Bunny has worms…have lots of questions HELP

[Rookie]

So Rookie is a Holland lop closing in on 8 months….i recently saw some worms in his poop and called the vet…they said don’t worry…well I did so soon after, maybe a week and a bit I took his poop to be tested…turns out he has two types of worms…one that’s rabbi specific and one that’s most common in dogs…the vet in the voicemail said this usually happens in wild rabbits…I’m getting him there today to get the injection and oral medication
I’ve tried reading up on it but there are too many types…I’m scared…I’ve seen some terrible pics on the Internet that are of worms in the stomach…every time I hear his tummy rumble I think of I full of worms… :,(
How much damage can something like this cause?! Will it be reversed? How worried do I need to be?
HELP!

[Bam]

Do not worry. There are very effective dewormers that are bunny safe. Rabbits housed outside get worms and so do all other grazing animals like horses and cows and sheep, and house-cats gets worms all the time and all puppy-dogs are born with worms: it’s not a huge deal, just get it treated.

It’s great that you spotted the worms. Good job!

[Rookie]

It hurts me to take him to the vet everytime….. feel so bad for him….i feel like I’m letting him down….

[Bam]

You are not letting him down, on the contrary you are being observant and responsible. Your bunny is lucky to have such a caring owner.
In most cases, worms are no big deal and cause no lasting damage, you just go through with a de-worming process (depending on type of worms, you do a one-time treatment or a treatment over a couple of days or you do a one-time treatment + a repeat a few weeks later.)

Bunnies can get worms because they eat greens, even if you very carefully wash the greens. It’s just one of those things that may happen, and the only thing you do about is what you’re doing: spot the worms, have the feces examined, then treat. Indoors-bunnies shouldn’t be routinely treated for worms, you should treat only when you know there are worms.

[Rookie]

He got an injection and some oral medication for 3 days..this is the third vet visit for him other than the initial check up when I first got him. One was for a possible GI track thing…I think it was from him eating the dry wall under the bathroom sink…and then his nutering. I just hate having to take him since I know he doesn’t like it either.
It’s a learning curve for sure.

[Bam]

It absolutely is a learning-curve but you are doing great. Virtually all bunnies hate going to the vet, but what has to be done, has to be done. I’m guessing the injection was Ivermectin and the other med could be panacur(fenbendazole). Both are good bunny meds. Ivermectin will kill skin parasites as well if he should happen to have any (fur mites are common in bunnies).

[Rookie]

Ok so I am having difficulty feeding him the meds…he had some before and it was easier to hide 30ml of medication on food but 80ml is a bit tougher. He ate some of the stuff I gave him but not all of it. So now I’m worried he won’t get all of it in and I try again with the syringe he will get to much of it….one thing to know is he hates being picked up so I never do it. I’m afraid of hurting him so I never really try…any suggestion or tricks you have would be greatly appreciated. You have been very helpful thank you.

[Rookie]

Oh and I live alone so I don’t have any helping hands…

[Bam]

I make a bunny burrito (wrapping the bunny in a towel so he can’t claw you or kick out), and then I inser the syringe in the gap between the front and back teeth. It’s not super-easy though, but I have a rabbit that gave me lots of training when he was sick last year for a month =/

80 mls sounds like a lot of medicin. What is it called?

Could you hide it in mashed banana or sth else that he really likes?

[Rookie]

He is very picky…doesn’t like banana. It’s the one you listed above…sorry and it’s .80 oops….sorry. …cherries are his absolute fave but the season is over and can’t get it anywhere anymore.

[Bam]

No, cherries would be hard to find now. Some bunnies like fruit/berry baby-food. Some like mashed pumpkin.

I’m so glad it was 0,8 ml, I was getting a bit worried there!

[Rookie]

I’ll take a look at the store. He is a very picky eater… But I should I try and give him a bit less now….cause he at some of the things I gave him but not all. I don’t think he got more than .3 if that….don’t want to give him too much or too little….

[Bam]

No, I can very well understand your dilemma. That’s why the best thing for giving meds in imo by syringing if it’s more than just a drop or two, otherwise you never know if you get all of it into the bunny or not.

[Rookie]

Yeah starting tomorrow I’m gonna do my best with the syringe…but for today not sure what to do…risk giving him too much or not giving him enough and just feeding the infestation kind of like you do when you don’t take enough anti biotic. …or does it not work like that with this stuff?

[Rookie]

So Rookie ended up eating the stuff with the medication in the end. So I didn’t risk giving him more. But today I will give him the sirynge to be sure.
I apologize for all the questions but it’s nice to be able to talk to someone who has experience.
If you don’t mind I have a couple more questions not worm related. Haha

[Author]

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