Mite infestations are usually not life-threatening but are unpleasant for the rabbit and can lead to other health problems. Rabbits always carry some degree of mites without any problems.

But if your rabbit becomes infested with mites, it’s highly likely there’s an underlying issue that has allowed the mites to multiply. So you know what to do when it comes to these common parasitic beasties, here's the signs, treatment and prevention of rabbit mites.

What Are Rabbit Mites?

Mites are parasites that live on the skin of an animal. Cheyletiella parasitovorax is the most common rabbit fur mite. These mites are visible to the naked eye and can be seen moving around. This is how they’ve got the nickname of ‘walking dandruff’. They’re a zoonotic mite which means they can be passed on to humans.

All rabbits carry this mite, but normal grooming keeps numbers under control so there’s no clinical signs or problems. If the rabbit is stressed, poorly from another illness, or doesn’t groom themselves properly, then the mites can multiply.

There’s often an underlying reason why a rabbit has a Cheyletiella mite infestation. If a rabbit is suffering from dental disease, they’ll have difficulty grooming themselves and the number of mites can increase.

Leporacus gibbcus is another non-burrowing rabbit fur mite that can just about be seen with the naked eye. The eggs are attached to the hair shafts and can survive even when treatment has killed the live mites. So, regular treatment is needed until all eggs have hatched. It’s possible for this mite to be passed on to humans causing swelling and irritation of the skin.

Rabbit ear mites or psoroptes cuniculi are mites that cause ear canker – a highly contagious condition that spreads from rabbit-to-rabbit through direct contact or from eggs in the environment. If left untreated, ear mites can cause secondary bacterial infections and vestibular disease that can affect the rabbit’s balance.

What Are the Signs of Rabbit Mites?

Fur mites or ‘walking dandruff’ can cause flaky skin and bald patches of skin. This is often seen down the spine, at the back of the neck, between the shoulder blades and around the back end of the rabbit. Early-stage fur mites in rabbits causes excessive scratching. You’ll probably notice your rabbit trying to rub an area of their body against something.

Leporacus gibbcus mites can cause itchiness, fur loss and an abnormal moulting pattern mostly along the back, abdomen and around the thighs.

Early-stage rabbit ear mites cause excessive head and ear scratching. As the mite infestation grows and spreads into the ear flap, crusts will become noticeable. Some rabbits will scratch their ears to the point of making them bleed. This can lead to secondary bacterial infections that spread to the middle and inner ear causing vestibular disease (loss of balance, eye rolling and head tilt).

Rabbit Mite Treatment

Fur mites can be treated with a spot on or injectable at regular intervals for 3-5 weeks. All in contact rabbits need to be treated even if they’re not displaying any signs of infestation. You’ll also need to thoroughly clean your rabbit’s environment to make sure all the eggs are destroyed. Cheyletiella mites can be a vector for myxomatosis, so make sure your rabbit’s vaccinations are up to date.

Rabbit ear mite treatment requires injections and spot-on treatment to kill the mites. Your vet may also prescribe antibiotics if there’s a secondary infection. The condition can be very painful for your rabbit, so anti-inflammatories are often prescribed too.

Never attempt to remove the crusts as this will be extremely painful for your rabbit and will damage their delicate skin. The crusts will fall off naturally when treatment begins. 

When treating your rabbit, make sure you speak to a vet first. Giving them the wrong treatment can make the problem worse or could even be fatal.

How to Prevent Rabbit Mites

A pet rabbit can pick up mites from contact with other affected rabbits or from the environment. The best way to prevent mites is to keep your rabbit’s enclosure as clean as possible and rabbits stress free. Most rabbits carry some degree of mites but they only multiply when the rabbit is ill or stressed. When one rabbit becomes affected, it’s more likely that your other pet rabbits will be affected too.

Check your rabbit’s skin and fur daily for signs of mites or other skin problems. Flaky skin, hair loss, sore or red skin, and black specks in the fur are all symptoms that should be checked by a vet. Take your rabbit for regular health checks at your vets so that any health problems, like dental disease, can be detected and treated at an early stage. This will help to prevent a mite infestation.

All rabbits are at risk from common mite infestations, but there are things that you can do to help prevent this, like maintaining a clean environment and taking your rabbit for regular health checks.

If your rabbit does show signs of mites, make sure they and their rabbit companions are treated by a vet as soon as possible to prevent further health issues.

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Content provided from Vetstream's Vetlexicon Lapis – www.vetlexicon.com/treat/lapis

Vetlexicon is the world’s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world’s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.