The warmer months can be a worrying time to care for our little (or big) bunnies. This is due to something called “flystrike”. It occurs when flies lay their eggs in the skin around wounds, sore skin or fur contaminated with wee and poo. When the eggs hatch they become larvae and – this next part is somewhat gruesome – start to eat away at the surrounding tissue. They literally can eat through the skin and into the deeper tissues, which very quickly (over 6-24 hours) can become life-threatening if not dealt with immediately.
There are a few things you can do to help prevent flystrike: keep your rabbits bum clean; check your rabbit’s skin (particularly around the bottom) twice daily; clean out the bedding regularly and remove all faeces; use an effective fly repellent product such as Rearguard.
If flystrike occurs or you are worried, please call us on 01442 833198, or the Emergency Out of Hours in Hemel Hempstead, Vets Now on 01442 768484.
