As it is coming up to Summer time I thought that I would start with a very common problem with rabbits around this time: Flystrike.
The thing that I hate about Summer is the flies. They are a real nuisance to rabbits if they are outside. They get everywhere as well and poor rabbits can get flystrike. Flystrike is when a fly lays its eggs in a rabbits fur (most likely in the bottom area) and the eggs hatch and eat away at the rabbits flesh. It is a very painful thing for rabbits and can be fatal. If it is caught in the early stages it can be successfully treated, although their are many ways to help prevent it in the first place.If you have ever heard a rabbit scream, it is the most horrible, blood curling thing that you will ever hear. I once heard a rabbit scream when it was being treated for flystrike as it was in so much pain. Some of it's skin was eaten away and the rest was all manged. The vet had a real struggle holding the poor thing down. I never want to hear that again so here are some ways and suggestions to stop that happening:
Firstly, check your bunny daily. You must check your rabbit every day especially around the bottom area to check for any flies or if there is any faeces around that area it must be cleaned as this will encourage flies. When bathing your rabbit, make sure that they are thoroughly dry afterwards because flies will lay their eggs in moist areas. (Please note that rabbits do not need to be bathed at all but if you want to it is be kept to a maximum of around once a year except for long haired breeds e.g angoras which can be bathed slightly more and will require regular grooming to keep their coats from getting tangled). You can get rabbit shampoo which kills off any flies, lice, mites, or fleas that are on your rabbit. There are also sprays that you can purchase from good pet shops which will keep those nasty bugs away from your rabbit. Rabbits should clean themselves and their bottom area but if they are overweight or live in a dirty hutch they will not.
Secondly, you can get things to stop flies going in their hutches which is one of the main ways that they will get flystrike. Any nooks and spaces, flies will be attracted to and they will live and breed there. One way to stop this is to get fly hutch spray. You can get it from most good pet shops. You spray it in their hutch, leave it to dry and then put their bedding in. It will keep the flies away for weeks! Then just do the same once it starts to wear off. You can also get a fly net which you can put in front of the wire bit of their hutch - it will let air in, but keep flies out!
Thirdly, a simple one. Keep everything clean and dry - your rabbits, their hutch, and their environment where they live. Disinfect their hutch once or twice a year with rabbit friendly disinfectant. This will give the flies no reason to be there!
There are many different products you can buy but these are some I personally recommend:
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| Fly strike spray directly onto rabbits fur |
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| Shampoo kills lice, mites, fleas and other insects (not for regular use) |
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| Rabbit friendly Disinfectant hutch spray |
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| Hutch spray kills flies and keeps them away |
Here is a video that will shock you into making sure your rabbit will never get flystrike:
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