Permethrin Poisoning Symptoms in Rabbits

Symptoms

• Rabbits may exhibit lethargy and loss of appetite. Seizures may occur in extreme cases. Since rabbits have thick fur, you may not see skin abrasions until they become so bad that there is loss of fur. Rabbits may also have red, swollen eyes (conjunctivitis).

Treatment

• If your lawn has been treated with insecticides and you suspect that your rabbit may have come in contact with permethrin, the first step is bathe your rabbit to remove residue from the fur and prevent ingestion through grooming. Use baby shampoo and put your rabbit in a sink with a nozzle (if you have one), as this will be the easiest way to thorough soap up and rinse your rabbit's fur. You will need to towel-dry and blow-dry the rabbit to prevent hypothermia.

  Sterile saline can be used to rinse out the rabbit's eyes. Be sure to thoroughly flush out any residue in the eye to prevent further damage.

Prevention/Solution

• If you know that your lawn has been treated with insecticides, do not allow your rabbit outside. Rabbits will have just as much fun running around inside the house where they are not at risk of poisons and predators.

Considerations

• If your rabbit lives in an outdoor hutch, bring the rabbit inside or into another protected area while your lawn is being treated to avoid inhalation. You may also consider organic methods to avoid adding toxins to your yard.

Warning

• Because rabbits have sensitive gastrointestinal tracts and it is imperative that they continuously eat Timothy hay to prevent GI stasis, any loss of appetite is serious and you should contact your veterinarian immediately.