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Fly Strike - Will My Rabbit Survive? :(

V

vetalliance

New Kit
My rabbit hasn't been eating very much the last couple of days, and I didn't notice any new poop in her cage. She looked fine and well and her ears were up and she was licking me - but I looked at her backside and noticed blood. I begged my parents to let me take her to the vet (but they weren't having it) - but I took her anyway - and the doctor looked at her bum and gave her antibiotics and pain relief.
Then he started shaving her (in order to PREVENT flystrike) but as he started shaving - maggots started coming off her like there was no tomorrow - I had to hold her still while she was shaved and it was absolutely horrible. He sprayed the area with a pesticide and put rabbit spot-on on her back. Gave us the spray to keep and some syringes and feed to get her eating:(
Did I catch it early enough and do you think she'll be OK?!
I feel awful for not spotting the maggots - although the veterinarian didn't notice them when he first looked until he started shaving. My advice to people is really notice your rabbits! :(

(She also lives inside so I was very shocked this happened!)
 
Well done for taking her to the vet, it was the right thing to do.

I've not had experience with flystrike, but if there was no hope at all, I'm sure your vet would have said so. I hope she'll make a full recovery - just keep a close eye on her, and keep the wound clean and dry.

If your vet hasn't suggested already, I'd suggest you thoroughly clean out her cage and don't put any bedding in it until her wound has healed (in case it gets stuck).
 
Also just to add, keep checking to make sure if no more maggots. I've had a rabbit before with it and you have to keep making sure they don't get re infested. All the best I know it's stressful. But your doing what you can. It can be very hard to spot at times especially if they have particularly dense furr. As already said, keep poo area/living area extra clean. All the best!
 
Fly strike is awful, well done for taking her to the vets, and shame on your parents for saying no. I hope your rabbit will be ok. Did the vet give you any pain medication for her? I think she will be pretty sore if the maggots have been munching away at her :( if not, give them a call and see if you can pick up some metacam for her. It will help lots. She will probably need antibiotics too if they didn't already give you some :( good luck x
 
Flystrike is incredibly painful so pain relief is essential while she heals. It's likely there is a lot of tissue damage and possibly more maggots. She could still go into shock at any point, so it's essential to keep monitoring her until she has healed. Make sure she is eating and drinking normally, and that her wee / poo output is normal as well. Anything that isn't right, and go straight back to your vet. It's a really horrible condition. Well done for getting her treated.
 
vetalliance said:
My rabbit hasn't been eating very much the last couple of days, and I didn't notice any new poop in her cage. She looked fine and well and her ears were up and she was licking me - but I looked at her backside and noticed blood. I begged my parents to let me take her to the vet (but they weren't having it) - but I took her anyway - and the doctor looked at her bum and gave her antibiotics and pain relief.
Then he started shaving her (in order to PREVENT flystrike) but as he started shaving - maggots started coming off her like there was no tomorrow - I had to hold her still while she was shaved and it was absolutely horrible. He sprayed the area with a pesticide and put rabbit spot-on on her back. Gave us the spray to keep and some syringes and feed to get her eating:(
Did I catch it early enough and do you think she'll be OK?!
I feel awful for not spotting the maggots - although the veterinarian didn't notice them when he first looked until he started shaving. My advice to people is really notice your rabbits! :(

(She also lives inside so I was very shocked this happened!)
Click to expand...


Welcome to the Forum :wave:

I am so glad that you didn't listen to your parents and took her anyway. To be eaten alive by maggots is a horrible and painful death for a rabbit.

Is she eating now?

You are quite right that everyone should repeatedly check on our rabbits, particularly with the hot weather.

http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/pdfs/Flystrikedontgetcaughtout.pdf

Do you know how this happened - had she urinated on herself, or had poo stuck to her bum? I wonder what attracted the flies, especially as she is indoors. Can she clean herself?
 
No she's not eating still :( the vet gave us liquid food to syringe into her mouth though and she is loving and licking that up though which is odd!

She's always had a bit of a messy bum - she doesn't often clean herself and as a lionhead, she does have a lot of fur. I often have to clean her bottom. I wish there was a better way to get it really clean though.

Unfortunately we did just have a bit of a heatwave here so the change in temperature may be the cause.
The vet said that the flies may have been attracted because she was already poorly and not eating but just peeing on herself. So at least she has antibiotics for that now too incase she already had an infection!
 
vetalliance said:
No she's not eating still :( the vet gave us liquid food to syringe into her mouth though and she is loving and licking that up though which is odd!

She's always had a bit of a messy bum - she doesn't often clean herself and as a lionhead, she does have a lot of fur. I often have to clean her bottom. I wish there was a better way to get it really clean though.

Unfortunately we did just have a bit of a heatwave here so the change in temperature may be the cause.
The vet said that the flies may have been attracted because she was already poorly and not eating but just peeing on herself. So at least she has antibiotics for that now too incase she already had an infection!
Click to expand...


I am glad she likes the syringe food. Keep going with that, as it provides nutrition and also much needed fluids.

Perhaps when she's better you could examine her diet and see what may be causing her messy bum. One of mine got a messy bum on just a couple of carrot shreds, but can eat most other things OK.

Hope she pulls through quickly and gets back to normal. You may have to keep her fur very short, or shaved, until you sort out the messy bum problem.

How old is she?
 
She's very fussy with food anyway. She has a muesli type food but she tends to pick out the more 'colourful' parts and doesn't eat much nuggets. When we've tried to switch her food to just nuggets, she's just refused to eat! Doesn't seem to eat lots of hay either despite switching hay types too! Suggestions?

I rescued her when she was thought to be about 2/3, and had her for 3 years. So she's estimated to be around 5/6 years old?
 
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