Ask Thumper About Fleas

Dear Thumper,
My human found a flea on me last month and put Advantage on the back of my neck. I felt better the next day, but then last week I felt an itch on the side of my face and realized the fleas have come back. Horrors! How can we get rid of these persistent buggers once and for all?
~ Itching All Over

Dear Itching,

Fleas are nothing to be embarrassed about. In the perpetually warm climate of Los Angeles, an occasional flea is almost inevitable. Fleas can hitch a ride on your humans when they go for a walk in the park, or the neighbor's outdoor cat could bring them in, or someone could pet you after petting another animal with fleas, or fleas can come in any number of interesting ways. In short, acquiring fleas is easy. Getting rid of fleas is another matter.

To remove fleas from the home and prevent a future infestation, your humans must treat both you and the environment where the eggs and baby fleas hang out. Let's talk about you, first, since you're the one itching. Your human was smart to use Advantage on you to treat fleas. Unlike many other flea treatments, Advantage is generally safe on rabbits (but always check new formulations of any drug with your rabbit veterinarian). Depending on your weight and condition, you will need different amounts of Advantage to kill the fleas. Your humans should contact your veterinarian to figure out the best dosage for you.

WARNING! Frontline and many other brands of flea medications can kill bunnies. Tell your humans to NEVER use any flea medication on you without checking with your doctor to make sure it's safe first.

Flea collars are NOT safe for us rabbits, either!

I hope your humans also know that you should not be bathed to get rid of fleas. Baths are almost never a good idea for rabbits! If the humans can't get to a store or veterinarian right away to buy Advantage, they should comb you gently all over with a fine-toothed flea comb, starting with your nose and working backward, and dipping the flea comb in soapy water to drown the fleas. That will at least get the adult fleas off your body, but it won't get rid of them in the long term. Incidentally, running a flea comb over your head is a good way to test for fleas in the first place since the fleas tend to congregate there.

On to your living environment...your home must be thoroughly cleaned with soap and water and all washables laundered. To treat carpets, your humans have to buy a container of special white powder called boric acid, sold in hardware or pet supply stores. The boric acid is sprinkled all over the carpet and rubbed in. After a few hours, the excess powder can be vacuumed up. I even recommend that humans treat their new carpet or the carpet in any apartment they move into with boric acid prior to moving their rabbit-children in. That way, the carpet is already armed against fleas.

If you have any cat or dog friends who go outside, it's extra important that they be treated monthly for fleas so that they don't bring some in to share with you.

Hope that helped! If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to email me or speak with the friendly volunteers at Los Angeles Rabbit Foundation.

May you have a flea-free summer!

Thumper