Flystrike

Hey guys!! Don’t worry my Rabbits don’t have it!!!

I was just wondering if anybody could give me some information on it just to educate myself in case of the worst!

I’ve got the hint on what it is... but would like to know about symptoms and more importantly time scale of the symptoms appearing, I’ve heard it’s extremely quick!

Also the vets said our Rabbits are very low risk due to being indoor buns, but there a small few flys appearing in the house this year, still not a lot tho.
But has any body used or got a opinion on the two protector sprays the pets at home sell please? There called
Johnsons Fly Strike Protector 150ml Pump Spray £5.00
And
Beaphar Fly Guard Spray 75ml £11.00

The Beaphar is double the price for half the amount so I’m assuming that the better one to go for?.

Any opinion and information about flystrike I’ll be very great full for! Thanks

Ross said:

Hey guys!! Don’t worry my Rabbits don’t have it!!!

I was just wondering if anybody could give me some information on it just to educate myself in case of the worst!

I’ve got the hint on what it is... but would like to know about symptoms and more importantly time scale of the symptoms appearing, I’ve heard it’s extremely quick!

Also the vets said our Rabbits are very low risk due to being indoor buns, but there a small few flys appearing in the house this year, still not a lot tho.
But has any body used or got a opinion on the two protector sprays the pets at home sell please? There called
Johnsons Fly Strike Protector 150ml Pump Spray £5.00
And
Beaphar Fly Guard Spray 75ml £11.00

The Beaphar is double the price for half the amount so I’m assuming that the better one to go for?.

Any opinion and information about flystrike I’ll be very great full for! Thanks

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https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-health/flystrike/

http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00dis/Parasitic/Myiasis.htm

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Parasitic/Myiasis/Miyasis_fly.htm

http://www.worldwidewounds.com/2006/february/Cousquer/Veterinary-Lop-Rabbit-Fly-Strike.html

Thank you!!!!

Flystrike is fast and nasty, and unfortunately spraying/treating buns doen’t mean they are 100% safe, and bums need to be checked regularly.

We use the spray, as I’ve heard so many bad things about the “dabber” and feel uneasy using it (my Vet says the dabber-thing is fine to use but I’m going with my instinct).

Our Bella was sprayed but caught flystrike in the space of only two hours and despite being taken to the Vet and being treated immediately, we lost her (I believe a worm got into her intestines/heart). If my partner hadn’t been home and checking on buns regularly that day (in the extreme heat last year), it would have been missed completely.

My advice is, treat your bun but still keep checking as often as you can x

If your buns are indoor it might worth getting some fly nets to put on the doors and windows to stop the flies getting in. I got some from Aldi and they're easy to fit and so far have done a good job of keeping the blighters out!

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Both sprays look to have the same active ingredient I don’t know if one stays on better?

Johnson's Fly Strike Protector is also effective against common external parasites such as fleas and lice.
Active Ingredient: Permethrin 25/75 0.5% w/w

Beaphar Fly Free is a medicinal spray containing permethrin for use on rabbits, guinea pigs or ferrets. Used weekly, it discourages flies from landing on your pet, and will kill flies, fleas, ticks and lice.
Active Ingredients: permethrin (cis:trans 25:75) 0.5% w/v.

Fly strike is fast. In warm weather, it can be less than 2 hours from a dirty bum to eggs being laid and hatching into maggots, which cause flystrike. I have had it happen. The outcome is rarely good if the eggs have hatched. I would seriously consider PTS if there were maggots as it is such a painful condition and difficult to treat successfully.

Best thing is to make sure your rabbits have clean bums - a good diet, high in fibre (ie hay) makes a huge difference. Any bunny that can't groom properly is also at risk (eg dental bunnies; arthritis). Also make sure that there is nothing in their environment to attract flies - so clean litter trays daily and make sure other pets (eg dogs / cats) toilet away from where rabbits live. Anything that attracts bluebottle type flies will put rabbits at risk.

I have F10 germicidal wound spray with insecticide which can be applied daily as required, including on open wounds, and will kill both blowfly eggs and maggots. I used to use it on a couple of very vulnerable dental bunnies who had surgically open wounds on their faces, but they lived outside - so they were fly magnets.

http://www.meadowsah.com/home/f10-treatment-products.html

I wouldn't routinely treat any healthy, mobile rabbit for flystrike.

Thank you for the info and advise guys!! I think im gonna go for the Beaphar or Johnsons, better safe then sorry

and great idea Scrappys little helper!! ill get on to that you think its a good idea to put the fly screen on the rabbit hutch? or will that affect the air flow?

Ross said:

Thank you for the info and advise guys!! I think im gonna go for the Beaphar or Johnsons, better safe then sorry

and great idea Scrappys little helper!! ill get on to that you think its a good idea to put the fly screen on the rabbit hutch? or will that affect the air flow?

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It shouldn't affect the air flow. I have them on all my windows and I still get strong breezes coming in (moving the curtains and all that). So in theory they should be ok to put on the hutch. Although personally I would prefer to have them over the windows to stop them coming into the house at all. They don't reduce the amount of light that comes in so you wouldn't need to worry about them making the room darker.

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Scrappy's Little Helper said:

It shouldn't affect the air flow. I have them on all my windows and I still get strong breezes coming in (moving the curtains and all that). So in theory they should be ok to put on the hutch. Although personally I would prefer to have them over the windows to stop them coming into the house at all. They don't reduce the amount of light that comes in so you wouldn't need to worry about them making the room darker.

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Brilliant! thank you for all the advise I really appreciate it!

It is not normally recommended to routinely treat low risk rabbits for flystrike prevention. The chemicals involved can have adverse effects eg reducing appetite, which isn't a good idea in rabbits. Good husbandry to keep blowflies (bluebottles) away from the rabbits is usually a better option, along with regular bum checks to ensure they are clean from wee / poo and there are no small, white, oval fly eggs in the fur or on the skin. Dirty bums may need the diet altering (eg more hay, fewer pellets) and regular cleaning in the meantime. Eggs can be removed with a fine tooth comb if caught before they hatch - although it can be difficult to see them on lighter coloured fur.

Shimmer said:

It is not normally recommended to routinely treat low risk rabbits for flystrike prevention. The chemicals involved can have adverse effects eg reducing appetite, which isn't a good idea in rabbits. Good husbandry to keep blowflies (bluebottles) away from the rabbits is usually a better option, along with regular bum checks to ensure they are clean from wee / poo and there are no small, white, oval fly eggs in the fur or on the skin. Dirty bums may need the diet altering (eg more hay, fewer pellets) and regular cleaning in the meantime. Eggs can be removed with a fine tooth comb if caught before they hatch - although it can be difficult to see them on lighter coloured fur.

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I agree with this. Keep litter trays clean or areas where bunnies do their toilet and as long as they don't suffer from messy bums or have any open sores, you shouldn't need to apply chemicals. Rearguard is very popular with some rabbit owners but Beapher isn't recommended, this is advice from a Vet Nurse with a special interest in rabbits.

Shimmer said:

It is not normally recommended to routinely treat low risk rabbits for flystrike prevention. The chemicals involved can have adverse effects eg reducing appetite, which isn't a good idea in rabbits. Good husbandry to keep blowflies (bluebottles) away from the rabbits is usually a better option, along with regular bum checks to ensure they are clean from wee / poo and there are no small, white, oval fly eggs in the fur or on the skin. Dirty bums may need the diet altering (eg more hay, fewer pellets) and regular cleaning in the meantime. Eggs can be removed with a fine tooth comb if caught before they hatch - although it can be difficult to see them on lighter coloured fur.

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:thumb:

Personally I have never used any 'Flystrike prevention' product. I am not saying that I never would, but A* husbandry, regular bum checks (2-3 times a day), using fly deterrents such as fly netting, citronella, electric fly 'zappers', Fly strips etc is preferable to constantly using heavy duty chemicals on Bunnies. This is just my personal opinion, not one based on any Veterinary qualification.

Jack's-Jane said:

:thumb:

Personally I have never used any 'Flystrike prevention' product. I am not saying that I never would, but A* husbandry, regular bum checks (2-3 times a day), using fly deterrents such as fly netting, citronella, electric fly 'zappers', Fly strips etc is preferable to constantly using heavy duty chemicals on Bunnies. This is just my personal opinion, not one based on any Veterinary qualification.

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Yea I agree with this.

The only exception I make is, in the summer I spray my male rabbits bum with F10. He constantly has a messy bum because of his condition and there's nothing I can really do to change it, which is why I'll never have him live outside, and if he goes out, he gets sprayed before hand. My other three I'd never consider using chemicals on them

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Is there any way to 'train' or get rabbits comfortable with bum checks? Mine are still young and there's little worry but they go nuts if I pick them up to check (they do that sudden twist away - I worry about their backs) and then they'll stay away from me so it usually has to be a case of lifting their tails when they're laying down which means being right place right time - generally do-able but not always. They do let me feel around the base of their tails when sat up but I know that's only one area :/

Also - white fur here - is it easy to feel?

If you pick them up by scooping one hand under their chest / front legs, and immediately support their back feet with your other hand, they won't be able to twist their back and you can lift them up to have a look at their bums. Do it at similar times each day and associate it with something nice. Mine get picked up to put them in the run or garden on a morning, and again to put them in the hutch at night. They get their pellets as they go to bed, so they know there is a treat at that time and they soon get used to being handled, even if it's not for long. Regular handling, however brief it is, is useful as it makes them better accept all sorts of things that may be needed at some point, eg vet visits, medicating, grooming, monitoring weight.