The lice that your rabbit has are not the same type of lice that humans get, so you don't have to worry about catching them from him. On the downside, rabbit lice have most of the same unpleasant side effects of human lice, meaning that if you don't get them properly treated and removed, your bunny is going to suffer from severely itchy, irritated skin.
Go to the Veterinarian
You need to take your bunny to the veterinarian if you think he has lice. Home lice treatments and remedies can be helpful in alleviating your pet's discomfort and helping get rid of the lice more quickly, but they don't take the place of veterinary treatment. Your veterinarian can prescribe medicine to treat your rabbit's lice, often using Ivermectin or Advantage. Your veterinarian can also assess and treat any conditions that have been caused by the lice or the excessive scratching lice can cause, such as skin irritation or infection.
Daily Grooming
Regular grooming will help remove lice from your bunny's coat as well as help you inspect your pet for lice or skin damage as a result of lice. Brush your bunny's entire coat with a thin comb designed to remove lice and their eggs from hair. Use a larger brush to pick out tangles. Make sure to clean your grooming brushes thoroughly after every use and not use them on other rabbits who don't already have lice. If your bunny has very long hair, you may need to have him professionally groomed, or even trimmed, to make removing lice an easier task.
Bathing Your Rabbit
A bath may help clear dead lice from your bunny's coat and alleviate some of the discomfort that the lice are causing your rabbit, especially if your rabbit is severely infested. Talk to your veterinarian about using a medicated bath to help remove the lice and kill any remaining eggs. You should not bathe your bunny if your veterinarian recommends against it. If you do wash your bunny, and your veterinarian OKs it, start at his bottom and work your way toward his head. Build up a gentle lather of pet shampoo or medicated shampoo and then rinse it away with warm, clean water. Do not submerge your bunny in water -- you should only need a couple of inches of water in a tub or sink to give your bunny a bath. Make sure to towel dry him thoroughly when you're done washing him.
Your Rabbit's Environment
It does little good to get all the lice off your bunny if you don't get all the lice out of his bedding and living environment. You will need to wash and disinfect your bunny's entire living enclosure thoroughly to make sure that no more lice or eggs remain in his environment. A disinfectant that is 1 part bleach and 10 parts water is recommended by the University of Florida for deep cleaning and disinfecting.
References
Photo Credits
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Bethany Clarke/Getty Images News/Getty Images
Writer Bio
Jen Davis has been writing since 2004. She has served as a newspaper reporter and her freelance articles have appeared in magazines such as "Horses Incorporated," "The Paisley Pony" and "Alabama Living." Davis earned her Bachelor of Arts in communication with a concentration in journalism from Berry College in Rome, Ga.
