Flystrike

This is a particular problem for longhaired rabbits in the summer. Flies lay their eggs in the soiled fur under the tail. The maggots hatch out 12-24 hours later and burrow into the flesh. Flystrike can lead to death, so check every day to make sure your rabbit, its hutch and its bedding, is clean and fresh.

I have experienced this for myself and lost 2 rabbits to this problem. It literally happens overnight. The most common time of the year will be summer when it is warm and ideal temperatures for flies to strike.

It is quite a distressing site to see as the rabbit will be covered in maggots around its back end and these quite literally crawl up inside the rabbit and kill it.

You need to seek immediate medical attention (even if this means calling a vet out at the weekend or at night) as the rabbit will surely die if the maggots are not removed immediately. You can provide temporary relief by bathing the rabbit in cool water and trying to kill as many of the maggots as you can.

The risk of Flystrike can be minimised by stepping up cleaning regimes in summer and checking rabbits at least twice a day. Rearguard (avavilable for vets) prevents maggots developing so can save a bunnies life!