ra7751
Well-Known Member
Hi Guys,
Just a little warning about bots. Do not attempt to extract them yourself. If the body of the larvae is compromised inside the rabbit, it produces a type of condition like toxic shock syndrome and can cause death. A skilled vet can easily extract them. We usually treat them with ivermectin and cover the gill opening with a thick coating of vaseline to smoother the beast. If you check our blog, we removed many bots from Angel. And we had several in Lovey that we had to allow to birth...and I swatted one of those big nasty things when it emerged.
In reality, unless there are many of the larvae in the body, the larvae is just a parasite and won't cause the host any long term issues...usually anyway. Angel had issues due to the number and the close proximity to her spine. I personally had rather get them out. They can result in a secondary infection so we usually run a round of antibiotics....for skin issues, a sulfanomide shoud do. We do use a large syringe and flush the orifice after removal. It is not for someone with a weak stomach. Many other species get these bots...and they are somewhat species specific. Squirrels get them often. So if you see a lumpy squirrel spinning around in dirt....it is scratching it's bots.
Randy
Just a little warning about bots. Do not attempt to extract them yourself. If the body of the larvae is compromised inside the rabbit, it produces a type of condition like toxic shock syndrome and can cause death. A skilled vet can easily extract them. We usually treat them with ivermectin and cover the gill opening with a thick coating of vaseline to smoother the beast. If you check our blog, we removed many bots from Angel. And we had several in Lovey that we had to allow to birth...and I swatted one of those big nasty things when it emerged.
In reality, unless there are many of the larvae in the body, the larvae is just a parasite and won't cause the host any long term issues...usually anyway. Angel had issues due to the number and the close proximity to her spine. I personally had rather get them out. They can result in a secondary infection so we usually run a round of antibiotics....for skin issues, a sulfanomide shoud do. We do use a large syringe and flush the orifice after removal. It is not for someone with a weak stomach. Many other species get these bots...and they are somewhat species specific. Squirrels get them often. So if you see a lumpy squirrel spinning around in dirt....it is scratching it's bots.
Randy
