New bunny hopping with fleas

[lisaandfluffy]

I went to my local feed store last night right before they closed and my 9 year old daughter went to look at the rabbits like we always do. Well, she saw one of the babies looked just like her first bunny Chip who passed due to age last year. We're talking identical almost. I couldn't leave her. We told the worker to please grab her for us (you can't touch them or look at them before buying. They're in a feed bin basically behind a fence to keep people from reaching in). They put her in a plain brown box and we paid and left. When we got home, I asked my daughter to hand me the box so I could see how the bunny was doing. I opened the lid and bam, fleas hopping all around. Mainly in the box and also on her face right above her nose. I squished as many of them as I could and immediately set her up in a quarantine cage placed in my tub to minimize flea issues. Called the vet who made us an appt for the next morning right at opening. This morning we saw the vet and got a dose of revolution applied. She also sent me home with 5 more doses to be given once a week or until the fleas are gone. I clean her little cage twice a day and she's always got fresh alfalfa, pellets and water. Shes so tiny at 1lb 11oz and I want to make sure I'm not missing anything I could be doing.

I was told by the vet to give her a bath in 2 days with dawn dish soap. Not just for the fleas but because she's absolutely deeply filthy with urine and poo stuck everywhere. Any tips on making the bath experience less stressful for her? I'll attach some pics of her, and her current set up for reference. When she's out of quarantine she'll have free roam sharing my daughter's room just like her last bunny had and it's already bunny proofed. I just feel awful for her. I don't know how people can so neglect animals like this.

I almost forgot to add, her name is Fluffy.

 

[JBun]

You actually shouldn't bathe a rabbit, unless they currently have an excessively messy bottom that can't effectively be cleaned up with dry methods, then only a limited butt bath is recommended, preferably without soap. Rabbits typically should never be bathed, especially a full body bath, as this can risk injury, or put some rabbits into shock or even cardiac arrest.

https://rabbit.org/2012/12/the-dangers-of-giving-a-rabbit-a-bath/
A healthy rabbit normally keeps themselves very clean. If your rabbit is having an ongoing wet or poopy bottom, and its not from living in a previously unsanitary environment, it means there is a likely medical issue that needs addressing. A urine soaked bum is a likely UTI, frequent mushy poop stuck to the bum is usually mushy cecotropes from a diet too low in fiber from grass hay, or profuse wet diarrhea is from bacterial overgrowth, which is an emergency.

https://web.as.miami.edu/hare/urinary.html
https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Urinary_tract_infection
https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Rabbit_poop
https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952892
https://bunssb.org/bunnies/guide-bunny-poops/
https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Veterinary_emergencies
If the bum has dry urine and it isn't getting wet anymore, it could be from her previous environment being messy. This is something she can groom off herself, as well as any urine stained fur will be shed when she next molts. Though unscented wet wipes can be used to clean off some of the dried urine.

If there is mushy cecotropes stuck in her fur, dry ones can be carefully combed out, or very carefully clipped out with blunt nose scissors. It's best to have a thin comb (like a flea comb) between the skin and scissors, so the skin isn't inadvertently snipped. Or have your experienced rabbit vet do it.

If the poop is still wet, unscented wet wipes can be used to clean out the mushy poop if minor, or a very limited butt bath in more severe cases. Making sure to safely and thoroughly dry bun. Wet fur from water, urine or poop, can attract flies and risk flystrike, which can quickly prove fatal. So this needs to be monitored very closely until the messy bum issue gets sorted.

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Bathing_rabbits
https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Flystrike

 

[JBun]

The Revolution treatment alone should take care of the fleas, provided your vet prescribed the right dose. The recommended dose for rabbits is 18mg/kg spot on treatment, which is 3x the dog and cat dose. Your vet did get the frequency of application correct. Sometimes a single dose takes care of it, but it can be applied every 7 days when needed.

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Fleas
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22452505/
Only a rabbit with a very severe case of fleas, should a full bath be a consideration, and only as a last resort due to the high health risk it poses. A vet that recommends a rabbit be given a full bath (except in extreme appropriate circumstances), would make me question how knowledgeable they are about rabbits. Personally, I would be looking for a more experienced rabbit vet for future issues, if at all possible. @Blue eyes may have some recommendations for Arizona.

Basic rabbit vet list. Also a good idea to do your own research to find the best rabbit vet for your area.
Rabbit Vets Near Me | House Rabbit Society

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Choosing_a_rabbit_veterinarian
You should also contact the feed store. Depending on your states laws, they may be responsible for the vet costs of treatment, since this was a preexisting health condition on their end. They also need to get the other rabbits they have, properly treated if they also have fleas. If they don't address the bunnies health issues appropriately, they should be reported to the proper authority.

 

[JBun]

You mentioned your bunny's diet. If you're feeding only alfalfa hay, I would recommend changing that to primarily a grass hay like timothy or orchard, with only minimal alfalfa fed as a treat. If the bunny is already being fed an alfalfa based young rabbit pellet, feeding alfalfa hay as well is unnecessary and redundant, and can actually end up causing issues. It can make for too rich of a diet, causing there to be excessive cecotropes left uneaten, as well as making for a very picky rabbit when it comes to hay.

Baby rabbits fed alfalfa hay exclusively, can be very difficult to switch off alfalfa and to a grass hay when they become adults and should no longer have alfalfa hay. Also, if the poopy butt from mushy cecotropes keeps occurring, your rabbit will likely need a diet adjustment of more grass hay and less pellets, to help correct the dietary imbalance. If the bunny is on a cheap bulk feed from the feed store, I would recommend starting to slowly transition over the next 2-3 weeks, to a higher quality food like sherwood, oxbow, science select, etc. Switching to a higher quality feed, may alone help resolve a mushy cecotrope issue.

Baby rabbit diet

https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/feeding.html
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/pellet-food.html
When making any diet changes, it's important to monitor the rabbits consumption, to ensure they're continuing to eat well. I would also recommend monitoring your rabbits body condition and weight, to ensure a healthy weight and growth is maintained. When in doubt, consult with a knowledgeable rabbit vet.

Monitoring your rabbits weight

 

[TreasuredFriend]

When you visit the rabbit-savvy vet with Fluffy, please take a fecal sample. Several rescues and buns who were surrendered to shelters (formerly abandoned) received a parasitic or coccidiosis dx. (dx = an abbreviaion for diagnosis). Mentioning this from our personal experiences. One dutch baby I took in from an old-technology farmstead gave away rabbits for birthday parties. She was treated for coccidiosis, upon bringing her marbles to our DVM. Her wooden hutch was filthy. No litter box and feces piled high ....,

Fluffy is fortunate to come your way, and receive DVM care.

I hope you find a very qualified DVM who can advise properly -- as JBun advises on RO.

Reminds me of how I purchased my dutch girl in 2008. A forum contributor posted wrt a feed store in southern US that had a bin of cute bunnies at Easter time! If the small buns were not sold they would be disposed of. Actually, the sales person said they would go in the trash. The forum individual took the white youngster with the broken/impaired leg. / I observed 7 baby buns piled in a bin at a pet store which went out of business later on. The rabbits came in cardboard boxes to the store. My tortie-dutch girl was the single one I could take.

I'm rooting for you, your daughter, and Fluffy to live a happy, healthy life moving forward. Please update when you are able.

I don't know how people can so neglect animals and pets either.

 

[lisaandfluffy]

Thank you Jbun for all the info. I live in a very rural mountain town 3 hours from any other rabbit vets in any direction. I do have an established relationship (from my last bunny) with a great rabbit vet in Mesa for emergencies and future care. This was just a completely unexpected bunny and I wanted the revolution started asap.
I won’t be bathing Fluffy. I’ll do a follow up with my regular vet for better recommendations.
I don’t think I worded it great, but she doesn’t have a messy bottom at all. Her droppings are great. She has droppings stuck throughout her long fur from being housed in cramped quarters with so many other bunnies. These I cut out with scissors easily.
I didn’t know that about the alfalfa. I feed oxbow garden select young rabbit pellets so I’ll grab some Timothy hay.

Thank you also TreasuredFriend for the advice. And I’m also glad you got your Dutch bun. Fluffy has been doing really well. She’s extremely curious and wants to explore more than I’m currently letting her while she’s being treated for the fleas. She also likes to softly nibble fingers and loves being pet between/behind her ears. We make sure to spend time touching her every day regardless of the fleas since it seems she finds some comfort in it. She’s just a sweet heart and I can’t wait until she can explore her whole room.