harplady
Registered: 04/18/07
Posts: 99
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Reply with quote | #1 |
My two remaining rabbits have been infested with bugs. I just got back from the vet. The vet diagnosed the bugs as Continental Rabbit ticks, and said that they possibly transmitted a virus to Tasha and Chewy that may have killed them. Peaches was given a shot of Ivermectin and Niomi, whom I did not bring with, will get her shot tomorrow. Five years of rabbits and this is the first time this has happened, although Tasha and Chew had coloring that could easily camouflage ticks. Does anyone have any experience with these parasites? |
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Charlcie
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Registered: 04/15/07
Posts: 120
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Reply with quote | #2 |
I haven't heard of a "Continental Rabbit Tick", but common ticks that can infest rabbits are Deer Ticks (Ixodes scapularis) and Elk Ticks (Dermacentor albipictus), American Dog Ticks (D. variabilis), and Pacific Coast Ticks (D. occidentalis), and Lone Star Ticks (Amblyomma americanum).
The main diseases that ticks transmit to rabbits are: Myxomatosis (fever, loss of appetite, seizures, and death); Papillomatosis (wart-like skin lesions); Tularemia (loss of appetite, listlessness, low fever, and later nasal and eye discharge and possible abscesses on the spleen and liver).
Tularemia is relatively rare. Myxomatosis is HIGHLY contagious, so I don't think that was your problem (since Peaches and Niomi are still with us), and I don't remember you describing any wart-like growths, so I don't think Papillomatosis was the problem.
No matter...tick infestation needs to be addressed as at the very least it can cause infections, abscesses, and anemia (if heavy). Ivermectin was a good treatment.
Charlcie
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Charlcie
Zodiac Rabbitry
Astoria, OR
http://www.zodiacsatins.com |
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harplady
Registered: 04/18/07
Posts: 99
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Reply with quote | #3 |
Sorry, I forgot to put down the scientific name, Haemaphysalis leporispalustris. Peaches has an open sore inside her bottom lip. The vet thinks she has a virus and there is nothing she can take for it. If she should not make it, I will have a necropsy done this time. Right now she is showing no other signs of being ill, but I realise that that could change in a heartbeat. |
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Charlcie
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Registered: 04/15/07
Posts: 120
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Reply with quote | #4 |
OK...That particular tick causes Q Fever and Tularemia. Tetracycline is a treatment that is effective against BOTH diseases. It might be a good idea to go ahead and treat Peaches as open sores are consistent with Tularemia infections.
Charlcie
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Charlcie
Zodiac Rabbitry
Astoria, OR
http://www.zodiacsatins.com |
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harplady
Registered: 04/18/07
Posts: 99
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Reply with quote | #5 |
Peaches' sore seems to be healing and Peaches is in good health at the moment. I called the CDC in MN on Friday and talked to their tick specialist. He told me that these ticks are pretty widespread in MN and are not known for spreading disease in our state. He picks them off of cottontails and birds all the time and has been bitten by them. He thinks they are more of a nuance than a threat. I wish I would have had a necropsy done on Chewy! To get my vet to put Peaches on Tetracycline would take a lot of convincing. She believes that Peaches has a virus and nothing will work. There is also the possibility that Peaches found a piece of wire and bite it and injured her mouth that way.
Is there a web site or something that I can point out to my vet should Peaches need the Tetracycline? I only have Baytral on hand.
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Charlcie
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Registered: 04/15/07
Posts: 120
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Reply with quote | #6 |
Chances are, the ticks didn't cause the dimise of Chewey, because the symptoms don't match either of those diseases. Even though Peaches has a sore. she otherwise appears in good health and rabbits with Tularemia appear visibly ill.
No one (including your vet) can make a determination as to whether a viral or bacterial infection killed your bunnies without doing necropsy and lab work. Tetracycline is available without a vet's prescription. Jeffer's Vet Supply has it available online or you can most probably find it at a local feed store. The drug is delivered via the drinking water at a rate of 250 - 1000 mg/liter of water. (The lower dosage is a prophylactive dose; the higher levels are used to treat an active infection.) It might be good to have some on hand, but it sounds like Peaches is just fine. Here is the link to Jeffers for the tretracycline: http://www.jefferslivestock.com/ssc/search_results.asp?CID=2&mscssid=88BU4SCAR86B8MEK9719D65PWE5MB1KB&keywords=tetracycline&cmkw=tetracycline
Charlcie
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Charlcie
Zodiac Rabbitry
Astoria, OR
http://www.zodiacsatins.com |
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harplady
Registered: 04/18/07
Posts: 99
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Reply with quote | #7 |
Thanks for your help. I think it is a great idea to have some tetracycline on hand. I will check out my local farm supply store. |
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harplady
Registered: 04/18/07
Posts: 99
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Reply with quote | #8 |
I bought a packet of Terramycin (oxytetracycline HCI) at the farm supply store. Is this the Tetracycline you had in mind?
I need to remove a half bale of hay from my hutch because of the ticks. I was wondering if there would be any harm in saving the hay until it freezes, and then using the hay in the rabbit's litter boxes this winter?
I saw on the link you provided that they have heated water bottles. I have not used bottles on my rabbits because I haven't been able to find any at the pet store that don't leak. I use a heated dog water bowl for my rabbits in the winter, but it is hard to keep clean. Do you know anything about the water bottles featured at this site?
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Charlcie
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Registered: 04/15/07
Posts: 120
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Reply with quote | #9 |
Because ticks can survive for as long as 8 months without food or water, I would recommend disposing of any hay as ticks normally hide in vegetation while waiting for an opportunity to attach to another host animal. Ticks can survive freezing, so you are risking reinfestation, in my opinion, by using the hay.
I have never used those heated water bottles, but for a couple of rabbits, it looks like a good investment to me.
Charlcie
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Charlcie
Zodiac Rabbitry
Astoria, OR
http://www.zodiacsatins.com |
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