Fly Strike

Rabbits are often hunched up, reluctant to move and do not eat due to pain

They may smell of decay and the affected area is often covered with a brown, matted discharge.

On close examination, large sores can be seen. Most commonly occurs around the tail.

Numerous rice grain sized fly maggots can be seen embedded in the open sores.

 

Flies laying eggs on the rabbit, usually on areas which are damp. The eggs hatch within hours and the maggots burrow into the flesh, secreting enzymes that cause the tissue to decay, allowing them to burrow even further.

The wrong diet is the most common cause. Easily digestible carbohydrates often cause large volumes of soft stool. Overweight rabbits cannot bend around to clean off the fecal pellets and caecotrophs (See Feeding a Rabbit).

Dental problems can also prevent a rabbit from cleaning around the tail area. Dribbling rabbits often develope fly strike in the fur on the 'bib' under the neck.

Excess urine production due to infections will cause damp fur.

Cages that are not cleaned out daily will cause rabbits to have soiled under-carriages, prone to fly strike.

 

Shock is the main reason why most rabbits with fly strike die. Remove your rabbit from the hutch and place it in a warm, dry box.

There is no point in removing the maggots you can see since the ones causing the most pain and damage are deeply embedded. The pain of digging around on the flesh together with the time wasted can contribute to the death of you rabbit.

Get help as soon as possible.

 

Fly strike is an emergency. Rabbits die due to a combination of shock, toxins from the maggots and the decaying flesh, pain and through not eating.

Fly strike rabbits cannot wait until normal office hours for help.

 

 

The most important aspect is to stabilise the patient. Often they are put on a drip to counter shock, flush out toxins, provide glucose and combat electrolyte and acid imbalances in the body.

Painkillers are essential.

Antibiiotics are used to treat the bacterial infection that results in the open wounds caused by the maggots.

There are a number of products used to kill off the maggots. The patient may be anaesthetised in order to remove all the maggots from the deeper parts of the wounds.

Treatment for the open wounds may take several days.

Since the fly eggs are very difficult to see and can hatch within hours, it is common to find new maggots even days after the treatment.

Rabbits that stop eating often need complex treatment to get their digestive system going again.

Prevention:

Check on your rabbit every day, particularly in the hot weather.

Clean the hutch daily and make sure there are no wet or soiled areas for your rabbit to lie in.

Feed the corrct diet to prevent dental problems, excessive weight or poorly formed faecal pellets.

There are several prescription products that can be applied to rabbits to either deter flies or to kill them. They are a very good idea but should not replace daily examination of your pet.