Rabbits need special parasite preventativesHumane Society of Greater DaytonHumane Society of Greater DaytonWith the arrival of warmer weather, the parasites show up. No, not your in-laws from Cleveland: fleas and ticks. With our recent mild winter and the early heat wave, the fleas and ticks will thrive. If you allow your house rabbit to enjoy supervised playtime outdoors, you will need to protect him from these pests.Topical products for fleas and ticksNot all products are safe for all pets; a product that is perfectly safe for dogs and cats may be lethal for a rabbit. DO NOT USE FRONTLINE ON A RABBIT; this product can cause death in rabbits. Frontline is a topical product that is safe for cats and dogs, but it has been linked to neurological damage and death in rabbits. Safe treatments to prevent and kill fleas on rabbits include Advantage (imidocloprid), Program (lufenuron) and Revolution (selamectin).Revolution (selamectin) is a monthly flea and tick prevention which also guards against heartworms, ear mites and sarcoptic mange mites.Program contains lufenuron, a chemical that prevents flea eggs from hatching but does not kill adult fleas - it does NOT work against ticks, however.Advantage (imidacloprid) is a topical treatment that kills adult fleas and prevents reinfestation for up to a month. Bathing your pet reduces its effectiveness, and it does not work against ticks.Revolution is preferred, since it also protects against ticks, mites causing mange, ear canker and Cheyletiella-genus fur mites. Your rabbit-savvy veterinarian can help you decide which product will be best for your rabbit and advise you as to the proper dosage. The dosage for a rabbit is much smaller than for a dog or a cat - it is usually the dosage a kitten would receive. Whichever product you use, it should be applied between the shoulder blades or back of the neck once a month (where the bunny cannot lick it off). If you are treating fleas or mites (as opposed to preventing them), remember to clean the rabbit's environment and exercise areas thoroughly to prevent reinfestation. Again: DO NOT USE FRONTLINE ON A RABBIT; FRONTLINE CAN CAUSE DEATH IN RABBITS.Another caution: never use multiple types of flea and tick repellents on a pet at the same time. A mixture of different chemicals can make a pet seriously ill, cause permanent damage and even death.A natural flea control: flea combs are cheap and readily available at any pet store. These are natural means of flea control, and most rabbits love (or learn to love) the attention of being combed (and it feels nice for them too). It's a nice addition to your flea and tick control program. Do not use these products on rabbits:Frontline (fipronil) has been linked to neurological damage and death in rabbits. It is deemed safe for dogs and cats. Flea powders and flea shampoos, even those considered safe for cats and kittens or even if advertised as 'rabbit safe', are not recommended for use on rabbits. Baths are extremely stressful for most rabbits, and can result in serious health consequences and even death. Rabbits are quite fragile in many ways.Environmental controls such as flea sprays and flea bombs are a bad idea for use in areas frequented by rabbits, as the rabbits may ingest the toxic residue. A good solution: Borax or a product known as diatomaceous earth (actually the finely crushed , fossilized remains of a type of algae) worked into the carpet will puncture the soft shells of fleas and their eggs, but will not harm your rabbit or other pets.-------------------Ticks bring down JP Morgan?April through topsafetyproductthai.weebly.com/blog/1 - Safety Product - November are critical months for Lyme Disease, now found in every state. If left untreated, Lyme disease may progress in stages from mild symptoms to serious, long-term disabilities. Now it appears as though this ailment can cause damage and disability to major investment firms as well. As Julia La Roche reported in Business Insider, the Chief Investment Officer at the JPMorgan Chase London office, Ina Drew, contracted Lyme disease in 2010 and as a result was frequently out of the office. It has been suggested that these absences allowed internal divisions to interfere with the efficiency of operations. Read more here.Don't let this happen to you. Protect your rabbit and your investments with appropriate, rabbit-safe parasite preventatives. Purchase Revolution or Advantage online at the Petango store and a portion of your purchase will go to support the pets at the Humane Society of Greater Dayton. Find out how.------------------The rabbits in the slideshow have no particular investments to speak of, but neither have they any parasites. Rabbits at the Humane Society of Greater Dayton are fully vetted, spayed or neutered, and ready to be adopted.---------------------Subscribe!To receive email notifications when my new articles post to the Dayton Small Pets Examiner page, please use the "Subscribe to Email" link (under my name, above), or follow me on Twitter to receive notification of all of my articles. If you have questions, comments or suggestions please email me at bunnybinks@gmail.com for the timeliest response.