Frontline

Question
Hi I'm Krystal and I'm 15 years old, and this morning, I found a bunch of red
bugs around (but not on, just all around) my bunny, Couture.

My rabbit seems fine right now, which is great, but after getting several
recommendations to put frontline on my rabbit, I did, and found out
afterward how bad it was. This happened less than an hour before I'm
emailing you, and the vet is being called while we are watching him for any
signs of unusual behavior. We washes as much as we could of the frontline
off, and have been trying to get him to drink as much water as possible. I
read online that the most common result of frontline is fatal seizures. In case
these seizures occur, what do you suggest I do? I'm not supposed to
constrain him right? Or he'll get spinal damage. He's been eating and
pooping normally, I'm sorry to keep going on, I'm just scared. He's my whole
life in little creature form. He doesn't have any of the signs of pain or lethargy
or anything, and I read the other question about frontline but it just said to
go to a vet so I hope you can give me a little more than that. Anything I
should especially look for or do to wash it off? I just used a towel and water
because I know they hate to be wet and I didn't want him to start licking off
all the frontline which can give him gastrointestinal diseases! I've been trying
to do my homework.

Basically, what I'm asking is, besides taking him to a vet, is there anything I
can do to help him. Is there anything I should feed him, or give him to help
him? I need him, Mr Meyer, you have no idea how much I need him!

Answer
Hi Krystal,

I am going to forward to you what the San Diego House Rabbit Society says you need to do regarding if you've put Frontline on your rabbit:

"If you have applied frontline to your rabbit, quickly wash it off with lukewarm water and mild soap (baby shampoo) and immediately take your rabbit to a vet. "

You need to use baby shampoo (not regular) because it is milder and rabbits have very sensitive and thin skin (another reason not to ever put them in water).  The problem is that frontline is absorbed through the skin, if you don't get it off it will be absorbed.  How much and what kinds of damage it can do (and when) you don't know.

This is why HRS (and I) recommend that you really need to get him to the vet - preferably a good rabbit vet.  If you don't have a good rabbit vet, start here:

www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html

to find a House Rabbit Society recommended vet near you.

If he means the world to you, you should make sure he gets looked at and the vet can examine him and make sure he's okay.  Vets can work with you if money is an issue, they want to help animals and often will set up payment plans so that your pet can get the care it needs.

Also, the vet can tell you what those little things are.  Whatever they are they do not sound like fleas.  They sound more like mites.  

Lee