20 Fleas: Flea Control On Rabbits
Description
This article is from the Fleas, Ticks, and Your Pet FAQ, by tittle@zmall.com (Cindy Tittle Moore) with numerous contributions by others.
20 Fleas: Flea Control On Rabbits
by Sandi Ackerman
There's a controversy as to which type of flea products are safest for
our rabbits. The House Rabbit Society has always said to use a powder
that is safe for cats/kittens and in this area of the country our
veterinarians have recommended pyrethrin based powders. However, we've
recently discovered that while our veterinarians in Washington state
are saying to use products that contain pyrethrins, veterinarians in
other parts of the country say to use products that contain 5%
Carbaryls.
What I've found after considerable research is that there are no
specialists who will make a written statement one way or the other as
to which product (one, both, neither) is safe for our rabbits. This is
because there have been inadequate studies done on rabbits (thank
goodness)! But what's a person to do?
I've searched through Medline, which is an on-line medical database
containing data going back to 1966. There are many of studies out
there about pyrethrins and carbaryls, but the question is: how to
interpret them? I've tried to get manufacturers of flea products to
talk to me -- no luck. So after gathering all the data that I could
find, I called the National Animal Poison Control Center (NAPCC) to
verify the following information.
To summarize:
Pyrethrins are considered safe. These are insecticides derived from
plants, but in some cases where the dose is too high, they can cause
tremors, seizures and death. They act rapidly and have "some residual"
effect.
Pyrethroids are synthetic derivatives of natural pyrethrins and are
considered to be "more effective insecticides and are less toxic to
mammals than the natural pyrethrins"[1]. Allethrin (a synthetic) is
said to be safer than natural pyrethrins.
Carbaryls are considered safe and are used on vegetables in our
gardens (Sevin). But they too can cause convulsions and death if too
high a dose is used [1]. They remain effective from one to three
weeks.
The database at the NAPCC contains no reports of problems in rabbits
from either the pyrethrin or the carbaryl powders.
It's not these insecticides which are the problem, but rather the
enzyme inhibitors in the products! The following are common enzyme
inhibitors, also known as synergists, which may be found in flea
products:
Piperonyl butoxide
Sesamex
Piperonyl cyclonene
N-octylbicycloheptene dicarboxamide
These synergists may be added to the flea powder/spray in order to
keep the flea from being able to resist the toxic effects of the
pyrethrins or carbaryls. How that resistance occurs, is stated as
"...inhibiting mixed function oxidases, synergists also potentiate
mammalian toxicity."
What this means is that in addition to affecting the flea, these
synergists also keep our companions from being able to resist the
toxic effects. It is known that problems are more pronounced when the
product is applied to the animal's skin, rather than if the animal
ingests it while licking it from their hair [2].
A representative of the NAPCC stated to me that they had worked with
one company who was producing a pyrethrin flea spray which was causing
a lot of problems in cats. After the company reduced the percentage of
synergists to 1% there have been no additional reported problems from
their product.
So what's the answer? Always read the label of flea products keeping
the following figures in mind as a guideline.
Carbaryl 5.0% or less
Pyrethrins 0.15% or less
Synergists (see above) 1.0% or less
Precor (good) keeps insects from maturing
The first recommendation of the House Rabbit Society is to attempt to
remove fleas by using a totally non-toxic flea comb. If there aren't
too many fleas this may be a good solution (and it helps you to bond
with your rabbit). Because of the large volume of rabbits in my home
which makes it impossible for me to powder them all, and after
speaking with one of my veterinarians, I intend to use flea products
(using the above guidelines) on my rabbit's bedding and under their
cage.
In conclusion, I'd say that it is advisable to try to get rid of the
fleas, and there are good safe powders on the market that will
eliminate the little pests. Powders are much safer than flea dips (we
receive numerous reports from veterinarians and owners, of flea dips
killing rabbits). Please, just pay attention and read the label before
you purchase a flea product.
References:
1 The Merck Veterinary Manual, seventh edition p.1665,1669,1501.
2 Snodgrass, H.L. J Toxicol Environ Health 1992 Feb. 35(2) P 91-105.
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