VET TALK: Here's one condition all rabbit owners should keep an eye out for
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Pancake was a lovely two-year-old lion-head rabbit whose owner called in some distress as she had seen a couple of maggots crawling around underneath his tail and he hadn’t eaten that day.
Pancake had flystrike, and was admitted immediately for urgent treatment.
All rabbit owners should be aware of flystrike, or “myiasis”, a condition that is potentially fatal.
It is most common in summer, caused by flies attracted to damp fur, urine, faeces, blood or discharges, and the rabbit’s scent. The flies will land normally around the rabbit’s rear end, or on any dirty skin, and lay their eggs. Within two hours these eggs will hatch into maggots that start to feed on the rabbit’s tissues.
They can eat into flesh within 24 hours, quickly causing shock and death.
All rabbits are at risk, so you should never be complacent though certain factors do increase the risk. Most at risk are overweight/obese rabbits; those with large dewlaps, or skin folds, around their abdomen which makes it difficult to clean themselves; those with consistently soft faeces or any urinary problems; elderly or arthritic rabbits; long-coated breeds; rabbits with overgrown teeth, again making grooming difficult; and rabbits with any wounds, eye or ear infections.
Typical symptoms are not wanting to move or hiding away in a corner of the hutch or run, being quiet and lethargic and not eating their usual food.
You may also notice a strong, foul smell from the hutch.
Flyblown rabbits are usually in pain. The vet will usually sedate or anaesthetise your rabbit to carry out an examination. Fur will be clipped to find and remove all maggots. If the vet finds that maggots have already eaten deeply into tissue, euthanasia may be recommended.
There are some things you can do to prevent this condition. Do twice daily checks on your rabbit during the warmer months (June to October), and once daily in other months. Check particularly under the tail and bottom area to ensure it is clean. If there is any urine or dried faeces, then clean and dry this area thoroughly. If your rabbit cannot easily groom itself, you should be cleaning him regularly.
Ensure you keep your rabbit’s diet the same and don’t overfeed, as this can result in diarrhoea. Their diet should consist of 70-80 per cent hay or grass, and any mix or concentrates and other foods should be kept to a minimum. If your rabbit is overweight, it needs to lose weight so that it can squat properly when toileting and can clean itself properly.
If it has any wounds, keep these clean and dry and have them checked. If you suspect your rabbit has a urinary problem, or is producing unusually wet faeces, or caking faeces around their bottom, take them to the vet for advice. If you suspect your rabbit has arthritis, discuss treatment. If your rabbit has an eye or ear infection, again arrange an appointment. Make sure your rabbit is eating normally. If not, get their teeth checked.
Any soiled bedding and litter must be removed daily.
A long-acting spot-on preparation, which you can get from your vet, can be applied to protect against flystrike for up to 10 weeks.
Thankfully, Pancake’s flystrike was caught in the early stages and all maggots were removed.
Alison Laurie-Chalmers is a senior consultant with Crown Vets.
