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Fly strike and Rearguard advice please

Snowberry

Snowberry

Wise Old Thumper
Having not had outdoor bunnies last summer I wasnt really worried about fly strike and as I handle them daily anyways I just kept a check on their bums.

With having Bungle now who is long haired and so more likely to be affecting and moving Strawberry out I could do with some advice.

My vet said I should rear guard them, what is this and when should it be done?
 
no advise but will be watching and waiting for someone who knows to come along as this is my first summer with bunnys that are outside and dont know either:wave:
 
I was always under the impression that if the bunnies were healthy they didnt really need rearguarding? I thought it was more for disabled/overweight bunnies who cant groom themselves well?

All my own buns, and fosters are outside and i never rearguard them, i do bum checks twice daily, which should be done anyway :) xxx
 
I am wondering the same thing too but was talking to Ann in Rabbit Welfare Ass. and she said she doesn't rear guard hers because she just worries about bunnies grooming each other and injesting the rear guard. I asked my vet if it works and she laughed and said - it should because it costs enough!! :lol:

Ann also said it's not enough to check underneath as she had a bun who got it on the top of the tail at the base of the back.

Oh I thought I would enjoy summer!! Not if I'm gonna spend all my time being paranoid about fly strike and longing for the winter when the flies are gone!!! The joys of bunny ownership!! :roll::roll:
 
The rearguard wont actually repel the flies it just stops maggots developing and causing the damage to your bun. It only provides 8-10 weeks protection too.

I know some people dont like it as vets only ever mention rearguard, but we've used the Beaphar flyguard on our own buns and some of the boarders for the last few years with no problems at all.
 
Thanks. So is it worth Rearguarding (or similar) when they first go out and then towards the middle of summer to?

Bungle is the main priority as although he will be living inside he will be out in the garden when the weather is nice and his long fur is a pain in the bum!
 
I know you are supposed to check bunny butts daily, but my buns wont let me check them properly!! :shock: I'm lucky if I get a wee feel underneath to make sure they are clean!! It really stresses them out to be lifted and upturned! What am I gonna do???!!! :shock:
 
I don't use it on our bunnies, as those that can keep themselves clean don't need it, and those that don't keep themselves clean need regular bathing so the rearguard is pointless :roll:
 
bensonlola said:
I know you are supposed to check bunny butts daily, but my buns wont let me check them properly!! :shock: I'm lucky if I get a wee feel underneath to make sure they are clean!! It really stresses them out to be lifted and upturned! What am I gonna do???!!! :shock:
Click to expand...

The main area to check is the base of the tail and back, this seems to be where it starts rather than right underneath
 
Hugo's There said:
The main area to check is the base of the tail and back, this seems to be where it starts rather than right underneath
Click to expand...

Oh thanks! I can do that! They would let me do that!! :D

Ps.... still have forms to adopt one of your poorly buns. Am waiting for pay day!! Won't be long! :wave:
 
I've just got in the Beaphar protection spray for Clover, as he sometimes gets a sticky bum which can seemingly happen in an instant, and if I'm out for a few hours it's peace of mind that it's a deterrent.

My boys are used to being stroked everyday, and I stroke right down to their tail so that they will get used to me checking there (Blackberry doesn't like sitting still, tho!). I get to check and see if they're clean underneath when they are flopping out in the afternoon - they all seem to flop at the same time, and they stretch out to relax, so I get down on my hands and knees to check that underneath is clean!

Clover's the only one who occassionally needs a clean. I tried sitting him in a small amount of lukewarm water in the bath once as I thought he might prefer that to being turned upside down....I hadn't realised how high he could jump!!!:lol:

My boys aren't keen on being handled when they're outside, but if I put them in their travel cases and bring them in they are very obliging for me to check them over (except Blackberry, who means well, but can't sit still...)
 
:p
Blackberry & Co said:
I've just got in the Beaphar protection spray for Clover, as he sometimes gets a sticky bum which can seemingly happen in an instant, and if I'm out for a few hours it's peace of mind that it's a deterrent.

My boys are used to being stroked everyday, and I stroke right down to their tail so that they will get used to me checking there (Blackberry doesn't like sitting still, tho!). I get to check and see if they're clean underneath when they are flopping out in the afternoon - they all seem to flop at the same time, and they stretch out to relax, so I get down on my hands and knees to check that underneath is clean!

Clover's the only one who occassionally needs a clean. I tried sitting him in a small amount of lukewarm water in the bath once as I thought he might prefer that to being turned upside down....I hadn't realised how high he could jump!!!:lol:


My boys aren't keen on being handled when they're outside, but if I put them in their travel cases and bring them in they are very obliging for me to check them over (except Blackberry, who means well, but can't sit still...)
Click to expand...

Travel cases!! Why didn't I think of that - you're smart you are!! Benson would let me lift him out of a travel case. He's the hardest to catch but he'll enter into any open door, so could get him in one with no probs. Lola won't go in so readily - she seems to sense when I have some sculdugary in mind, like a trip to the vets.... or checking bunny butts!!

Now that's a good idea. Will try that.:p
 
I used it once and never bothered again. It was a pain to apply and the process upset the bunnies too much. If you are keeping their hutch clean and checking them daily I don't really see the point (my opinion). You can always cover the hutch with netting or small hole mesh to stop the flies getting in.
 
bensonlola said:
:p

Travel cases!! Benson would let me lift him out of a travel case. He's the hardest to catch but he'll enter into any open door, so could get him in one with no probs. Lola won't go in so readily - she seems to sense when I have some sculdugary in mind, like a trip to the vets.... or checking bunny butts!!

Now that's a good idea. Will try that.:p
Click to expand...

I use the travel cases several times a week - I don't even have to lift them in and out, I just open the door and they hop in (sometimes they make a game of it by going half in and then as get ready to close the door they run off, but I want them to enjoy the experience so I let them play!) It makes it much less stressful to take them to the vets.

The only problem is getting 2 into one case - I get one in, then as soon as the other is ready to go in the first will hop out again! For the vets I end up going with four travel cases - the receptionist finds it very amusing, especially as they're such small buns! But they seem happy to travel each in their own case, and they're always put facing their partner.:lol:
 
I lost a nethie to flystrike last year and it is horrific!! :cry:

She was slightly overweight but still moved like lightening so I never thought there was a problem.

You can get a cheaper version of rearguard from P@H and its really worth it for peace of mind.

I really would hate anyone to go through what I did last year. The bunny suffers terribly and I spent four days with her at two different vets, brininging her in to my office through the day in a cat box and over £ 200.00 trying to keep her alive. In the end it was hopeless and I felt she suffered longer than necessary. If i'd known then what I know now I would have had her pts at the first vet appointment.

Please don't think it wont happen to you. It can and its the most awful thing i've ever come accross (i'd never even heard of it until it happened)

A few quid and a bit of a carry on applying it really is worth it.
 
I bought rearguard last year and I couldn't the the bloody aplicater thing to work. The sponge thing is just stupid.
Blues fur is so thick I dont think it would really do anything anyway.
Would horse/jungle spray be any good? I used to used a roll of fly repellant on my pony and it was amazing.
I also put fly paper EVERYWHERE and go mad with citronella candels.
 
The one from P@H is a spray. Its not that hard to get on but you end up covered as well then you just rub it in to the fur. Its pretty toxic though if you have dogs keep it well away from them and wash your hands as apparently it has been known to kill dogs :shock:
 
Bluesmum said:
I bought rearguard last year and I couldn't the the bloody aplicater thing to work. The sponge thing is just stupid.
Blues fur is so thick I dont think it would really do anything anyway.
Would horse/jungle spray be any good? I used to used a roll of fly repellant on my pony and it was amazing.I also put fly paper EVERYWHERE and go mad with citronella candels.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't advise it. The thing with Rear Guard is it's not actually a fly repellent, it just kills the eggs before the maggots hatch out. Using a horse fly repellent could make a bun very ill, as they'll groom it off.

With the sponge thing, there's a little plastic 'dot' in the middle you have to push in with your finger first. Even then you have to press bloody hard to get anything to come out. I always use my hand to get it really wet, then spread it on the bun. Otherwise it might hurt them.
 
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