Rabbit Parasite Control

Flea and Worm control for Rabbits

There are two types of flea control for rabbits;

Advantage ™ (imidacloprid)- a liquid pipette that needs to be placed onto the back of the neck every 4 weeks. It is a prescription only product so will require a written prescription from your veterinary surgeon. An alternative product avalible without a prescription is

Xenex Ultra Spot-on (Permethrin) - a liquid pipette applied to the back of the neck. This product is toxic to cats but safe to use in rabbits, guinea pigs and other small animals. 

The main product for worming in rabbits is Panacur™ Rabbit (Fenbendazole). It is an oral paste that needs to be used for 9 consecutive days as one dose. Ideally this should be done 2-4 times a year. Panacur™ Rabbit treats worms and parasites including E.Cuniculi. This is a microscopic parasite, which can cause head tilting, blindness, hind limb weakness, seizures and kidney disease. It is mainly spread by infected urine and can live for weeks.

Flystrike in Rabbits

Rearguard is a product which is used to treat myiasis (flystrike), a condition caused when flies lay eggs on the rabbit which then hatch into maggots that start to eat away at the rabbit. This can occur in hot humid weather. The main time for it to occur is April to October. Rabbits that are more at risk are the ones which are obese, have dental disease, have diarrhoea or arthiritis. Good hygiene is essential to prevent this condition as flies are attracted to environments with poor hygiene. Rearguard is a liquid, which is applied all over the rabbit especially down the back and around the rear end. It can be used from 10 weeks of age and protects the rabbit for 10 weeks.