Hi - Suzi is female, not particularly robust, & of unknown age, but I have had her for 5 years. She came from an 'amateur' rescue, & I believe is not neutered (although I was lead to believe she was).
She is a part Lionhead. She, & my neutered male English Spot live out in a large grass area all day, & are hutched separately late each evening.
On Sunday, when I lifted her to go in for the night, I noticed lumps on her back. On further inspection on Monday (bank holiday) the multiple lumps were obviously fly eggs, & I tried to combe them off with a flea comb, with limited success. She didn't appear wet, soiled or smelly, & had no damaged skin.
My partner took her to the vet first thing Tuesday for her regular tooth clipping, but urgently regards the fly eggs. I am aware of 'fly strike' around the anus, but she was clean there. I also did some googling (while at work), but could find nothing about random fly eggs like these on her back.
Astonishingly the vet gave her back to my partner saying they had treated the eggs & done some grooming, but that Suzi needed more grooming to remove the sawdust from her coat! I subsequently spoke to the vet myself by phone, & he repeated this. I firmly assured him that there was absolutely no sawdust in her coat, & that it was thousands & thousands of fly eggs in lumps, which I spent a considerable time removing that evening. He had dabbed Rearguard on the eggs (but presumably not the 'sawdust'!), & many of those I subsequently removed, & put in a sandwich bag, hatched! While removing all these eggs we were buzzed by green bottle flies.
I have dusted her back thoroughly with diatomaceous earth, in the hope that this will prevent anything further, & kill any maggots that emerged from eggs that I may have missed.
Has anyone any idea why flies might target a rabbit like this? I would not have been surprised had she died overnight - thinking that maybe flies sensed a 'smell of death' about her...?? However, she was her perky self next day.
Thanks for any input.
Heather
She is a part Lionhead. She, & my neutered male English Spot live out in a large grass area all day, & are hutched separately late each evening.
On Sunday, when I lifted her to go in for the night, I noticed lumps on her back. On further inspection on Monday (bank holiday) the multiple lumps were obviously fly eggs, & I tried to combe them off with a flea comb, with limited success. She didn't appear wet, soiled or smelly, & had no damaged skin.
My partner took her to the vet first thing Tuesday for her regular tooth clipping, but urgently regards the fly eggs. I am aware of 'fly strike' around the anus, but she was clean there. I also did some googling (while at work), but could find nothing about random fly eggs like these on her back.
Astonishingly the vet gave her back to my partner saying they had treated the eggs & done some grooming, but that Suzi needed more grooming to remove the sawdust from her coat! I subsequently spoke to the vet myself by phone, & he repeated this. I firmly assured him that there was absolutely no sawdust in her coat, & that it was thousands & thousands of fly eggs in lumps, which I spent a considerable time removing that evening. He had dabbed Rearguard on the eggs (but presumably not the 'sawdust'!), & many of those I subsequently removed, & put in a sandwich bag, hatched! While removing all these eggs we were buzzed by green bottle flies.
I have dusted her back thoroughly with diatomaceous earth, in the hope that this will prevent anything further, & kill any maggots that emerged from eggs that I may have missed.
Has anyone any idea why flies might target a rabbit like this? I would not have been surprised had she died overnight - thinking that maybe flies sensed a 'smell of death' about her...?? However, she was her perky self next day.
Thanks for any input.
Heather