The very thought of contracting parasites of any kind can make most people’s skin crawl (or itch), but procuring these disgusting creatures can be concerning and confusing at the same time, as most people aren’t entirely sure how you get them or where leaving everything from their backyards to beloved pets in the lane of accusation.
Unfortunately enough, rabbits can indeed pass certain worms and other parasites to their human companions. However, more often than not, rabbits will not pass worms to humans, so you may not have to worry about it. Even still, taking precautions and providing your rabbit parasitic medicine is essential once you find out they have it.
In this article, we will discuss whether rabbits can pass worms to humans and answer some commonly asked questions, such as whether rabbits get worms often and what type of worms they can get. For more information, we encourage you to continue reading.
Will Rabbits Pass Worms to Humans?
In most cases, the vast majority of unique parasites and worms a rabbit can get aren’t zoonotic or cannot cross-infect from animal to human. Still, certain parasites do have this quality. They can become problematic and life-changing depending on how they are obtained and the person who received their life situation prior.
There is truthfully only one kind of worm that can be passed onto humans via rabbits, and that would be particular species of tapeworm. The most common method of getting them is a relatively low chance of coming into contact with a Rabbit’s feces. However, this is incredibly unlikely, as tapeworms can’t usually complete their entire lifecycle within a rabbit.
Do Rabbits Get Worms Often?
No, rabbits are far less likely to get worms than most other animals because they have a unique gut structure that makes it complicated for tapeworms to thrive in them. Most domesticated rabbits aren’t openly exposed to tapeworm eggs, making it far harder for them to procure them in the first place.
Rabbits can, however, get the worms from other pets in the household that happen to have them already and linger near a free-roaming rabbit enclosure, or a similar circumstance plays out. With that being the case, it goes without saying that even amongst domesticated rabbits, ones that are housed outdoors are far more likely to contract the worms than ones that are more isolated from exposure.
What Type of Worms Can Rabbits Get?
While there are roughly five or six different types of worms that rabbits typically can pick up throughout their life, the two main threats you’ll need to concern yourself with are the ones that pose an immediate threat to your rabbit’s overall health and quality of life.
1. Stomach Worms
As the name might suggest, stomach worms are parasitic worms that make their homes inside your beloved pet’s intestinal tract. They can cause issues that can be minor initially, but as the infection worsens and the sheer number of worms multiplies, they can truly begin causing your pet immense pain and even make their daily life miserable.
2. Tapeworms
As their name might suggest, tapeworms earn their name because of how they appear visually, often looking like long strains of tape when fully stretched out and observed. These horrible little parasites inhabit your pet’s intestines, both breeding and feeding here until they gain the ability to enter the next stage of their lifecycle, with the most problematic symptoms from them being overall discomfort, itching around the anus, blockages in the intestine due to severe infections, or even anemia from your pet not being able to make enough healthy red blood cells.
A litany of other complications can arise from tapeworm infections, but these are the most prominent and noticeable. If you suspect your pet has tapeworms or any parasitic infection, your best action would be to consult a veterinarian immediately.
How Did My Rabbit Get Worms?
Despite your best efforts, your rabbit has got worms, and while you scratch your head, your rabbit more than likely itches… other things. You can’t help but ask how. Well, to answer that, there are a few prevalent methods a rabbit can use to get worms, but you shouldn’t feel bad, as these things can happen relatively easily and are in no way indicative of you being a bad pet owner or anything.
1. Contaminated Water
As imperative as water is for our survival, it is equally pivotal for rabbits, and as such, there can be moments when the surrounding area gets contaminated either by eggs or worms themselves, where your poor pet drank them down, unknowingly starting a very long and complex part of their life.
In most cases, the water must be cross-contaminated with another animal’s feces to make this possible. Still, stray worms falling into a communal watering area or any other outcome can cause this infection to play out, so quarantining known infected animals or limiting which ones have open access to your pet’s water supply will make all the difference in stemming the tide of this invasion.
2. Contaminated Food
The same things that could be said of contaminated water are just as true of the food they eat. The biggest thing you can do here is to once again really observe and limit just how much access undomesticated or infected animals have to the food supply.
3. Ingesting Feces
As disgusting as it may seem, rabbits eat their own feces to fully absorb the nutrients from the food they eat. The issue here is that they aren’t quite above ingesting feces that isn’t their own. Because of this, they can also eat some from another rabbit or animal in general that is infected, thus exposing themselves to it as well.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do to stop your rabbit from eating its feces unless you are patiently waiting around their cage or enclosure, scooping it up the second it comes out. Your better course of action would be to play a more proactive and preventative role in your rabbit’s food routine, ensuring they have very little chance of getting worms in the first place, thus protecting yourself from them, too, in the long run.
4. Other Infected Rabbits
Again, this is more of a one-off and a specified view of the above information. Still, obviously, your rabbit is more likely to get worms from other rabbits than either contaminated food, water, or ingesting feces separately because all three cases can and will occur given a long enough stretch of time. So, if you ever note that your rabbit is infected, you need to remove it from the general population and begin treatment immediately.
What Signs Should You Look Out for if You Suspect Your Rabbit Has Worms?
Visual confirmation is one of the largest ways you can confirm whether or not your rabbit has worms. Be it seeing the worms themselves in your rabbit’s stool or sometimes their eyes, noticing their fur looking shabby or suffering from slight mood changes, the signs will be subtle but undeniable in most cases.
1. Weight Loss
Long-standing bun owners will have a general idea of how large and fluffy their pals are and will be able to notice when there is a significant amount of bulk missing from their rabbit, even more so if the weight loss is so severe that it becomes slightly lackluster, or even lethargic, spontaneous weight loss is often accompanied by a lack of desire to eat or another underlying disorder, so it’s imperative to be mindful as to what is going on in these situations.
2. Their Coat Is in Poor Condition
Noticing a lackluster sheen coming from your rabbit’s coat or noticing it has become patchy, matted, or even falling out in swathes can be a direct indication that your rabbit is not taking care of itself or that it isn’t getting the nutrients it needs to generate the necessary proteins to keep its coat in peak condition.
3. Small White Worms on or Near Anus
A few symptoms are quite so obvious as this, as it directly confirms that your rabbit has worms. There is no denying the observation of parasites clustered around the exit of your pet’s intestinal tract. If you see them here, it’s a good sign to not only call the veterinarian but get some anti-worming medication immediately, with the crux of that being that if you aren’t sure which one you need to do, double down on consulting the vet first before making any initial purchases.
4. Has Diarrhea or Is Lethargic (Especially in Younger Rabbits)
Having diarrhea is no laughing matter, as it’s often incredibly messy, foul-smelling, and horrendous to clean up. Still, amongst rabbits and smaller animals, it can prove particularly fatal when left untreated.
Suppose your rabbit does indeed have intestinal worms. In that case, you’ll probably be able to observe them in the stool afterward for a more accurate double confirmation. Still, the primary course of action you’ll want is to ensure your rabbit stays hydrated and seeks treatment immediately.
5. Bites or Scratches Themselves, Especially in the Rear End
Itching isn’t something that is out of the ordinary for rabbits, pets, or even people. Still, constant, even obsessive scratching is, especially when damage is done to their coat, skin, or surrounding areas. To that end, you’ll want to give your rabbit a closer inspection, specifically near their anus, to try and confirm whether or not you see any worms personally. If not, you can attempt to change their diet and eating habits to rule out other possible reasons while consulting a vet.
What Protocols Should You Do if Your Rabbit Has Worms?
It has been repeated numerous times at this point, but getting rid of the parasites once you’ve confirmed their existence is going to be paramount to not only getting your pet back into a healthy state of living but also ensuring that you don’t run the risk of contracting them yourself or, worse, a family member.
1. Take Them to Get Veterinary Care
The most obvious and basic step, getting your rabbit to a medical professional, will get the curing process on its way and allow you to see how bad the overall situation is, as being infected with worms is bad enough. Still, the additional health complications and side effects can be long-lasting and even dangerous, depending on the severity of the infection itself.
2. Provide Your Rabbit With Anti-parasitic Worm Treatment
After getting diagnosed with worms, your vet will more than likely be able to prescribe some anti-worming medication, or at the very least advise you on some different options you can take, as well as offer solutions that fit your financial situation as well not to break the bank while helping your bun get healthy again.
What Do I Do if I’ve Contracted Worms Too?
Suppose you suspect that you’ve got tapeworms or any other kind of parasite. In that case, the first thing you’ll want to do is follow the same procedure for your rabbit, head to your doctor and get yourself examined, explain the symptoms you’ve had, and go in-depth on how and why you may have gotten them.
It’s imperative to understand that stating things like this may be embarrassing, but ultimately, it is your life on the line. More importantly, doctors are professionals, and they’ve likely seen far worse than anything ailing you currently.
Final Thoughts
Although rabbits having worms can be scary, thankfully enough, there are plenty of options for you to do. We hope this article was helpful for you, and if you have any questions about rabbits, we encourage you to check out our other articles. We wish you the best in caring for your rabbits. Until next time!
