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What Does Fly Strike Look Like?Fly strike occurs when flies lay their eggs on another animal. The eggs hatch into maggots which then eat away the animal's flesh. In warm conditions, the whole process from eggs being laid to maggots emerging can take just a few hours. The consequences can be devastating and in the worst cases, there will be severe tissue loss where the rabbit is literally eaten alive by the maggots.
If your rabbit happens to be affected with fly strike, it is an emergency and whether it is day or night, you need to seek veterinary attention straight away.
The problem commonly affects messy back ends and a few obvious changes are visible:
1. The skin usually is sore and moist
2. Maggots can be found although it is sometime necessary to look carefully to find them
3. Here is one from close up view
How Is Fly Strike Treated?
- Clip away the fur
- Dunk the affected area in warm water to remove external maggots and any dead tissue
This may require a sedative- It is important to carefully check for any maggot concealed into the flesh of the rabbit
- Antibiotics and pain-killers to treat the inevitable infection
More aggressive treatment may be necessary if the patient is in shockWhile the rabbit in this video podcast was saved and did very well, we see many sad cases where large amounts of tissue has been eaten away. Those are sometime best put to sleep immediately to prevent further suffering. Therefore, it is very important to try our best to prevent that potentially fatal condition. I encourage you to watch our next podcast which will be dealing with that issue.
I lost my rabbit yesterday to flystrike. I had checked him regularly but didn't see anything until it was too late. The only symptoms he showed was to keep grabbing at his bottom. He was still playing, still eating. I had him booked in for a check up on the Wednesday but he unfortunately had to be put to sleep on the Sunday. The condition had gone into the advanced stages and there was nothing the vet could do. I feel like I have let my bunny down, loved him very much and miss him terribly.
Hi, I am Reza Habibian from Iran. I am veterinary student and interested in small animal. I am very glad to find your site, because it is very useful for me. this clip is as perfect as your other clips. best of wishes Reza Habibian
What a wonderful idea, to show detailed clips of this terrible condition. As Louise has said, horrific though it is to witness flystrike, it's vitally important that those who care for rabbits are well informed about the problems and illnesses rabbits may contract. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us! :-)
Having seen flystrike damage to a bun at first hand (thankfully not one of mine), I cannot stress how important it is to check bunny bottoms on a regular basis especially long haired and infirm buns and all buns in warm weather. I am very pleased you have shown this clip, stomach churning as it may be - I don't think many people realise just how serious an issue it is. Well done.