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Original poster

Warning to all rabbit owners. Fly strike.

53 replies

Tortoise · 03/07/2010 16:36

I had not heard of this before today. My neighbour put some greens in for our rabbit and guinea and noticed a wet looking patch on the rabbits back end and a few maggots.

Took her to the vets earlier and she has fly strike. Maggots have been eating into the flesh at the back of her. [eww emoticon!] vet said the fly lays eggs in any poo stuck to the back end of the rabbit which then hatch and eat the rabbits flesh. [double eww!]

Just a warning to any rabbit owners who hadn't heard of this. Check your rabbit daily in the hot weather for any sign of maggots, the eggs hatch within hours of being laid. Luckily ours was caught early and should be ok now it is being treated and the vet has picked off the maggots. (I will have to do this too if i find any! As well as rubbing cream onto the bald area)

OP posts:

TheNextMrsDepp · 04/07/2010 13:05

Interesting stuff, really appreciate all the rabbit-feeding tips and watch-outs. I was also warned by his previous owner that he once got overweight and couldn't clean his bum properly; just reducing the hard food seemed to sort that out. I never realised a pooey bum could have such dire consequences, though.

This rabbit is a bit of a pig and will eat whatever we give him, so I'm anxious not to overfeed (but don't want to starve him either).

By the way, he has hay in a little rack but I have never seen him actually eat it. Should we reduce the hard food so he is forced to eat some hay?

Original poster

Tortoise · 04/07/2010 15:26

Have syringe fed the rabbit some water. Put her on the grass to see if she would eat. She didn't but had a hop about and seemed a bit brighter.
Have done cream etc. One of them says on the bottle that appetite can be reduced for 24-48 hrs after using so wonder if this is causing it.
Will see how she is later and ring vet if i am worried. Will phone them tomorrow anyway, just to see what they say. Will try giving more water later too.

OP posts:

BuzzingNoise · 04/07/2010 15:39

TheNextMrsDepp, rabbits are fussy easters. Stick to what they like. Chances are, if he doesn't like hay, he won't eat it at all. Not eating leads to death pretty quickly for a bunny.

As for fly strike, the area where the rabbit poos should be cleaned out every day in warm weather, to minimise the risk of flies being about.

misdee · 04/07/2010 16:23

vet said to give flopsy pineapple juice last summer when she went off her food.

BuzzingNoise · 04/07/2010 17:19

really? Why was that?

misdee · 04/07/2010 17:23

helps get the gut moving again. Flopsy is a spoilt little madam. she had smoothies made with a handful of rocket, spinach and pineapple juice syrigne in for 24 hours, and then juice in her water bottle for a week. never seen a rabbit poop so mu8ch, and it was pellet poo's as well not diahorrea.

but that was done on vets advice.

BuzzingNoise · 04/07/2010 17:29

that's a great bit of advice, misdee. I shall remember that.

Original poster

Tortoise · 04/07/2010 20:13

Just back from the vets.
He put her to sleep as she wasn't well at all. The fly strike was looking much better and had dried up nicely. Unfortunately he thinks the shock got her.

RIP Fudge.
How am i going to tell DD's tomorrow? They will be so .

OP posts:

southeastastra · 04/07/2010 20:16

sorry to hear that. same happened to one of mine last year.

she was never very good at grooming herself and the flystrike was very sudden.

felt so bad myself.

BuzzingNoise · 04/07/2010 20:17

Oh tortoise I am sorry. Kids are remarkable resiliant with such news. We have lost four rabbits, one dog and cat since DS has been with us, and he takes it all on the chin.

Flighttattendant · 04/07/2010 20:18

Oh pet. That's really a shame. I am sure she had a lovely life though and was much loved x

Original poster

Tortoise · 04/07/2010 20:34

It will be the 1st pet they have lost and really the 1st loss of anything for them.

They were in tears yesterday at the thought of her dying.

I have her body so we can bury her. (Not sure if this was the right thing to do or not?)

Will the guinea pig be ok alone?

OP posts:

misdee · 04/07/2010 20:38

I'm so sorry tortoise

BuzzingNoise · 04/07/2010 20:47

I always left mine at the vets to be cremated. I wasn't sure how DS would take to a pet being buried in the garden and I figured it would be easier to tell him that he wouldn't see them again. He even carried the last one into the vets himself.

I think the guinea pig will be fine on its own.

misdee · 04/07/2010 20:53

GP may pine a bit. we losty both our GP last summer within a few months of each other. 2nd GP just pined away, and died. he stopped singing

Original poster

Tortoise · 04/07/2010 20:55

That is Misdee.
I really hope Toffee will be ok. The hutch is huge though and she looks so small in it now.

OP posts:

misdee · 04/07/2010 20:58

how old is toffee?

you could talk to a local rescue about maybe finding him/her another GP for company. they might be able to heklp with introducing etc as well.

Original poster

Tortoise · 04/07/2010 21:04

Toffee is 5yrs old. Not keen on getting another TBH as i would forever be replacing one if one died.
I am dreading the morning. Wish DD's didn't have school tomorrow.

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wannaBe · 04/07/2010 21:09

My rabbit had a runny tummy last week while I was away, and my greatest fear was that he would get flystrike. Dh spoke to the vet who tbh was less than helpful but am not sure what dh told them, so I found myself ringing them while somewhere out in the middle of the english channel explaining that the rabit really needs to "be seen today as am desparately afraid of flystrike esp as am not there to supervise." They saw him within a couple of hours, and fortunately he is fine.

But it is such a common occurrence that I don't even want to think about it.

misdee · 04/07/2010 21:09

can u wait till after school?

Original poster

Tortoise · 04/07/2010 21:15

I will have to tell them in the morning because i know they will ask about her or want to check on her. They went to bed just before i went to the vets. My Brother was here to look after them.

OP posts:

ilovesprouts · 04/07/2010 21:19

i lost a rabbit to fly strike a few years ago ,too her to the pdsa and had to get her put down i dont know how has they get cleaned out every day the 2 i have now are ok tho !!

Original poster

Tortoise · 04/07/2010 21:24

The vet did say that often fly strike is part of an underlying problem. ie there is another reason why they suddenly get it.

OP posts:

ilovesprouts · 04/07/2010 21:34

i have kept rabbits on and off for 20+ and only ever lost one to fly strike she was called toffie

Original poster

Tortoise · 04/07/2010 22:35

I have told DD1. She came down and asked if Fudge is ok. She cried her eyes out when i told her.

OP posts:

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