Rearguard 'Flystrike' its that time again!!!

[Jack's-Jane]

I do not use Rearguard.
Personally I do not like to use such a strong chemical on a Rabbit and certainly not every day :shock:

It should only be used every 8-10 weeks

http://www.noahcompendium.co.uk/Novartis_Animal_Health_UK_Ltd/Rearguard/-28337.html

 

[Rowan]

Of course you're not a bad owner winnies angel, and I think Flystirke is like a lot of things, somethimes there is no obvious reason why a particular bun was unlucky.

If you feel happier using Rearguard (and I know I would too if I had watched one of mine suffer) that's fine but the great thing about you raising this thread is alerting newbies to the issue of flystike as a whole, not just the use of rearguard.

This is what I don't like about Rearguard, it lulls you into a false sense of security

This is the main point to newbies I think. Use Rearguard if you want but don't imagine this means you dont need to be as meticulous about cleaning out / doing bottom checks etc. (I'm not saying you are like this Winnies Angel, as it sounds you are rightly paranoid about flystrike and I'm sure you do all these things to protect your rabbits) but I imagine it's easy for other people to think Reargurad is like a vaccination and they don't need to worry about flystrike at all anymore.

 

[winnies angel]

Of course you're not a bad owner winnies angel, and I think Flystirke is like a lot of things, somethimes there is no obvious reason why a particular bun was unlucky.

If you feel happier using Rearguard (and I know I would too if I had watched one of mine suffer) that's fine but the great thing about you raising this thread is alerting newbies to the issue of flystike as a whole, not just the use of rearguard.



This is the main point to newbies I think. Use Rearguard if you want but don't imagine this means you dont need to be as meticulous about cleaning out / doing bottom checks etc. (I'm not saying you are like this Winnies Angel, as it sounds you are rightly paranoid about flystrike and I'm sure you do all these things to protect your rabbits) but I imagine it's easy for other people to think Reargurad is like a vaccination and they don't need to worry about flystrike at all anymore.

Nicely put!
I thought I would warn others about it, as yesterday a big blue bottle flew into living room and landed on winnie so I put it up just to warn people and feel now that I shouldn't have bothered because I use rearguard and That is bad. Although my rabbit vet recommends it to everyone.
Obv others have own opinions but at beggining one person though it was just runny poop so I explained that its not and now everyone seems that it is now I feel people must think im a bad rabbit owner for listening to my vets and warning people in first place.

 

[alfie+Honey]

hi im new to rabbits so have not have one in the summer months b4 when flies are a problem. i was recommended to use it by my vet but have not used it as of yet. i was just wondering as bunnies clean themselves down there? is it safe to use it as bunnies will lick it off? or does it just stay on? sorry for the questions. good thread tho

 

[halfpenny]

Another thing to add is overweight buns are more at risk, because they cannot get down to clean themselves properly, as are older, arthritic buns, for the same reasons.

 

[winnies angel]

hi im new to rabbits so have not have one in the summer months b4 when flies are a problem. i was recommended to use it by my vet but have not used it as of yet. i was just wondering as bunnies clean themselves down there? is it safe to use it as bunnies will lick it off? or does it just stay on? sorry for the questions. good thread tho

You want to encourage bun to leave it until it drys but afterwards is fine. Mine have licked it before and lived to tell tail (hee hee) try not to let them get it but obv you can not keep them in your sight every second.
I try to do it on morning when im in so that it will be dry for bed

 

[beki]

Thanks for this thread. I had heard about flystrike but didn't realise it was quite as bad as this! i do check Ruby's bottom everyday and it is always clean (she is a baby though so can stretch all over the place and seems to clean herself a lot), i check the poos and not seen any runny ones yet. I do give her a lot of dandilion leaves though as we have loads in the garden i pick the big juicy ones and give them her, she loves them. Should i limit her intake in case she gets runny poos? I think i had better get a bit better with the hutch cleaning though. I am trying to encourage her to use the litter trays i put in but she just seems to poo everywhere (but seems to be getting the hang of the weeing in designated areas bit) so i should scoop those up a bit more then I suppose rather than leaving most of them lying in the wood shavings....i do clean the toilet corners though.

 

[Bunshine]

:wave: Thanks for this thread, you have reminded me to buy flypaper.

 

[alfie+Honey]

You want to encourage bun to leave it until it drys but afterwards is fine. Mine have licked it before and lived to tell tail (hee hee) try not to let them get it but obv you can not keep them in your sight every second.
I try to do it on morning when im in so that it will be dry for bed

thanks ill have a go at doing it tomorrow as im not in all today to supervise

 

[Stator]

Ooo I wonder what I have then, as didn't get from vet, will have to go home and check.

I agree with you though, I have never used I feel it is very important to make sure bunny doesn't have sticky bottom.

It may be flyguard you're using which is not the same as rearguard. Flyguard is non-prescription and you can buy it from most shops. I use it on my buns every few months as a preventative measure, it doesn't seem to cause any irritation or side effects. My buns have never had flystrike. If they had I would follow the vets guidance which may be to administer rearguard.

 

[Biscuit Bunny]

It may be flyguard you're using which is not the same as rearguard. Flyguard is non-prescription and you can buy it from most shops. I use it on my buns every few months as a preventative measure, it doesn't seem to cause any irritation or side effects. My buns have never had flystrike. If they had I would follow the vets guidance which may be to administer rearguard.

Ah that's the one, thanks

 

[honeybunny]

just to back up what the original poster said..it is not just bunnies bottoms flies will go for
one of my fosterers had an elderly rabbit, now passed away, and you could stand and watch the flies landing on her back and laying eggs:shock:
Ange used a deterrent and combed her fur through thoroughly twice a day..and Poppy was kept extremely clean in a clean area..but the flies just seemed to be attracted to her.
Thanks to Ange's care she never got flystrike but was very lucky not to

So check bunnies all over

 

[lilbun]

As Honeybunny says, check everywhere. One of the areas that fly eggs can easily be missed is on the back, underneath were the tail lies when it is up, so remember to check there too

 

[keepingmesane]

are there any natural remedies/plants for keeping flies away from the hutch? just thinking that this could be an additional preventative move as well as checking everyday

 

[winnies angel]

I cant remeber its a herb like mint or summit...someone will know soon

 

[MissMinnie]

Excellent thread - flystrike is horrific and no one can 100% guarantee against it affecting their rabbits. I hope that a lot of people read this important information.

In the past I have used rear guard on two older rabbits who seemed to be a 'bit lower' to the ground at their back end. One of them was age 10. His fur was fine and a bit longer so we used to have his fur trimmed around his back legs and tail to avoid any matting. I still checked them all the time because it can happen so fast.

I think good hygiene, correct diet and vigilence are all crucial.

 

[tigerangel]

I have also experienced flystrike first hand (neighbour’s rabbit) and it is indeed horrific. But I am still doubtful over putting Rearguard on my bunnies. I put it on only once per year, in late spring, and hope that it does its job to cover the height of summer.

I have never had flystrike in one of my own bunnies, even though 2 of them had mucky bums/incontinence.

The best medicine is indeed prevention - a clean area and fly paper! That...and allowing garden spiders to live in the rabbit run to help catch the flies :thumb:

 

[Mudgy]

The problem is rearguard would not help a bunny with an open wound as only the area you apply the rearguard to is protected and you can not apply it to open wounds.

This is why i spoke to the manufacturer as i have a bunny with abscesses and they said it would be no help to her at all

And as I said before it is no use to incontinent buns or those that need daily bum baths as they cannot keep clean as it just washes the product off

So all in all I can't see the point of it :?

Absolutely !! There really is no point. The limitations placed on it's use, make it suitable for healthy rabbits, which kind of negates it's need. I have never used cyromazine (Rearguard) as IMO any chemical that can remain effective in a rabbits system for two months or more, has to have a toxic effect on filtration organs such as kidneys and liver. I believe these products lull owners into a far too often tragic sense of false security. It takes a few minutes, several times a day, to thoroughly check a rabbit, and again, IMO, there are much safer ways of protecting an 'at risk' animal, than applying a powerful ectoparisiticide.

 

[bunnyhuggger]

We use Summer Fly Cream, just a tiny smear seems to repel flies. We also use Redtop Fly Catchers www.redtopflycatcher.co.uk

 

[Jack's-Jane]

We use Summer Fly Cream, just a tiny smear seems to repel flies. We also use Redtop Fly Catchers www.redtopflycatcher.co.uk

Brilliant, I was looking for something like that
Thank you :thumb: