Myiasis (maggot disease) in rabbits

Myiasis or maggot disease is one of the largest fears for any rabbit lover. With this disease, rabbits become infected with maggots, which can have far-reaching consequences. Fortunately, with the right care, you can prevent an infection in most cases. Read below how to approach this.

Note: This article is about preventing Myiasis in your rabbit. If you see maggots on your rabbit, contact your vet immediately.

Myiasis (also called maggot disease) is caused by the blue-green blowfly (Lucilia sericata) that lays eggs in encrusted feces, wounds or foul-smelling fur. The maggots that hatch from these eggs eat their way through the skin, causing considerable tissue damage. This leads to infections and often blood poisoning. If infected, a rabbit can die within 24 hours.

The development of myiasis in rabbits often has to do with intestinal health, nutrition and hygiene. Wounds or loose stools (which stick to the buttocks) are ideal for laying eggs for the blue-green blowfly.

Sticky poop can be caused by diarrhea but also by incorrect nutrition. A rabbit has 2 types of droppings: the normal droppings and the night droppings (appeal droppings). This night poop is soft and the rabbit should eat it to get enough vitamins. If a rabbit gets too much food, he will not eat these nighttime droppings and they can become sticky. When overweight, the animal simply can no longer reach these droppings.

Be careful with giving fresh food such as vegetables, fruit or non-dried grass. If the rabbit is fed too much food with a high moisture content, diarrhea can develop, which increases the risk of myiasis. Moist food remains are also susceptible to spoilage and that attracts flies. Therefore, provide a clean and dry rabbit enclosure, where food remains, droppings and urine are regularly removed, to minimize the risk of myiasis in the rabbit.

Maggot disease is not clearly visible in the initial phase. The eggs are small and maggots are located in the skin or under the fur. Symptoms that may occur:

•    A dirty bottom, caked stools, wet fur around the anus.
•    There is a foul stench around the rabbit
•    The animal is lifeless, sits still a lot
•    The rabbit eats and drinks hardly or not at all
•    Maggots visible around the anus or where there are wounds / encrusted feces
•    There are many flies in the housing

Note: maggot disease can only be treated at an early stage. If you suspect Myiasis in your rabbit, you should contact a veterinarian immediately.

During the period that flies are active, rabbits are at risk of myiasis. These are the warmer periods, generally from April to November. In the winter months they are much less present. You can take several precautions yourself to prevent maggot disease in your rabbit.

It is best to treat rabbits preventively with Anti-Myiasis spray. This spray kills the eggs and maggots of the fly. Anti-Myiasis works for 4 weeks; during the period that the blowfly is active, depending on the weather conditions, usually from April to November, you repeat the treatment monthly.

Good hygiene is important to prevent myiasis in rabbits. Check the loft daily: it must be clean and dry. By ensuring good hygiene less flies will be drawn to the housing. In addition, you can provide the loft with mosquito netting to keep flies out of the enclosure as much as possible.

Also examine every day whether there are "sticky poo" or wounds on the body. Remove any encrusted feces and treat wounds if there are any with Wound Ointment.

Prevent diarrhea in your rabbit; do not give too many fruits and vegetables, provide food with sufficient crude fiber and prevent them from eating selectively, for example with Care+ Rabbit and provide limitless hay. Clean up leftover fruit and vegetables to prevent them from attracting flies. With these tips, your rabbit will skip through the summer months without any problems.