Post by Deanna on Aug 15, 2008 8:46:55 GMT -5
I wanted to share my experience with this and hope it helps others. The rabbits seem to be like the poultry, very few vets work with them and even those seem to know very little.
I had 2 Netherland pet rabbits. I have a large hutch in the basement for them but I do let them out in a covered pen for exercise and it is easier for the kids to go in the pen to play with them.
We had a very wet spring and the bugs were nasty. I had not been giving them the best of attention during that time, but with 3 preschoolers and the farm I don't why that would have happened, it did, I feel bad about it.
The bot flies are bad in the early summer and under the conditions they were evidently attacked by a few and quite a few eggs layed on them. They look like fly maggots and if I had paid attention may have noticed them. They are not there long as about 6 hours they burrow under the rabbits skin.
They were stressed and not doing well. I found a vet to look at them and since vets are not up to speed with rabbits she assumed they had some infection and gave me antibiotics to give them.
The next day I found one of the bot fly larvae and panicking I took it out and as Anne said it caused a toxin released and the rabbit died a few hours later. Do not make that mistake, I feel horrible about it.
I than realize the other rabbit had to also have them, I sure didn't know how bad it was. I tried ivermectin paste, again Ivomec on the back of neck can be used. I gave the this rabbit about a 1/8 inch diameter of it.
The next day bumps started forming on the rabbit. A few days later and I could see holes with like pus coming out. These were the dead larvae coming out. Even though it looked like a massive infection the area around them was clean and healthy pink so I left them alone. Some I scraped off the dried puss looking stuff so the rest the body could push out. I wormed with the Ivermectin every week for three weeks. It took a good couple weeks to get them all out. Must have been at least 10 of them.
The rabbit immediately looked better the second day after the first worming. He never had any ill effects from the 3 week interval worming. When the larvae were out there was a clean hole left. All the holes healed up with out any intervention on my part. I did keep him inside during this time so he would not get fly strike in the openings.
A couple months later and he is fine. I bought him an Angora rabbit for a new buddy and they are getting along great. The kids love her too and the I guess the good thing about this the rabbit that died was mean to the kids and attacked everyone but me. The new rabbit is a sweet heart and the kids are not afraid of her like the other one.
I still let them out as they are just pets and so the kids can play with them but I check them more careful. I do not let them out when it is hot. I keep them in on wet days. Not a perfect system but better than nothing. I will continue to worm every month during the summer encase they do get attacked again. I never had a problem the other 2 precious summers I had them, I think the bot flies were abundant in the early summer with all the rain we were getting.
Hope this info helps some else.
I had 2 Netherland pet rabbits. I have a large hutch in the basement for them but I do let them out in a covered pen for exercise and it is easier for the kids to go in the pen to play with them.
We had a very wet spring and the bugs were nasty. I had not been giving them the best of attention during that time, but with 3 preschoolers and the farm I don't why that would have happened, it did, I feel bad about it.
The bot flies are bad in the early summer and under the conditions they were evidently attacked by a few and quite a few eggs layed on them. They look like fly maggots and if I had paid attention may have noticed them. They are not there long as about 6 hours they burrow under the rabbits skin.
They were stressed and not doing well. I found a vet to look at them and since vets are not up to speed with rabbits she assumed they had some infection and gave me antibiotics to give them.
The next day I found one of the bot fly larvae and panicking I took it out and as Anne said it caused a toxin released and the rabbit died a few hours later. Do not make that mistake, I feel horrible about it.
I than realize the other rabbit had to also have them, I sure didn't know how bad it was. I tried ivermectin paste, again Ivomec on the back of neck can be used. I gave the this rabbit about a 1/8 inch diameter of it.
The next day bumps started forming on the rabbit. A few days later and I could see holes with like pus coming out. These were the dead larvae coming out. Even though it looked like a massive infection the area around them was clean and healthy pink so I left them alone. Some I scraped off the dried puss looking stuff so the rest the body could push out. I wormed with the Ivermectin every week for three weeks. It took a good couple weeks to get them all out. Must have been at least 10 of them.
The rabbit immediately looked better the second day after the first worming. He never had any ill effects from the 3 week interval worming. When the larvae were out there was a clean hole left. All the holes healed up with out any intervention on my part. I did keep him inside during this time so he would not get fly strike in the openings.
A couple months later and he is fine. I bought him an Angora rabbit for a new buddy and they are getting along great. The kids love her too and the I guess the good thing about this the rabbit that died was mean to the kids and attacked everyone but me. The new rabbit is a sweet heart and the kids are not afraid of her like the other one.
I still let them out as they are just pets and so the kids can play with them but I check them more careful. I do not let them out when it is hot. I keep them in on wet days. Not a perfect system but better than nothing. I will continue to worm every month during the summer encase they do get attacked again. I never had a problem the other 2 precious summers I had them, I think the bot flies were abundant in the early summer with all the rain we were getting.
Hope this info helps some else.