Home Remedies for Tapeworms in Rabbits

Tapeworms are internal parasites that rabbits can contract by swallowing fleas, and they can cause all sorts of discomfort. These bothers are white or pale and look like small moving grains of rice, and will eventually pass out of a rabbit's digestive tract. It is possible to treat your pet rabbit with home remedies if you suspect it has a tapeworm, but it is usually best to act only on the advice of a veterinarian who has first examined the animal. If your vet approves, treat your pet at home -- but keep an eye on the condition. If it worsens, your rabbit may need medical help.

  1. Recommended Medical Treatments

    • The recommended treatment for tapeworms in rabbits is a dewormer, which veterinarians prescribe or suggest you to purchase over the counter. Deworming treatment kills the internal parasites and forces them out of the rabbit's body through the feces. The effective ingredient that kills the tapeworms is important, because even if the tapeworms pass through the feces, their eggs, larvae and heads can still linger inside the rabbit's intestines. The deworming treatment, however, kills everything.

    Garlic

    • Garlic is a natural prevention and home remedy for treating dogs with tapeworms. Tapeworms do not like the strong sulfuric compounds that garlic contains, and in response the tapeworms leave the host's body. This home remedy is not proven to be completely effective, however, and its results in rabbits have been mixed. Ask your vet about how much garlic you can safely give your rabbit. Small doses of garlic each day can help prevent tapeworms, but high quantities -- which are needed to kill tapeworms already present -- can sometimes be harmful.

    Pumpkin Seeds

    • Pumpkin seeds are natural dewormers for humans and animals alike. Grind fresh pumpkin seeds at home, and feed the grinds immediately to your rabbit by mixing it in the rabbit's food. The recommended amount of ground pumpkin seeds for dogs is one-quarter of a teaspoon, but your rabbit will need much less than that, since measurements are often based on the weight of the animal. Dried or roasted seeds are not nearly as effective as fresh seeds.

    Prevention

    • A healthy diet and keeping your rabbit flea-free can prevent the onset of tapeworms. When one of your rabbits contracts tapeworms, you should quarantine it from all other pets until the tapeworms are gone. Since tapeworms are parasitic, the tapeworms that are expelled through the rabbit's feces will be looking for new hosts to latch onto. To avoid a complete infestation with all of your pets, practice preventative activities at home.