Treating External Parasites

Treating External Parasites

The most common external parasites you and your rabbit will have to confront are fleas, ticks and ear mites. The first step in battling these pests is for you to groom your rabbit on a regular schedule. This gives you the opportunity to spot parasites before a serious infestation takes place. Here are the most common external rabbit parasites, signs to look for, how they will affect your rabbit and how to treat them:

Parasite	Fleas
Signs	Scratching, brown specks on the skin
Effects	Discomfort, excessive scratching leading to open wounds, excessive blood loss
Treatment	Regular grooming with a fine-toothed comb to remove fleas and eggs, flea collar, flea sprays. More severe cases require bathing with flea shampoo and/or treatment by a veterinarian.

Parasite	Ticks
Signs	Scratching, presence of tick is usually apparent on visual examination
Effects	Excessive scratching, possible infection of open sores or transmission of diseases
Treatment	Regular grooming with fine-toothed comb to check for ticks. Kill tick with tick spray or alcohol and carefully remove with tweezers. Extreme cases require tick dip and/or veterinary care.

Parasite	Ear Mites
Signs	Constant shaking of head or scratching of ears, presence of oily brown substance inside ears
Effects	Excessive scratching, possible infection of open sores or transmission of diseases
Treatment	Refer to veterinarian for diagnosis. Treat using bottled drops according to directions.

Caution: Any products you use should be made specifically for rabbits or for cats. Powders, sprays and shampoos for dogs are too strong for your rabbit.