Trying to put the risk of fly strike into perspective here. ..Poll added!

... Put your hand up if you've ever had a rabbit with flystrike. Esp those of you with lots of rabbits for a long time!! Now of the yesses , did your bunny have anything else wrong with it? Am trying to regain some sanity. Hope I get the answers I'm hoping for. Feel free to lie just to make me feel better!!

Thanks for doing this thread! With all the flystrike talk on here Im starting to get paranoid and panicked earlier coz there was 1 fly in my flat :roll:
And for the record, no none of my buns have ever had it TOUCH WOOD!!

It is very rare for a healthy, well cared for bunny to get flystrike :wave:

i personally havent but family friends bun died from flystrike nothing wrong with him/her just an unloved bunny

Out of 4 bunnies, I have 2 with dental problems, 2 with mobility problems...but not had the dreaded EVER.....this is my 3rd summer with buns....Im ing myself!!!!!!!

Yes I have lost one to flystrike, and she was elderly and seriously ill. It was caught in the early stages and if she had been better in herself I believe she could have made a very good recovery, but she was very sick before hand.

I have kept rabbits for 12 years, as you know the vast majority have health problems and we have had numerous incontinent bunnies.

Yes I do feel terribly guilty about the one we lost but i try to tell myself that given the bunnies we have if I was that bad a bunny mummy we would have lost a lot more :?

No doubt someone will have a go about it which is why I didn't post about it at the time, but we really tried our best with her. If she hadn't been in such a bad state when she arrived then we may have had more time to help her

Mine have never had it, nor have they had/have any health probs at all *touches wood*

Mine have never had it. I've only had rabbits for three and a half years though. However when I was looking after a friend's bunnies who don't get cleaned out as often as mine I was brushing out a matt in bun's tail and saw some white wriggly things, not sure if they were maggots, I didn't know much about flystrike then.

Yes, about 15 years ago....she had several health problems, which, pretty much like Liz's girl ( ) meant it was kinder to let her go.

Sometimes it is a constant worry, especially if you've got elderly and/or disabled bunnies

I've had rabbits for over 30 years and never lost a bunny to flystrike.

Hugo's There said:

No doubt someone will have a go about it which is why I didn't post about it at the time, but we really tried our best with her. If she hadn't been in such a bad state when she arrived then we may have had more time to help her

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Why on EARTH would someone have a go about that?!?!?!?! If someone does then that is THEIR issue for being so ignorant and narrowminded.

I have 16 bunnies now and in total, over the years have had somewhere between 40 and 50 and have so far, up until this morning, never had a case of flystrike. (The only reason I say up until this morning is to not jinx myself or them:lol.

I have one bunny with spinal problems, one with breathing problems (who also has dental issues), and 7 other dental bunnies. In the past we have had bunnies with cancer and Tilly also had head tilt and Cloud was a mess of problems which often rendered him messy down the back end.

Even with that track record I've been inducing myself into a panic so I've had to go back to what I know. I DON'T check them everyday, especially the healthy ones, I monitor their behaviour because I know that if something is wrong, I will catch it super early, unless they are presenting with a symptom that gives me concern they may be more at risk. My vet always tells me I catch things before any of his other rabbit owners do, and so I have to trust in that. If I have any concerns then I give them a thorough going on, or even sometimes for no reason, but I don't (and in one case can't) check them twice a day. Tear me apart then.

Hugo's There said:

Yes I have lost one to flystrike, and she was elderly and seriously ill. It was caught in the early stages and if she had been better in herself I believe she could have made a very good recovery, but she was very sick before hand.

I have kept rabbits for 12 years, as you know the vast majority have health problems and we have had numerous incontinent bunnies.

Yes I do feel terribly guilty about the one we lost but i try to tell myself that given the bunnies we have if I was that bad a bunny mummy we would have lost a lot more :?

No doubt someone will have a go about it which is why I didn't post about it at the time, but we really tried our best with her. If she hadn't been in such a bad state when she arrived then we may have had more time to help her

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I am literally gobsmacked Liz. one?! ONE?! Not to overshadow the loss of any bunny, but one out of the loads you have helped, especially considering the poor confiditions they have come from, their other health problems, and especially the ones with incontinence or who can't clean themselves....speechless!! Well done you!

I've had lots of bunnies, including a few incontinent ones and elderly ones...and never had a single case of flystrike :wave:



...probably jinxed myself by saying that tho' :shock:

Ok!! This is encouraging. I see them three times per day, they are kept scrupulously clean and have a sensible diet. I shall remain vigilent but won't feel guilty about letting my pulse rate go back to normal!

She was so weak and thin her back legs hardly worked on top of everything else. She was incontinent and I couldn't use rearguard on her as she was being bathed everyday. That day she was just sitting in puddles of wee in her run. I kept picking her up and cleaning her up but then it would happen again. I had only left her for an hour to clean out the inside bunnies I have never run to the vets so quick in my life, I didn't lock the house and was calling them to say I was on my way while I was running with her under my arm. And then they left me waiting in the waiting room. I was so angry it was the only time I have started shouting and demanding a vet

TBH I think my neighbours are partly to blame. The garden was full of flies last summer because they couldn't be bothered to pick up after their dog in the garden. Besides the smell the their whole garden was buzzing with bluebottles

yvette said:

Out of 4 bunnies, I have 2 with dental problems, 2 with mobility problems...but not had the dreaded EVER.....this is my 3rd summer with buns....Im ing myself!!!!!!!

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Dont tell me Ive jinxed myself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:shock::shock::shock:

Hugo's There said:

She was so weak and thin her back legs hardly worked on top of everything else. She was incontinent and I couldn't use rearguard on her as she was being bathed everyday. That day she was just sitting in puddles of wee in her run. I kept picking her up and cleaning her up but then it would happen again. I had only left her for an hour to clean out the inside bunnies I have never run to the vets so quick in my life, I didn't lock the house and was calling them to say I was on my way while I was running with her under my arm. And then they left me waiting in the waiting room. I was so angry it was the only time I have started shouting and demanding a vet

TBH I think my neighbours are partly to blame. The garden was full of flies last summer because they couldn't be bothered to pick up after their dog in the garden. Besides the smell the their whole garden was buzzing with bluebottles

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must of been awful

I have had over 80 Rabbits including the 40 I have now. Some had/have health problems/mobility problems/dental problems. So far I have not had a case of Flystrike, thank goodness.

donnamt said:

must of been awful

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It haunted me for months afterwards, it was all I could see when I closed my eyes The maggots were very tiny and had only taken the top layer of skin in a couple of spots but the vet wouldn't treat her despite me begging. as she pointed out she probably only had a week, if that left in her even without the flystrike

The only thing I think i could have done differently was maybe not have her run on concrete as it meant the wee just sat there in a puddle with her in the middle of it. But I choose concrete as I thought it would be easier to keep clean than grass :?

ETA we have now had around 110 rabbits live here in the past 12 years most of them elderly, sick or with special needs

I have owned rabbits for about four years and never had a case of flystrike, even with one bunny having a mucky bum from time to time. I try to keep an eye on the messy one and keep the run extra clean.