Myiasis is the medical term for fly maggot infestation in rabbits, which occurs primarily in the warm summer months and in injured or weakened animals. The disease is often underestimated, but can be life-threatening for rabbits.
The disease is caused by various species of flies that lay their eggs on rabbits. They prefer warm, moist areas such as skin folds or open wounds. Sick or weakened animals and those suffering from diarrhea or unable to groom themselves adequately for other reasons are particularly at risk. The smell of feces and urine in dirty fur attracts flies.
Within a few hours to days, the eggs develop into whitish larvae up to 1 cm in size, known as fly maggots, which attach themselves to the skin and damage it with their saliva. The skin is destroyed in this area and the maggot can penetrate further and further into the tissue. The smell of the maggots attracts more flies, which in turn lay new eggs. In the event of a severe infestation, large areas of skin can die off completely, resulting in extensive wounds that are usually also infected with bacteria.
A mild infestation is often only discovered by chance when the owner strokes the rabbit. However, if the infestation is already more advanced, the affected animals show signs of general distress accompanied by loss of appetite, itching, and pain. The damaged areas of skin are sore and inflamed, and the fur may fall out in patches. Moving, elongated oval white maggots can be seen in the wounds.
If you discover isolated maggots or a foul-smelling wound on your pet, please do not try to treat it yourself, but take your pet to a veterinarian immediately. The longer you wait, the greater the risk of bleeding and deeper internal damage caused by invisible maggots.
The attending veterinarian will give the rabbit a thorough general examination and can usually make a reliable diagnosis quickly based on their clinical findings. The elongated maggots moving on and in the skin are hard to miss.
Only if the affected animals are taken to a veterinarian at an early stage can they be helped with appropriate treatment. The veterinarian will first remove all visible maggots and eggs from the animal. The animal will be partially shaved and washed for this purpose. A red light lamp or a hair dryer is used to draw out maggots from deep within the skin, as they are attracted to heat. The wounds are cleaned, disinfected, and treated with nourishing wound ointments.
An antiparasitic medication will be administered to kill any remaining eggs and larvae on the animal. The veterinarian will treat any secondary bacterial infections with a suitable antibiotic. Depending on the severity of the inflammation, anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving medication may also be necessary. The veterinarian will decide on the exact treatment on a case-by-case basis.
If a rabbit infested with fly maggots is taken to the vet early on and treated, there is a good chance of recovery. The later treatment begins, the worse the prognosis. If the maggots have already penetrated the body or caused blood poisoning, the animal should be euthanized for animal welfare reasons, as treatment is no longer possible at this stage.
Fly maggot infestation is a completely preventable condition. Completely healthy rabbits that groom themselves normally do not attract blowflies. This condition can be successfully prevented with a few simple feeding, housing, and hygiene measures. Pay particular attention to species-appropriate feeding and housing with adequate exercise opportunities so that your pet does not suffer from obesity or malocclusion, which would promote maggot infestation. You can use the petsXL health passport to clearly record and monitor your rabbit 's weight. The hutch, enclosure, cage, and food containers should be thoroughly cleaned every day, especially in summer. Despite all precautions, all rabbits should be checked for fly maggots every day, especially in the summer months.
Regular veterinary check-ups also help to detect and treat potential health problems at an early stage, so that secondary diseases such as maggot infestation cannot occur in the first place.
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