1 Salisbury Road
Low Moor
Bradford
West Yorkshire
BD12 0AA
01274 679192
1 Reva Syke Road
Clayton
Bradford
West Yorkshire
BD14 6QN
01274 884800
9 Kaye Street
Heckmondwike
West Yorkshire
WF16 0JN
01924 412292
Sage Vets © All Rights Reserved Terms of Business
FLYSTRIKE
Flystrike occurs when flies become attracted to faecally matted material around the anus and on the skin of a rabbit. The flies lay their eggs and once the eggs hatch they develop into maggots. In hot, humid conditions this can happen within 24hours. The maggots can then burrow their way through the skin of the rabbit, causing serious damage as they release poisonous toxins into the animal.
Prevention
The best way of preventing flystrike is to check around the anus and surrounding area daily and in warm weather twice a day. Any matted or soiled material needs to be removed immediately.
If it cannot be removed then the fur needs to be clipped off, preferably by a veterinary professional to avoid the least amount of injury to the rabbit.
Once the fur and matted material has been removed, the skin may be sore and so it can be cleaned with a skin disinfectant e.g. chlorhexidine, mixed with some warm water. The solution should be used sparingly so that the rabbits body temperature does not decrease from being cold and wet and to deter flies from landing there again as they are attracted to moist areas.
Rabbits that mainly live in a hutch also need to be cleaned out frequently especially in hot weather. This way hopefully the smell from of urine and faeces will not be as strong and therefore less likely to attract flies. It will also reduce the amount of faeces in the hutch therefore less will be able to stick to the rabbit.
Topical solutions are available that will help prevent flystrike. Some come ready to use and the solution is applied to the skin on the rabbit around and on the area that can be affected. After applying make sure the rabbit is kept warm until the skin and fur are dry.
Treatment
Rabbits with flystrike need to be seen by a vet immediately.
The rabbit is then assessed and if maggots are present they must be removed. The hair is clipped around the affected areas and the area is cleaned with chlorhexidine. If the maggots have broken through the skin, the rabbit may need a general anaesthetic to assess the full extent of the problem. To try and remove the maggots from inside the rabbit whilst it is conscious would cause unnecessary stress and pain. Sometimes the maggots have dug so deep into the rabbit and caused so much damage that euthanasia is the kindest thing.
Rabbits that can be treated may need an antibiotic injection if wounds are present and subcutaneous fluids may need to be administered to help with the shock this illness causes.
PLEASE CLEAN OUT YOUR RABBIT’S LIVING AREA REGULARLY AND CHECK YOUR RABBIT AT LEAST DAILY, ESPECIALLY IN HOT WEATHER, TO PREVENT THIS SERIOUS CONDITION