Many animals are susceptible to worms, including your indoor and outdoor pet and homestead rabbits.
It’s true that worm parasites are more often found in cats and dogs, however, knowing how to identify worms in rabbits and prevent worms in rabbits is an important skill, as lagomorphs are a potential worm host.
Worm Parasites in Rabbits
There are three types of worm parasites that can be found in rabbits:
- Tapeworm
- Stomach worm
- Pinworm
The first two are very unlikely and are only found in rabbits if they spend a lot of time in shared outdoor spaces with your other pets (i.e. dogs, cats) and eat a bit of their infected feces.
Both tapeworms and stomach worms will cause serious discomfort and weight loss in your rabbit but are not necessarily deadly.
The third parasite, the pinworm, is the most common type of worm parasite to infect rabbits. You may recognize this intestinal worm as a common dog, horse, and human parasite.
This worm spreads when an uninfected animal eats or inhales the parasite’s egg from the feces or living spaces of an infected animal. Once inside, the eggs hatch and female pinworms move to the anal area and begin to lay eggs.
Can Rabbits Get Tapeworms
Yes, as briefly mentioned above, rabbits can get tapeworms. This can happen if your rabbit ingests some infected feces.

Can Pinworms Kill Rabbits
Pinworms are NOT deadly to your pet or homestead rabbits.
However, an infected rabbit will be increasingly uncomfortable and it is likely that they will spread the parasite to other rabbits, especially if you have your rabbit sharing spaces.
At the worst, a severe pinworm infection may cause urinary and defecation issues and infections in your rabbit. We highly recommend immediate treatment for worms in your rabbits.
Can You Get Worms From Rabbits
You cannot contract pinworm from your rabbits.
Pinworms are species specific, which means one species of pinworm will only infect one species, or type, of host.
For example, there is a species that infects humans (Enterobius vermicularis) and a species that infects rabbits (Passalurus ambiguus) and these two different pinworms can not be spread between the two different host types.
How Can You Tell If Your Rabbit Has Worms?
Although pinworms are species specific and you cannot contract pinworm from your pet or homestead rabbits, all pinworms share a similar (if not identical) lifecycle and infection syndrome.
You will know your rabbits, or other homestead animals, are infected with pinworm if they exhibit:
- Itchiness and redness in the anal area
- Severe or abnormal scratching of the bottom and anal area
- Uncharacteristic weight loss
- The presence of small worms around the anal area

Worms In Rabbits: Treatment
If you suspect that your rabbits have worms, it is best to make a vet appointment right away.
Your local vet will be able to quickly and effectively diagnose if your rabbit has worms by testing their feces and then prescribe the proper anti-worming or antiparasitic treatment for your rabbits.
When treated early, worms do not cause a detrimental health issue to your rabbits.
However, if not diagnosed and treated early, especially in young rabbits, a pinworm infection can lead to serious issues such as diarrhea, drastic weight loss, weakness, and potential urinary infections.
How Do You Get Rid Of Worms In Rabbits
The medication prescribed by your vet will take care of the living worms inside your rabbit, but it is up to you to make sure a reinfestation doesn’t occur!
This can be difficult, as the primary way worm parasites in rabbits are spread is by feces. As you may know, rabbits naturally practice coprophagia (eating of their feces) for nutritional benefits.
These are our best tips on how to get rid of worms in rabbits:
- Follow the direction of your vet in administering antiparasitic medication to your rabbits.
- Seperate your infected rabbit from other rabbits and pets.
- Clean the living space of your rabbit well, using disposable gloves.
- Monitor your rabbit and clean their house or hutch of any lingering feces throughout the day, especially at night and early morning.

Preventing Worms in Rabbits
Our best advice in preventing worms in rabbits includes:
- Feed Your Rabbit a High Fiber Diet – this strengthens their immune system and keeps them healthy and resilient
- Perform a Walk-through of the Outdoor Area Your Rabbits Roam – removing all feces before allowing your rabbits outside.
- Pet Your Rabbits Often and Spend Time With Them – this will help you detect any infections or illnesses at the onset.
- Ensure Your Rabbits Have Adequate Housing Space – Do not overcrowd the rabbits.
- Keep Your Rabbits Separate -don’t allow your rabbits to spend time around your other pets or homestead animals.
- Cleanliness -keep the hutches and houses of your rabbits clean.
Finally, to learn more about potential rabbit parasites, check out our posts on Rabbits with Mites. And if you are seeing what seems to be white worms or maggots on the rear end of your rabbit, read Fly Strike On Rabbits and Rabbit Wet Tail.
Frequently Asked Questions Related To Do Rabbit Get Worms
Can Rabbits Die From Worms?
Rabbits do not usually die from worms, especially if an infestation is treated fast and efficiently. However, young rabbits, sick rabbits, or heavily infected rabbits may suffer greatly from worms. They can even develop an infection or experience severe weight loss that can lead to death.
Does Rabbit Poop Have Worms?
The poop of a worm infected rabbit contains the eggs and (sometimes) adult worms. Feces is the primary way worms are spread between animals, as such, it is very important to keep all animal feces away from areas where your rabbits graze and eat.
Can Rabbits Get Worms From Dogs?
Yes, rabbits can get some intestinal worm parasites, such as tapeworm or stomach worm, from other pet animals such as dogs if they ingest infected feces. As such, we always recommend keeping your indoor and outdoor pets and animals separated.
This video does a nice job of summing up the main points of our post!
Final Thoughts on Do Rabbit Have Worms
Can bunnies get Worms? As we’ve discussed, worm infections are not common in rabbits, but they can occur! Especially if your rabbit shares indoor and outdoor space with other pets or farm animals.
Practicing good hygiene and designating separate, clean spaces for your rabbits will reduce the chance of a worm infection, as well as feeding your rabbit a robust high-fiber diet.
Finally, if your rabbit is exhibiting the symptoms of worm parasites, our first recommendation is always to make a trip to your vet for quick and effective treatment!