Flea season is another of nature’s annoyances. As our handout stated at a recent groomer’s conference in New Jersey, cat flea products are generally safe for rabbits with fleas. Advantage and Revolution are thought to be safe in most rabbits. In treating a rabbit’s fleas aggressively the cure can be more stressful than the infestation.
We have never recommended a flea dip for rabbits, and recently we received a very alarming report of a death occurring after a flea shampoo, followed by a pyrethrin dip. We cannot be certain as to the specific cause of death-the stress of the bath or the ingredients in the shampoo or dip-so we recommend avoiding both.
Our foster homes have been able to use room sprays (pump-type) and eliminate fleas from the environment for 6 months or so. We spray only one room at a time and move the rabbits out of that room for at least 24 hours.
by Marinell Harriman
