done for each one and they should be separated from each other to avoid licking off the solution. The ingestion of this type of medication could pose serious health risks.

Here are two examples for a young rabbit weighing less than 4 kg and an adult rabbit weighing more than 4 kg.

Flea treatments not to be used

I strongly advise against using generic antiparasitic products for dogs and cats. These are great products for another type of animal, but their use should be avoided for rabbits because they can cause serious health problems and even put their lives at risk.

I also do not recommend the use of powders. This would mean having to give your rabbit a bath numerous times, and as we have said on other occasions, rabbits do not like baths. Additionally, if the compositions are not well described, you could end up with chemical substances that could poison your little friend.

Lastly, you should avoid flea collars. They are unbearable for rabbits, who would do nothing but try to remove them, and some of them are also too powerful and can cause a lot of discomfort.

Best solution: prevention

As they say, “prevention is better than cure.” Therefore, in this case too, it is the safest way. You can choose to apply flea sprays or powders on carpets, but please keep your rabbit away from them for at least 24 hours to avoid direct contact with these products.