Flystrike?..Advice Please..

[Sparkle x]

Okay let me explain....

All my bunnies live outside in hutch/run combos in the garden..
They are cleaned out twice a day morning and night..hay removed etc etc...litter trays, boxes, feed bowls, and daily bum checks..

..With the bad weather recently i noticed Lopsy my french lop had wet feet alot...shes very fluffy so i just thought it was due to weather and her walking about...

However today i noticed that her "rear end" was moist and smelly...(of wee) i let her roam free range and she cleaned herself etc..i then put her back in with the help of my OH as she isnt the nicest of bunnies to handle and checked her bum bum....shes very fluffy down there with her big back feet and tail..and it appears to be more on one side than the other, the wetness(its wee, smells like it anyways).....we wiped her and cleaned her up abit but it is extermely difficult as she trashes her back legs and bites and is a real handful...

She is a rather big girl, however the vet says she isnt over weight...she is about 10-11months now, spayed about 2months ago..i just worry she cant fully clean herself...(her bum bum)

So what should i do...All my other bunnies are fine, Lopsys partner is fine, but after reading up on flystrike recently and the terrible loses of bunnies with flystrike i feel she may be at risk....I have checked for maggots and cannot see any...

I may sound silly and apologise in advance but can they clip rabbits? Espec back ends??

xx

 

[bunny babe]

Hi, as a precaution you may want to treat her with Rearguard or at the very least keep some in just in case of an emergency. This is not a deterrant but will stop any eggs developing into maggots. You can also cover your cage/run with net curtain or mosquito net (we have ours stapled on).

There is another link somewhere on here about flystrike within the last couple of days with lots of advice.

If (hopefully none of your buns do) they get flystrike take them to vet immediately for treatment.

Obviously extra bum checks for her (at least twice a day)

You may want to take her to the vet for a check up anyway to see why she does have urine on her.

What do you have in litter tray? Try some megazorb to soak anything up so she does not sit in it (if that could be the problem).

 

[Sparkle x]

23views and nobody can reply...poor Lopsy.

 

[FriskyClover]

You can indeed get her bum clipped, I had Smokey's done when she was bigger and couldn't clean herself properly.

I got my vet to do it for me.

 

[Sparkle x]

You can indeed get her bum clipped, I had Smokey's done when she was bigger and couldn't clean herself properly.

I got my vet to do it for me.

How they do it? Shes a handful quite fiesty..

I have just given her bum bum a pretty good clean (we had to cover her with a towel) shes currently inside with Bo drying off...

x

 

[Mumtobuns]

Hi. I have exactly the same fear about my buns - and it sounds as if they're in a similar set up to yours. I recently had to take one of mine to the vets as he had a wet patch on his side. He's white so it looked yellow and I thought he'd just been lying in wee! When it didn't get better over a few days, I took him to the vets. They looked after him (it was mites in the end) but at the time they suggested clipping him to see what was the problem. It may be worth talking to your vets. I'm fairly sure it is possible to clip rabbits and I'm not sure that the back end would be any different to anywhere else! I hope this has been of some help - I'm terrified of fly strike too!! I've read elsewhere on here that a vinegar / water mix used as a disinfectant can help keep flies away - search the threads for vinegar and you should find something. B x

 

[Mumtobuns]

For some reason, all mine seem calmer at the vets - making it easier to treat them in any way!! I have a horror of a rabbit - who I love dearly and wouldn't hear a word against but attacks me and OH at any opportunity. At the vet ..... he's an absolute love! You'd never believe it!!

 

[Sparkle x]

Hi. I have exactly the same fear about my buns - and it sounds as if they're in a similar set up to yours. I recently had to take one of mine to the vets as he had a wet patch on his side. He's white so it looked yellow and I thought he'd just been lying in wee! When it didn't get better over a few days, I took him to the vets. They looked after him (it was mites in the end) but at the time they suggested clipping him to see what was the problem. It may be worth talking to your vets. I'm fairly sure it is possible to clip rabbits and I'm not sure that the back end would be any different to anywhere else! I hope this has been of some help - I'm terrified of fly strike too!! I've read elsewhere on here that a vinegar / water mix used as a disinfectant can help keep flies away - search the threads for vinegar and you should find something. B x

Oh right...Thanks
Lopsy is a darkish grey so its obviously when shes wet but hard to tell what..My Vets told me to give her a good wash tonight, dry her with a towel and bring her inside to dry off. Then monitor her. Whilst giving her a good clean i couldnt see anything unusual...just noticed how thick her coat is and wondered if i could get it clipped which would obviously make cleaning her easier...

Im so scared of it, espec with the recent reports of it....humm..

x

 

[Cornish Teasle]

i clip my own rabbits - it can be tricky and you need to be careful their are no flaps of skin that can get caught

i get someone to help me hold them cover them in a towel if they are particulary stressed then just clip away - the more you do it the easier it is

if this is completely impossible for you then your vetinary nurse will help you - obviously you will have to pay or you can also try your local dog / cat groomer who are often experienced in doing things quickly and safely

would reccomned some rearguard then you can at least be more confident that if there are any eggs they wont be bale to hatch into maggots .

 

[abbymarysmokey]

If she's young and healthy, she should be able to clean herself.

I would worry about a urinary infection or possibly EC.

You really need to get to the bottom of the problem, shaving will only make managment of the problem slightly easier. If she's incontinent, the fur will fall out pretty soon anyway, and she'll be left with a bald bum.

 

[Sparkle x]

If she's young and healthy, she should be able to clean herself.

I would worry about a urinary infection or possibly EC.

You really need to get to the bottom of the problem, shaving will only make managment of the problem slightly easier. If she's incontinent, the fur will fall out pretty soon anyway, and she'll be left with a bald bum.

I recently put in a "wilkinsons storage box" which i had bedded with hay, i have a feeling she has been laying in this but also weeing...

I am going to keep a close eye on her..anything to look out for e.g. behaviour and health wise?

Im at the Vets in the morning with GP's so i will talk to him then as he deals with my bunnies aswell...
x

 

[abbymarysmokey]

Vet check-up is probably the best idea.

If she does have a UTI, then it will get worse and will make all the fur on her bum fall out and may also cause bleeding

 

[Sparkle x]

Vet check-up is probably the best idea.

If she does have a UTI, then it will get worse and will make all the fur on her bum fall out and may also cause bleeding

Hi

Spoke to my Vets today regarding Lopsy as i was there with the GP's..

Hes pretty confident in her weight and her been able to clean herself. He has told me to monitor her over the weekend...if needed bring her in to be clipped and then purchase rearguard.

The wash last night helped her as she has been dry all day.

He also advised Flystrike is worse during July to end of August so using rearguard then would be highly recommended...

x

 

[Mackers]

Hi :wave: One of my (rainbow bridge) buns kept getting a moist bum - not pooey, just moist and a bit smelly (of ammonia). He wasn't overweight and he was neutered, fit and healthy so I couldn't work out why he was getting like this. My bunny specialist vet inspected him and said it was possibly due to deep folds of skin around his nether-regions. They get what can only be described as 'jock itch' - basically a fungal type infection in the deep folds of skin as it never gets any air circulating round it (betty swallocks to you and me!!!). He was aged about 6 at the time and was quite a lazy boy so spent a lot of time just sitting and watching the world go by! Some buns have shallow folds and some have deep folds - just depends on their genetic make up. Anyway, Scooby had a 'tummy tuck' operation to remove some of the excess skin and he was as right as rain after that! His boy bits (what was remaining of them anyway) were pink and perky and beautifully dry.

 

[Sparkle x]

Hi :wave: One of my (rainbow bridge) buns kept getting a moist bum - not pooey, just moist and a bit smelly (of ammonia). He wasn't overweight and he was neutered, fit and healthy so I couldn't work out why he was getting like this. My bunny specialist vet inspected him and said it was possibly due to deep folds of skin around his nether-regions. They get what can only be described as 'jock itch' - basically a fungal type infection in the deep folds of skin as it never gets any air circulating round it (betty swallocks to you and me!!!). He was aged about 6 at the time and was quite a lazy boy so spent a lot of time just sitting and watching the world go by! Some buns have shallow folds and some have deep folds - just depends on their genetic make up. Anyway, Scooby had a 'tummy tuck' operation to remove some of the excess skin and he was as right as rain after that! His boy bits (what was remaining of them anyway) were pink and perky and beautifully dry.

Thanks for that and the details..always worth baring in mind.
She appears fine today...no wet bum bum so im guessing and hoping it was just one of those things..

I am keeping a very close eye on her...

xx