# Worming rabbits?



## Barnhouse (Feb 24, 2012)

Hello all you popple people.

I have some questions about worming rabbits.

1) Do you do this routinely? How often?

2) What do you use?

3) how long must you wait before using rabbits for meat once they are wormed?


I'll probably think of more later, but it's a start.

Thanks.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

I worm mine every fall. I use pumpkin seeds, feed a small handful a day for 10 to 14 days. No withdrawal time for butchering. 

If your rabbits never get down on the ground and are fed only pellets they won't need to be wormed on a regular basis. Mine get fed a lot of natural food and get to play in the yard occasionally. So they get wormed every fall.


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## lissapell (Mar 2, 2012)

Do you grow your own pumpkins for seeds or do you purchase them? If you grow them have you found a pumpkin in particular that gives more seeds or are better at worming than others?


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## boundarybunnyco (Sep 7, 2011)

I think you can just buy a pumpkin and give them the seeds straight from that.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

I've got around 20 rabbits. Easier to buy the seeds than grow the pumpkins, especially this year. A bag of squirrel food pumpkin seeds isn't that expensive. Less than $10 for a 20 lb bag. I have saved seeds from pumpkins before. Big pumpkins have more and bigger seeds, no matter what variety.

I did try growing some of those naked seed pumpkins this year. Due to the drought and squash bugs the poor plants didn't stand a chance.


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## Barnhouse (Feb 24, 2012)

Seriously, that's it? Just give them pumpkin seeds. That's pretty cool!


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## Ruralnurse (Jun 23, 2011)

This is a good thread. 

What kind of worms do rabbits get? What kind of worms will pumpkin seeds kill? Do they kill worms in other animals as well? In most other animals you worm babies when they are 4-6 weeks of age due to the life cycle of the worms. And then worm them every 2 weeks for about 3 times. This is to get the different ages of the worm cycle. Do you do it this way with pumpkin seeds? 

Thanks,
Rurlanurse


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## Barnhouse (Feb 24, 2012)

Excellent questions. I was wondering too, if this will work with other animals.


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

I have all wire hanging cages a young buck I had a year ago had ear mites and a doe this year had some some how I used a few drops of ivomec pour on cattle wormer, cleared up right away .this is what id use if I suspected worms but have never had a need to .on my dogs I use horse wormer paste and i'v heard of people useing this on there rabbits a pea sized drop in the mouth for a good sized meat rabbit about 11 pounds .I'm thinking the with draul time before eating is 30 days .


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## mystang89 (Oct 10, 2012)

I was using Wazine17 to worm my rabbits. Don't really have a schedule, it was just whenever I felt like it, normally every 2 months or so. I didn't know about pumpkin seeds being a natural wormer though so I will use that now.


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

mystang89 said:


> I was using Wazine17 to worm my rabbits. Don't really have a schedule, it was just whenever I felt like it, normally every 2 months or so. I didn't know about pumpkin seeds being a natural wormer though so I will use that now.


 Now I'm curious as to why you are worming the rabbits so often.Are they on pasture in a tractor or coliony ?


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## AprilW (Nov 25, 2007)

Not to offend, but can anyone point me to proof of pumpkin seeds working as a wormer?


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## lissapell (Mar 2, 2012)

Can rabbits eat wormwood? I didnt know you could buy a bag of squirrel feed pumpkin seeds. I'll have to see what I can find.


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

mystang89 said:


> I was using Wazine17 to worm my rabbits. Don't really have a schedule, it was just whenever I felt like it, normally every 2 months or so. I didn't know about pumpkin seeds being a natural wormer though so I will use that now.


 Now I'm curious as to why you are worming the rabbits so often.Are they on pasture in a tractor or coliony ?


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## mystang89 (Oct 10, 2012)

Didn't really realize that was often as I put a very small amount in their waterer. So about .1ml in a 2 month span. I figured was a good amount and seems to be doing them ok. That said though, I would much rather use the pumpkin seeds if they work.
As for whether they are tractor or not, I just have them in cages and let them out to hop around in a 10 x 30 area for a while everyday.


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## Fat Man (Mar 9, 2011)

AprilW said:


> Not to offend, but can anyone point me to proof of pumpkin seeds working as a wormer?


I was a bit skeptical but found this.


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## AprilW (Nov 25, 2007)

Thank you for the link!


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## Ruralnurse (Jun 23, 2011)

Fat Man said:


> I was a bit skeptical but found this.


I found that site too. So is everyone doing a fasting period before and then a laxative/purge after?

_"Animals should not be fed for a period of 12 to 48 hours before the treatment and another 6-hour period afterwards. A laxative diet or purge should then follow. Castor oil is appropriate for non-ruminants, and a saline diuretic or sodium sulphate and magnesium for ruminants. Liquid deworming treatments that animals do not willingly ingest can be administered using a funnel and a flexible tube put down the animal's throat, or a "gun" designed for this purpose."_

And it says just feeding them the seeds is not that effective:

_Cucurbits

The seeds of squash, pumpkins and many other vine crops contain a deworming compound called cucurbitacin that is more or less active depending on the parasite. The seeds may be fed directly to animals as the Canadian pioneers once did, but it is better to extract the main ingredient using water, alcohol or ether, for an effect that is similar to that of pumpkin seeds. Aqueous extracts from squash seeds (dilution 1/50) are effective against Haemonchus contortus.

Pumpkin seed dewormer:

- Shell and grind up the pumpkin seeds (or buy them at a grocery store).
- Mix 500 g of the seeds with three litres of water.
- Simmer (do not boil), while stirring, for 30 minutes.
- Let cool 30 minutes.
- Filter through a cloth, squeezing to remove as much juice as possible.
- Reduce over low heat to 150-200 ml.
- Make sure to remove oily scum.
- Refrigerate._


I also saw on another site (by a large animal vet but can't find it now) that some of the natrual products would have to be fed in large enough quantities to kill worms that it may be dangerous for the animal. I have to admit that I think I will go with Ivermectin. I greatly respect folks that want to go natural though.

Ruralnurse


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## klickitat (Dec 26, 2008)

How are your rabbits getting worms? Are you feeding them something other than a commercial feed?


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## mystang89 (Oct 10, 2012)

That's a nice site for the deworming process. I personally, again this is just me personal and because I don't really have the time, won't go through the purge period or not letting them eat for "x" amount of hours. It said that feeding them the seeds wasn't "as" effective so that means it is still somewhat effective. I have 9 pumpkins which will be cut and made into puree which means I will have a LOT of seeds for my 5 rabbits so I will just give them a bunch.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Sorry I didn't get back sooner. Work happened.

Pumpkin seeds are a traditional human wormer. Yes they work. We had a little buck as a house pet for several years. One day I was eating pumpkin seeds and he jumped up on me demanding his share. Of course I gave him some that day and every day until the package was gone. One day during the course of the pumpkin seeds as I was cleaning out his litterpan I found some poops with little rice like things on it. The rice like things weren't moving and a google search revealed that they were intestinal worms (don't remember which kind right off). In my research I found that if they were passed under normal circumstances the worms would be alive. These were dead. After 2 weeks of the pumpkin seeds that little rabbit was more energetic and lively than he had been since we had him. I then bought some seeds for the rest of the herd and fed them all pumpkin seeds for 2 weeks. (in my research I found that the eggs take 7 to 10 days to hatch which is why I feed the seeds for 2 to 3 weeks) A couple other rabbits then passed some dead worms too. 

The only "purge" or fasting period my rabbits had was since their feeding the night before. If we give them the seeds in the morning when we fill their water bottles they eat them much better than they do if we add them to the pellets.

Yes, I feed foods besides pellets. Right now the rabbits are munching their way through a mountain of fallen maple leaves.


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## mystang89 (Oct 10, 2012)

How many pumpkin seeds did you give them per feeding?


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

I have never used pumpkin seeds to worm. 

I'm more of a conventional person, because it's easier. Trying to explain to my father how to do something like feed pumpkin seeds for a couple days in a row (and I've always heard to do it for a few days in a row), is more work than it is to just treat conventionally as needed. Most conventional treatments are once-and-done, and I can do that on the weekend when I'm home.

Personally, I use ivermectin to deworm rabbits. I usually put a couple drops of 1% ivermectin in each ear. This will get ear mites and deworm the rabbit, because ivermectin is readily absorbed through the skin. 

I do not do this on a schedule - only as needed. Usually only when I see ear mites. Ivermectin CAN 'build up' in the rabbit's bodies. I think it was on this forum where someone was talking about a herd where the owner dewormed everything with ivermectin monthly. After about a year, the does were having deformed, dead litters. Even after ivermectin was stopped, the issues continued. 

Usually if I see animals struggling with diarrhea or loosing condition, I"ll treat with a coccidicide (baycox, sulmet, dimethox) because USUALLY they're more likely to be affected by coccidia than worms, I've found. If they don't respond well to coccidia treatment, I'll then try deworming them.


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## a7736100 (Jun 4, 2009)

I've seen pinworms in their poop but I read somewhere that they are gross but harmless to the rabbits. So I don't bother deworming.


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

One thing to note is that MOST GI worms are not visible to the naked eye in the poo. Very few are.


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

I'm with mygoat in useing ivomec only when needed .it in my personal experince works well on all the livestock and pets on the homestead .it is absorbed through the skin so care must be used to avoid getting it on oneself .that said I have almost no problems with worms I will pour it on the milkcow when she is not being milked and try to get the stock cows spring and fall and the work horse with the paste the farm dogs get wormed when the horse does but as ivermedicin does'nt get tape worms I will give them a specal for dogs pill tofix that about yearly .I'm thinking the reason I seem to have very little need to worm or medicate for other illness is there is very little trafic of new livestock here the milkcow has been here 5 years now the chickens were hatched here I got a buck rabbit over a year ago all the stockcows were born here a new under a yearold bull from a clean farm is going to be the only new addition this year .not tradeing around bringing in odd germs and worms and haveing animails raised in a clean healthy enviroment holds down stress and the need to doctor them .


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

mystang89, a small handful a day (approx 1 to 2 tablespoons) everyday for at least 2 weeks.


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## mystang89 (Oct 10, 2012)

How dry do the pumpkin seeds need to be? I cut a couple of pumpkins open yesterday to make some pumpkin puree and put the seeds on a plate in front of the fireplace. They are dry for the most part but do have some stickiness left to them in a few spots.


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## Fetherhd (Aug 16, 2012)

WELL this is nice to know...I just dehydrated the innards of a couple of big pumkins with the intentions of giving it to the bunnies as treats...heheheh had several other peeps offer me pumkins that have not been cut because I like to bake them for pies...sounds like Iam going to have a nice big supply of seeds for the next few months!!


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## mystang89 (Oct 10, 2012)

I just tried to give my rabbits some pumpkin seeds and they didn't seem like they wanted them. I'll leave them in there today just in case though.


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## o&itw (Dec 19, 2008)

They are not goats or sheep.

If you keep them in wire cages off the ground they should never need to be wormed unless you purchased animals that already had them. Even then, only they ones you bought would need worming, not their offspring if you keep you cages in sanitary condition.


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## mystang89 (Oct 10, 2012)

o&itw said:


> They are not goats or sheep.
> 
> If you keep them in wire cages off the ground they should never need to be wormed unless you purchased animals that already had them. Even then, only they ones you bought would need worming, not their offspring if you keep you cages in sanitary condition.


Some people put their rabbits in colonies on the ground and others, even if their rabbits are in cages, have separate areas on the ground for the rabbits to run and get exercise.


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## o&itw (Dec 19, 2008)

mystang89 said:


> Some people put their rabbits in colonies on the ground and others, even if their rabbits are in cages, have separate areas on the ground for the rabbits to run and get exercise.


True Mystang.

Using that method, one will usually need to treat for worms and especially coccidiosis. The OP didn't say, so I hope my post is helpful if they are raising them on wire.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

mystang89, my rabbits don't get pellets all day. They get their pellets in the evening. I give them the pumpkin seeds in the morning, early morning if possible. That gives them all day to nibble. Some don't want to try the seeds but will if they are in the dish and they have nothing else to eat all day. 

Worms or not, pumpkin seeds are a nutritious food and won't hurt rabbits.


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## forcefarms (Nov 13, 2012)

Wazine works great in their water.


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