Something we hope no rabbit owner or hobby farmer has to face in their animals is mange. This nasty parasitic infection is one of the most aggressive illnesses your animals can experience and, unfortunately, has a high death rate.
Mange does occur in rabbits, as well as other farm animals such as cats, dogs, and even cattle.
The most effective way to prevent mange in rabbits, or your other hobby farm animals, is to understand what it is, what causes it, and contemporary mange treatments.
Mange In Rabbits: What Is Mange?
Mange is a disease caused by ectoparasites.
Ectoparasites are any small pest, insect, or arachnid which burrows into, or attaches onto, the skin of a host animal and remains there for a time.
Examples of ectoparasites include ticks on rabbits and many different types of mites.
In fact, adults, nymphs, and larvae of parasitic mites cause mange. These mites infect the host animal and cause serious, and most often disastrous, infection and immune system compromisation.
What Is Mange On Rabbits Caused By
There are four primary parasitic mites that cause mange on rabbits, the first three are non-burrowing parasites while the last one is a burrowing mite:
- Sarcoptes scabiei
- Psoroptes cuniculi
- Cheyletiella parasitovorax
- Notoedres cati
Any of these mites, when in contact with the rabbit host, will infest and infect tender parts of the skin. The worst thing is that, due to their small size, they aren’t often noticed until severe damage has already been done to the hosts’ skin and immune system.
These mites also complete an entire lifecycle in just over a month; this means infestation of mange causing parasites often increases exponentially!
Are Scabies And Mange The Same?
Scabies is a type of mange. More specifically, it is mange caused by the sarcoptic mite!
Is Mange Deadly For Rabbits
Yes, mange can kill your rabbits.
The most likely cause of death comes from chronic infection in very young, disabled, or old rabbits. However, any mange can get out of hand and cause even your most hardy and healthy rabbit to die.
Can Mange Resolve Itself?
Mange cannot resolve itself. If mange is left untreated, the infected animal will die.
And even with active treatment, mange is not easy to resolve, especially due to its highly contagious nature.
Mange has two primary methods of transmission: direct physical contact with infected animals and indirect contact with an infected environment or an infected animal’s feces.
This makes it incredibly difficult to contain infections, especially if it goes unnoticed for a time.
Is Mange Contagious: How Do I Know My Rabbit Has Mange
As stated, mange is a highly contagious parasitic infection that can be spread across individual animals through touch, environmental proximity, and fecal matter.
In addition, the burrowing mite Notoedres cati often infects both rabbits and felines. So if you have indoor or outdoor cats be aware that, as natural parasite hosts, an infected cat can endanger your rabbits and vice versa.
Can My Infected Rabbit Give Me Mange
No, animal mange cannot transfer to humans.
However, infected indoor and outdoor pets alike can even transfer parasitic mites to humans, which usually results in a bad case of scabies.
Symptoms Of Mange In Rabbits
You will know that your rabbit has mange if it is exhibiting the following tell-tale symptoms:
- Severe skin inflammation
- Flaky and scaly skin on the ears, nose, lips, face, perianal or genitalia region
- Scabs and open sores on the ears, nose, lips, face, perianal or genitalia region
- Hair-loss
- Foul-smelling discharge from the inner ear canal
These and more specific symptoms are outlined in a research article’s table on “Clinical pictures of different mite species infest rabbits.” check it out here.
But why does mange cause such aggressive and particular ear and face skin irritation?
Because all of the parasitic mites that cause mange eat and burrow into the 3-5 cell skin layer of the epidermis and the host animal’s serum – which is most easily accessible in soft places like the face, the ears, and reproductive areas.
The aggressive burrowing nature of the parasites makes it very hard for the host animal’s immune system to adequately defend against the parasites, which is why mange often leads to death.
Is Mange Curable: How Do You Treat Mange On Rabbits
Like other mite infestations in rabbits, mange is best treated by Ivermectin, a vermifuge medication that your local vet can prescribe.
The most common form of application is to inject your rabbit with the medicine over multiple doses; Ivermectin does not treat any unhatched mite eggs and therefore is best applied at least twice to ensure the two generations of parasites on your rabbit are killed.
Mange In Rabbit Treatment
If you suspect that your rabbit is suffering from mange, reach out to your local veterinarian immediately!
Studies have found that an Ivermectin dosage of 700 mcg/kg (700mcg/2.20lb) body weight in infected rabbits resulted in full recovery.
Researchers have also suggested strengthening your rabbit’s immune system and increasing their chances of a strong recovery by giving them dietary supplements of zinc and vitamins throughout treatment.
An unchecked mange infestation can cause serious unhealthy weight loss, loss of hearing, and other long term damage to your bunnies, if not death!
Prevention Of Mange In Rabbits
One of the best preventative measures against mange is good cleanliness habits.
Wash your rabbits living quarters, blankets, beds, or other fabrics lived with weekly. We suggest a deep clean of your rabbit’s hutch once every two weeks!
We also keep our rabbits’ living and playing spaces separate from those our other homestead animals.
This ensures that if mange did occur in any one of our bunnies, we could quickly and efficiently quarantine the infected rabbit and limit their exposure to other bunnies and farm animals.
Another strong preventative measure is daily grooming of your rabbit. Daily grooming not only builds trust between you and your bunny, but also offers you an opportunity to gently inspect the ears and face of your rabbit, checking for parasites or other skin issues.
My youngest daughter loves holding each of our rabbits for a few minutes each day, running her hands gently over their ears and doing a quick mite and tick check!
Frequently Asked Questions Related To Rabbits With Mange
What Triggers Mange?
Mange is caused by contact with and infestation by parasitic mite species. If your rabbits roam outside around areas where wild rabbits are, or spend time around other pet or outdoor animals, they may catch this harmful parasite!
What Is A Rabbit Scabies Home Remedy?
There are many natural home remedies that can be used to help treat scabies (a particular type of mange).
For example, clove oil has been found to kill scabies causing mites in rabbits! Another great option is Tea Tree oil or Neem oil, both of which have strong antimicrobial and antibacterial properties.
However, always chat with your local vet before using any home remedy; if your rabbit does have scabies or mange, it may be at such a point that requires prescription grade vermifuges!
Final Thoughts On Rabbits With Mange
Mange is just about the last thing you want to face with your bunnies!
This very aggressive parasitic infection most often leads to death if not treated early and can severely and quickly diminish the health and wellbeing of your entire group of rabbits.
Thankfully, there is effective treatment for mange available and many infected rabbits can recover to full health.
But that doesn’t mean you should ever underestimate the benefit of keeping your rabbit’s living spaces clean, tidy and separate from other indoor or outdoor animals.
We have yet to experience a mange outbreak in our rabbits (thank goodness) and I know it is because we have weekly cleaning schedules, daily grooming and interaction with our rabbits, and are feeding them a best diet high in fibers and hay (which greatly supports their immune systems and bodily functions).
Finally, it never hurts to get on the phone with your vet if you see something curious or irregular on your rabbit – when it comes to mange, you are alway better safe than sorry!