Fly Strike on my diasbled bunny, is it time to let go?

I just posted the other day about my disabled bunny Big Brown. Please read:

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/showthread.php?t=81860

I thought I was helping him/doing him a favor by giving him as much turnout in the yard as I could. But today when I brought him in I saw a wet patch on his fur. It was full of fly eggs and maggots.

I googled it and discovered Fly Strike. I have never heard of this before. Now it is happening to my dear boy. The internet is saying its fatal if severe enough. I have not seen these eggs and maggots on him before, so I think it must have happened in the last 24 hours or so.

I am horrified. We just spent 2 hours washing it with baby shampoo, Dawn dish soap, flushing it with water and trying to get them all off of him. It is nearly impossible.. I am still finding them but I have put him in his cage to rest because he is surely exhausted right now.

I am seriously considering euthanasia and I need to make a decision tonight. The vet said he will only be in the office tomorrow from 8-10:30am.

Does anyone have any experience with this? Is it worth trying to save him because he has a disability. I am at a loss right now. Please help me decide what is the proper course of action!

At this point you HAVE to get him to the emergency vet immediately tonight! Fly strike can progress very quickly and it may be too late by morning, which would be a very horrible and painful way for your bun to die. It's your decision on whether it is kinder to pts or try and have the vet treat, but fly strike is extremely dangerous and serious and he shouldn't be allowed to continue to suffer if the fly strike can't be treated properly.

I'm very sorry this has all happened to him, but please get him to the vet.

I am in a small town and the emergency vet is at least an hour away. And I only have $40 to my name right now. I have washed him again with Dawn dish soap. It seems to loosen the eggs. I have clipped his fur where I can. I have washed his private area and found some maggots hiding in there. I have fed him a bit of apple to help him poop and get them out of his anus (the vet said they crawl in there). I have lined the baby pool with tons of towels and blankets and he is resting now. I feel pretty sure that I have cleaned them all away.

The vet here in town does not see exotic pets, but I will ask him for an antibiotic tomorrow. Baytril? Possibly? He was kind enough to give me some one other time. I will also ask if they will shave his hind end in the morning. If my bunny is slipping away, or declining, I will have to let him go.

The vet said they have to inject the drugs directly into the heart in rabbits. I do not know why that is, but I will have Big Brown sedated before the lethal injection if it comes down to it. I am doing the best I can with what I have to work with right now..

Just keep checking him regularly during the night, as there always seems to be some that are missed. And keep checking all of the little crevices, like on top of the tail in that gap, and a thorough check around the genitals. Carefully clipping the fur as short as possible around the wound, will also make it easier to keep dry and spot any other eggs/maggots. Keep a close eye to ensure he continues eating and drinking.

The vet will need to check for any remaining eggs and maggots, and clean the wound. If you can, the baytril (5-10mg/kg,q12)and maybe some metacam (0.2-0.6mg/kg, q12-24) if he seems in pain at all, will be helpful. But most important, the antiparasitic ivermectin(0.4mg/kg, once, then repeat in 14 days) may be needed to kill any remaining eggs. But before ivermectin is given, the vet needs to try and remove all remaining maggots, then monitor your rabbit after it is given, as any maggots that are missed will release toxins when they die.

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Parasitic/Myiasis/Miyasis_fly.htm (WARNING: GRAPHIC MEDICAL RELATED PHOTOS)

Thank you so much. That link was really helpful.

What a night!

I worked on clearing Big Brown of eggs and maggots for hours and hours.

This photo shows where he was hiding in the Oregano yesterday when I went to bring him in. His ears were sticking up so I thought it would be cute to have a picture, but you can see the wet area on his hind end where there was a maggot patch.






This photo shows the skin damage after we cleared 99% of the maggots. It took at least 3 hours of washing. This spot bridges behind his tail and on to the other side. I was using baby shampoo at first but the eggs were still sticking to his fur. I decided to switch to Dawn dish soap which I would NEVER use normally, but this was an emergency and I felt his life was at risk if I didn't clear him of parasites. I used quite a bit of soap and let the lather stay on for a solid 7 minutes before rinsing.






I held a flashlight in my mouth while I searched his body with tweezers looking for any bugs that I may have missed. I have found 10-12 more and plucked them off of him. They were very small, just a speck really, but I am on red alert.






I have lined the baby pool with towels and a blanket and made a makeshift wall out of cardboard boxes. As I said earlier, this rabbit is partially disabled, so I am not too concerned about him getting out of here, but I wanted an enclosure for peace of mind. He still has an appetite which is good and he drank a good amount of water when I offered it to him. I did treat him to an apple slice and a pepper slice because I thought this might be his last night with me and I wanted to try to make it better for him.





This is how I found him this morning, looking content and not showing signs of toxicity or illness. I decided not to put him down because I think he has a good chance of beating this. I am putting triple antibiotic cream on his sores and checking them every couple of hours for maggots. Our local vet does not treat rabbits but he agreed to give me Baytril for about $13. He also gave me a product called Catron IV which contains permethrin. I researched this product before using it and discovered it is toxic to rabbits and cats so I returned it. The gal at the front desk was a bit put off by this, but I simply won't use it if it is dangerous for my animals.

Thank you to the folks who operate this website and forum because I have learned a lot from you all and I hope you can learn something from my experience as well.

I am keeping a vigilant watch on my bunny. He is surely in some pain or discomfort but he is as sweet as ever and appreciates the attention.




I got paid today thankfully. Normally Monday is payday but since it's a holiday, the boss made them out early. I did go get some supplies. The pee pads will be helpful to keep his enclosure clean and tidy. I also bought Vetericyn Wound & Skin Care and some more triple antibiotic with pain relief cream.

I am concerned about dehydration and keeping his stools soft. I noticed they were looking small and dry. I am treating Big Brown to some watermelon to get his juices going. He has urinated 3 times today. He has never been a very wet buck. His brother is the exact opposite. I want to keep his system running clean right now so I have also administered a teaspoon of water through a syringe.

I am not sure if my bunny is in the clear yet or not. I want to be hopeful, but realistic. He is disabled. Probably permanently. He is approaching 6 years of age which I think is probably old age for him. He will likely live in confinement like this for the rest of his days. I want to be fair about helping him recover and give him every chance I can, although I know the odds are not in our favor.

Poor baby!! I hope he recovers. You seem to be doing a wonderful job caring for him. ray:

I'm really glad to hear he made it through the night ok and seems to be doing well. Poor little guy Looks quite nasty.

If you are thinking to use an antiparasitic to prevent any more maggots and kill off any remaining hatching eggs, ivermectin is the best one to use. There are risks if there are any remaining maggots unseen, but any maggots remaining also present their own risk. If you decide to try it, you may be able to ask the vet you got the baytril from, for a syringe of it. It doesn't need to be injected and can be given orally. Just make sure it's the correct dosage for your bun. Make sure to use the liquid injectable and not the paste.

With the Neosporin, it would be better to just use the plain Neosporin ointment, as the one that contains pain relief isn't considered safe for rabbits, because rabbits can groom and ingest it.

If you have a Costco membership, they have a pretty good price on puppy pee pads.

You need to be careful with giving too many sugary foods, or it could cause dysbiosis, then you will have another potentially dangerous illness to deal with. If he is used to green leafy veg, it would be better to use those to increase water intake. Is he eating hay and is he able to drink ok on his own? Lack of hay eating can cause the fecal droppings to get small and hard, as well as not getting enough fluids. If he isn't eating and drinking well on his own, you may need to do supplemental feedings of a pellet mash or critical care mix, and also syringing water.

A disabled rabbit can still lead a good life if the bun seems to be coping well with the disability. It will take a lot of work on your part though, to keep his life enriched and keep him as healthy as possible. I'm sure it was quite difficult and stressful last night, trying to ensure you got all the maggots off him. You've done a good job of getting him cleaned up, as apparent by his condition today. I really hope he is in the clear and continues to improve. Hoping all the best for your bun.

This is the wound as it looks today. I am still working to keep it clean and protected. Is it better to let it dry up from time to time or keep it moist with Vetericyn and triple antibiotic? I did have to bathe him lightly this morning because he had laid in urine overnight and I wanted to get it off of him. Then I used a blow dryer so he wouldn't be wet and cold.

Big Brown is so lucky to have your dedication. Sending good thoughts to both of you! ray:

Today I am posting a few photos of My bunny. He is still trying to recover from fly strike and the skin damage that followed the initial attack.

I am feeling confident that he doesn't have any residual maggot infestation even though I did not use ivermectin or any other insecticide on him. The vet did not give me any. He actually gave me a product with permethrin and I returned it because it was not approved for use on bunnies. I saw horse size doses of ivermectin at the farm store but I didn't want to risk poisoning him, so I skipped that part of his treatment.

The skin damage looks mostly superficial. I think I caught it fairly early and they didn't get in too deep. I am still wondering whether keeping this wound moist or letting it dry is preferable. I would think moist would feel better, but I don't want it to be soft and frail skin either.

He lays mostly on his left side and I am also worried about how that side is going to he with him always wanting to lay on it. I do adjust him to the right side and prop him up facing forward on a towel roll, but he has quite a bit of mobility and balance issues. He is a sweet little thing and loves when I give him a massage. He also enjoys having the fan on him a low speed. It perks him right up and he will move so that it's blowing right in his face.

I am using a disposable spoon to remove poop from his enclosure and it if fairly easy to clean. I believe he only had to urinate 2x yesterday and it was very thick, yellow and milkyish and had quite a smell. I did cut some parsley for him and offered lettuce, cucumber, green pepper, and watermelon. He does perk up quite a bit for the watermelon. I am being careful about how much I give him. I think if he was not disabled I would feel a lot more confident about his recovery.

Wow you are amazing with your care and dedication. He certainly appears much improved which is wonderful. I despise flies so much. Keep fighting Bunny x

Today I noticed that the sebaceous cysts on my bunny's testicle dried up. This morning it looked like a scab, and by afternoon it was peeling off. Tonight I noticed it's gone. The skin is pink and looks ok. This could be a result of the intense washing process, the soap, the antibiotics, or the Vetericyn. His wound is looking as good as I can expect. Keeping him clean is my first priority. I cut back my hours at work this week to baby him a little more. These pics are before and after of his cyst area and a link to the post about that:

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/showthread.php?t=80371

I wish I could add to what you are doing but I think you have it pretty much under control. You are a truly dedicated person and I think the bun knows what you are doing for him. Keep showing him the love and talk to him, it will all help.
And I am very proud of you for checking out on-line what that vet gave you. Dog and cat vets often find rabbit health a big mystery and prescribe drugs which are harmful.
Hope it all works out and I am sending bunny hugs and prayers to him.

Just updating my post for the progress of my bunny's healing.

I think the skin will heal. It was gory at first, but I think it is looking better. I am only using Vetericyn on it and he is still on Baytril. I have to keep an eye on him almost constantly to keep him clean. If he gets really dirty he gets a butt bath and blow dry. If he isn't too dirty, I set him up on a towel and spritz him with water from a spray bottle and them buff him dry with a dry washcloth. This seems to inspire him to want to groom himself.

I have a suspicion that he has figured out that if he waits to urinate when I am attending to him, the mess will get cleaned away instantly. If am am massaging him or adjusting him he tends to urinate when we are finished. Then I take him out for a moment and refresh his bedding.

I have also started removing his food and water dishes overnight and while I am at work. This way he doesn't urinate, defecate, and create cecotropes when I am not here to help him manage his sanitary needs. I want his skin to heal so that he can go back in his regular cage with the wire frame floor. It will be at least another week I think.

I would like to help him with his mobility. I wonder whether there are any meds I could get for him, and whether the local vet would help me again even though he doesn't treat bunnies. Right now I give him lots of massage and pets and encourage him to try to sit up and move about. Mainly he spins like the hands of a clock, pivoting on his hip and spinning clockwise to get where he's going. It's too bad this is all happening to him because he is such a sweet boy.

You are very dedicated and I send my best wishes to both of you.

What caused him to be disabled? Did he have a spine injury? Did he have EC? Maybe an anti-inflamatory like metacam in low doses would help. Poor bunny, he does sound very sweet, you are so good to take such good care of him.

I am not 100% sure why he is disabled. This spring he was wobbly and collapsing on his hip, and it has gotten worse since then. This weekend I realized my other bunny (Bobby, Big Brown's brother from the same litter) is becoming wobbly and having trouble keeping his balance too. I am going to treat them both for EC with a product called Safeguard liquid goat wormer. I hope it works because they are only 6 years old and they could have more time, but I want it to be quality time, not if they are miserable because they cant move.

Updating the scab photo today. They are dry, sort of leathery. Some have fur growing in them. I am wondering about how these scabs are supposed to heal and fall off. That's if he doesn't nibble them off by himself. I have seen him going after it a little bit. I wonder if I will need a cone for him. Still using Vetericyn but I wonder how much good it's doing.

Yesterday was his last dose of Baytril. A 10 day course. I wonder whether he is in the clear for any residual infection. I'm concerned about infections turning into abscesses. He doesn't have any infection that I know of, and I do feel the scab area for heat and I don't feel or see anything suspicious.