Rabbit Parasites

Question
Hi Dana.......I am very new to this wonderful world of rabbits.  I am an American living in Acapulco Mexico, where I have not been able to find a rabbit-savy vet.  I have recently adopted a little New Zealand White, and because I have no clue as to her living conditions before the adoption (except that they were probably pretty grim) I would like to know about the recommended treatment of internal and external parasites for her.  PetGuard is available here, and so is revolution.  But I don't know what dosage to give to her.  She is about 3 1/2 - 4 pounds.  And I think she is young as she is pretty small.  She was living in a cage at a local veterinary clinic on a diet of puppy chow when I found her!!!  The vet obviously knew nothing about rabbit care.........she had been with him for 2 months, having been abandoned at his door.  I am quickly absorbing a great wealth of information from HRS, and she seems to be happy now and thriving.  But I would like to treat her for parasites as she is living with other animals here in my home.  Thank you for your attention, Marna Rojas

Answer
Dear Marna,

If you are not sure your bunny has parasites, then I would not treat her unless you know for sure.  Revolution is safe enough to use against fleas and mites, and we use 3-6 drops on the back of the neck of a medium-sized rabbit with good results.

There are lots of things called "Pet Guard," so I'm not sure what that is.

I think any vet can do a basic fecal exam if you bring in fresh fecal pellets that they can crush up and examine for signs of any problems.  If the bunny has worms, then those can be treated with the appropriate meds (each type of worm has a specific type of medication that will work against it, so you have to know what you're dealing with).

I'm glad you found her and are giving her a safe home.  The best site for good rabbit info is indeed where you already have gone:  www.rabbit.org/vets

I hope this helps.  Please write back if you have any other questions.

Dana