FLY STRIKE IN RABBITS
What is fly strike?
During the summer months, pet rabbits may be affected by maggot infestation.
Different terms are used for this but fly strike is a common one. Another is
to say that the rabbit is fly blown. The technical term your veterinarian might
use is miasis. Healthy rabbits are generally not affected by fly strike. There
are three main problems that lead to the condition. First, a wound to which
the flies are attracted and on which they lay their eggs is an obvious site
where maggots can cause damage. More commonly, a rabbit that cannot, or does
not feel like turning round to groom itself will quickly have matted and soiled
fur around its anus. This, from the fly's point of view, is an ideal opportunity
to lay eggs. When the maggots hatch if the rabbit cannot groom itself these
fly larvae survive, spread and may cause a tremendous amount of damage as they
eat through the tissues. Thirdly, damp bedding is an ideal environment for egg-laying
and maggot growth and development.
Ensuring your rabbit is not prone to fly strike
The key factors in preventing fly strike are to ensure that bedding is
dry, that the rabbit does not have any wounds or ulcerated areas of skin and
that there are no problems to prevent him grooming. What are these likely to
be?
Dental disease can cause inability to groom. An animal which has sharp
hooks on its molar or cheek teeth will not want to groom since these hooks cause
pain when the rabbit extends its tongue to groom in the normal manner. Similarly,
overgrown incisor teeth (at the front of the mouth) will impede grooming. Your
rabbit's teeth should be checked regularly by your veterinary surgeon and appropriate
treatment given if necessary.
Rabbits with back problems may not be able to turn round to groom properly.
Any rabbit with diarrhea will be especially prone to fly strike, and will have
many other problems associated with the diarrhea Such a condition is an emergency
for the rabbit far more than for a dog or cat (unless a puppy or kitten when,
again, it is a major problem).
Treatment for fly strike
The animal will need to be sedated or anaesthetized so that all the maggots
can be removed and the whole area well disinfected with an antiseptic solution.
Your rabbit will need antibiotics since there is a major probability of secondary
bacterial involvement. In severe cases intravenous fluids and steroids may be
needed. In such cases your rabbit will be hospitalized and kept warm and comfortable,
probably with a heat pad or an overhead infrared light. Such intensive care
may cure your rabbit of the maggot infestation but in severe cases extensive
surgery may be needed to remove all the dead maggot-ridden tissue. This can
be a long, quite risky and often expensive treatment and after all that it will
still be necessary to overcome the original problems which led to the fly strike.
In conclusion: preventing fly strike
The preferable option is to take your rabbit to the veterinary surgeon maybe
twice yearly for a routine health check, to ensure that dental disease or back
problems are not predisposing your rabbit to this dangerous condition. Giving
him/her dry and well aired housing is an ideal, cheap and easy way to minimize
the possibility of fly strike.
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