How to treat Bed Bugs with a free range bunny

[toyabrooke]

Hi all,

I have 6 year old Netheeland Dwarf who moved to Boston from Australia with me and my husband 2 years ago. We are currently overseas and our rabbit sitter who is looking after our apartment and fur child believes we have bed bugs!!! She has been to the doctor with rashes and bites, and now the building we live in is sender someone over to test. We are not home for another 1.5 weeks, so I am hoping to get as much info as possible before we return so that we can hit the ground running.

My questions are:
- What is the rabbit safe treatment for an open loft style apartment with a free range rabbit? We are happy to go to a hotel for a night or two when we return so that is no issue. But if it is treated with poison, will it ever be safe for our bunny to go back inside? Or is the only pet-friendly way heat treatment?
- Does anyone here know of a good pet-friendly exterminator in the Boston area (long shot)
- Do I also need to treat my bunny directly with Revolution to prevent him being bitten?

Any advice would be very much appreciated!!

T

 

[JBun]

I think you would need to inform the company that you use, that you have pets and check to make sure the product that they use is safe for pets. I'm not sure whether or not your rabbit would need to be treated as well with Revolution, as there isn't really any info out there about this and rabbits. You could always phone or email your vet and ask them.

If bed bugs aren't found, other possibilities are fleas or mites. If your rabbit has these you will find evidence of flea dirt, or mites can cause dandruff or skin crusting. And to treat those, Revolution(selamectin, rx) will treat both.
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Parasitic/fleas/Fleas.htm
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Parasitic/furmite/fur_mite.htm