Flystrike in Rabbits
Flystrike or ‘Blowfly strike’ or ‘myiasis’ is a condition that can effect the majority of rabbits, domestic or wild, mainly in the late spring, summer and early autumn, although it can occur at any time.
Flystrike can be caused by many different flies, the most common ones in the UK seeming to be the Blowfly and Green-Bottle. The condition of flystrike is caused by these flies laying their eggs in the fur around a rabbit’s genital area. Such flies are attracted to these areas by damp fur, urine, faeces and sometimes the rabbit’s scent gland. These flies will then lay their eggs on the rabbit and in just hours these eggs can hatch and the maggots will start to eat into the rabbit’s flesh.
Rabbits that have a urine infection, or are arthritic or over weight, or have heavy-dewlaps are thought to be more prone to flystrike than others.
Rabbits should be checked (at least) twice daily in the spring, summer and autumn months to check that the rabbit’s bottom is clear of any faeces e.t.c. The first check should be in the morning and the second in the evening.
I find that the best way to check my rabbit is to turn him onto his back on my lap. The area should be clean of any excremement.
A healthy rabbit should clean him/herself thoroughly, which will reduce the risk of flystrike, however this does not mean that you don’t have to check the rabbit yourself. One of the common, first indicators that a rabbit is ill is that they don’t clean themselves. If this is the case there is a risk that the rabbit’s rear will not be clean, thus attracting flies.
If when checking your rabbit you find faeces or diarrhoea, you should clean it off immediately. You should do this by using cotton wool and warm water. Some vets suggest smearing the area with Vaseline afterwards, but you should check with your vet before doing this.
If there are any signs of flies, eggs or maggots on your rabbit then your rabbit will need an  appointment at the vets immediately. If it is left, the condition may become fatal.
Preventing flystrike is not easy, but if you check your rabbit twice a day it is likely that if you spot the flystrike in the early stages vets will be able to cure it.
Flystrike can sometimes be caused by the rabbit eating too many greens or too rich grass. So when you let your rabbit out it may be a good idea to either limit the amount of grass it can eat or only let it out for smaller lengths of time. Instead of feeding your rabbit lots of green vegetables, substitute it for veggies such as carrots.
Lettuce is known to cause diarrhoea is rabbits so it should not be fed as this can encourage flies.
It may be a good idea for a thin mesh to be put on the doors of your rabbit’s hutch, although this can not be solely relied upon for keeping your rabbit free from flystrike.
Many vets recommend products for protecting your rabbit from flystrike such as ‘Rearguard’. Consult a vet as to which is the best product to protect your rabbit from flystrike.
If you have any concerns or questions then ask a vet, this article is only my personal opinion of treating and preventing flystrike and cannot be solely replied upon.
June 26, 2010
· 
Maddia (Admin) · 
5 Comments
Tags: flystrike, medical advice, My Rabbits, Pets · Posted in: Medical Information (Rabbits), Rabbit Care, Rabbit Information
5 Responses
how can i subsribe to this site?
You can subscribe to the RSS feed of this website. Or you can simply bookmark MadelineDyer.com and come back regularly to check out any new posts.
I’m impressed. I dont think Ive met anyone who knows as much about this subject as you do. Youre truly well informed and very intelligent. You wrote something that people could understand and made the subject intriguing for everyone. Really, great blog you’ve got here.
I want to personally thank you for creating this post. I had been searching to find information about this exact topic.
Awesome informative post . Thanks for such helpful article.