Mary Allen
Understandably, a fly maggot infestation in one’s own rabbits is a horrible idea for many people. Flies lay their eggs in the anus region, but also in the rabbit’s wounds. Weak and sick animals are particularly often affected. After hatching, the maggots eat their way into the rabbit’s meat, which in addition to injuries leads to infections and often also to the death of the animals if the fly maggots penetrate into the abdominal cavity and attack the organs. Both indoor and outdoor rabbits can suffer from fly maggot infestation.
This is How You Can Prevent Fly Maggot Infestation
To avoid infestation, you should examine your rabbits daily to make sure there are no injuries that could be used by flies to lay eggs. Regular control of your animals is generally useful in order to detect other diseases in good time. Flyscreens on the windows or on the enclosure can also be very helpful, especially in warm temperatures.
Proper hygiene is just as important. Heavily soiled litter or forage should be removed regularly. In the case of diarrhea, it is necessary to cleanse the rabbit’s anus. You can have long-haired animals sheared, otherwise, fly maggot infestation may go unnoticed.
This is How Fly Maggot Infestation is Treated in Rabbits
Infested animals should be brought to the veterinarian immediately and treated accordingly. Treatment is usually given while the rabbit is anesthetized. The maggots must be carefully removed by the veterinarian. Then the rabbit is given appropriate medication, for example, antibiotics. However, if the vet finds fly maggots in the rabbit’s abdominal cavity, it is already too late for the animal. To prevent such a terrible end, you have to act immediately if you notice an infestation – then the prognosis can often be more positive.
If you are not sure what to look for in the health of your rabbit, our checklist can help you. You can also find out more about other rabbit diseases in our magazine and recognize typical disease symptoms more quickly.