Flystrike

[zenyah65]

Hello All,

I have a quite a mucky rabbit called Miffy who is castrated and is under 1 years old.

I use the prescribed flystrike rearguard from the vets, however wanted to know how effective this is?

I ask as he is quite mucky when he pee pee's and usually has a urine smell about him.

He is not kept in unsanitary conditions as I clean them out twice daily. They are also outdoor rabbits

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[InspectorMorse]

Rabbits are by nature very clean animals so if a Rabbit is not keeping himself clean it is usually due to a Heath problem. Do you know why your Rabbit is unable to keep himself clean ?

Rearguard is meant to be effective if used as prescribed in conjunction with good husbandry

 

[zenyah65]

He is a very small Netherlands dwarf and has very stumpy legs, he does clean himself as I have seen him clean many times, but he has always had a urine smell to him.

The fur around his nether regions is also quite thick, maybe I should take him to vet to be clippered?

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[Shimmer]

A young rabbit shouldn't be having these issues. I assume there were no health concerns when he was neutered. I would get him assessed by your vet to see what the likely problem is. It could be something like a urinary tract infection which requires treatment. If your rabbit is constantly wet from urine, he needs a gentle bum bath and drying off as needed. If left, urine scald will cause the fur to fall out and the skin to become very red and sore, with the potential to become infected.

Rearguard works if used as per the instructions. It has some disadvantages - does need reapplying if washed off, can't be applied to broken skin, can cause reduced appetite (not good in rabbits as it can lead to gut stasis), can be difficult to apply correctly, and it's cost. So it may not be the best anti-flystrike option in this case. F10 germicidal wound spray with insecticide can be applied daily if needed (eg after bum baths) to any area and on damaged skin / open wounds, and works out more cost effective, with fewer side effects. It is toxic to cats, so make sure they cannot come into contact with it. It is readily available online.

Data sheet:
https://www.noahcompendium.co.uk/?id=-452554

Available online from many places, including:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/F10-Products-Germicidal-Wound-Insecticide/dp/B00V84KWZK

If a rabbit seems to have a susceptibiity to flystrike, I would want to know how to sort the cause of the condition out, if at all possible - rather than hoping that Rearguard is going to work. Flystrike is a really awful condition and an affected rabbit is likely to need to be PTS, so you are right to be concerned about it.

 

[zenyah65]

Thank you, I will get him checked out.
There were no concerns when he was nuetered and just had his three month post op check up with no cause for concern.

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