What do you know about fly larvae in buns?

[Hedi]

So, several weeks ago at the shelter we got in a small white new zealand bun. Couldnt be more than just a few months old. Still had a baby face. She had two open wounds on her feet. I started treating them with Neosporin because our vet said she didnt want to give her anything. They were open, red living tissue with crusty edges. Those wounds have since healed.

While I was gone on vacation two weeks ago she had two larvae spots that broke open! They started her on Baytril. Since then two days ago she had a third one open. And has a huge lump on her back just south of her shoulders.

Suggestions? Our vet tech said the bun vet we have isnt all that good. Course that scares me.

Can you prevent these things from coming out? Do you not know they have them until they come out?

Help!

[BinkyBunny]

So is it actually fly larvae or is it like cottage cheesish pus? I know this is a really gross question!

[Hedi]

I didnt see it myself so I only know what i was told.

THey said it had some kinda pus with larvae. The vet tech actually kept the larvae to see if she could grow it into a fly. Kinda weird.

But the first two burst at the same time and they cleaned them out and put her on Baytril. Now 2 weeks later another opens up.

Yesterday she had a horrible lump on her back and they said it was swelling from the last burst but someone was feeling her and swore they felt something move.

I’m just afraid they will miss something.

[Scarlet_Rose]

The lumps are usually a sign and you actually do want them to come out from under the skin, otherwise they live under there and start to feast on the rabbit. I know fly strike is really gross and there is no real way of putting it nicely. Have you searched on the internet for more info? Can I suggest something? Since you’ve been told your vet "isn’t that good" research the condition yourself, that way you can be an educated owner and make your own call about that.

The House Rabbit Society puts out nice info:

http://www.rabbit.org/journal/2-12/fly-strike.html

This is one I use quite a lot for medical issues (look up fly strike):

http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/rabrefs.html

[Hedi]

I read both those sites but I’m just not sure what do to as far as the shelter is concerned. Those websites consider this an emergency. At the shelter I get the feeling that to them this can be common so we just medicate and if they burst open, we clean them out. I thought maybe if someone had experience they could point me in the direction of a different med since she is still hatching these things even while on Baytril. She has already been adopted out but we can’t let her go (of course) until she is better. But, had these things waited a day or two she would have already gone home with her new owner.

Maybe I will print out those papers and take them in with me tomorrow. There is only one vet who will even look at the buns and I know they aren’t there everyday.

[BinkyBunny]

Oh Hedi, that’s horrible! I also suggest you ask Dana Krempels on AllExperts at http://www.allexperts.com/ep/703-35789/Rabbits/Dana-Krempels-Ph.htm. (be sure to include the details you’ve posted here). Being a rabbit savvy vet herself, she should be able to guide another vet with recommended care.

I would also be afraid of abscesses forming at the wound site. Baytril should help take care of that, but it doesn’t always, sometimes abscesses can continue to grow and can attach to muscle, so if antibiotics don’t take care of it, then surgery is usually performed.

Keep us updated.

[Hedi]

I went in today and the area has grown and now is hard as a rock. Its the size of a golfball now. Between her shoulder blades.

You can tell she isnt feeling well. She is normally a loving bun, likes to be cuddled. Well, not today! She thumped at me and actually would hide from me which isnt normal.

I will do what you suggest. I asked the other bun person to talk w/ the shelter director to get a second opinion on her care. Something isnt right and I dont want a dead bun on our hands.

[Scarlet_Rose]

Discussions of medication, in my opinion, should be reserved for a qualified veterinarian who is treating your rabbit. Most times fly strike is an emergency.

In a pinch such as this, there are many bunny vets that will do a phone consultation with over the phone with another vet for any guidance, especially since it sounds like your bunny expert is not always there. 

This listing I grabbed off of the HRS web site, it would be a start too:

http://www.ohare.org/vets.htm

[Hedi]

Normally I would agree. I dont expect someone to tell me what to give and me barge in on the vet demanding a certain treatment.

But people on here who work in shelters have seen this stuff and may know how things would normally go and what treatments they would normally use- that is all I was looking for.

Jenn sent me in the right direction so I am just waiting on a vet to get back to me.

Thanks!

[Scarlet_Rose]

Very cool! I’m glad you got headed off in the right direction.

[Hedi]

Last night one of the other rabbit volunteers took Lilly out of the shelter and to a different vet. Not sure what the shelter thought but they didn’t fight him about it.

Lilly has a huge abscess-that is what that big golfball size spot it. They drained it and she has to have drain care daily and then three different meds that include injections.

Our vet didnt know that was an abscess? He is gonna try and keep her until everything is done for her to make sure everything goes well.

[BinkyBunny]

EGADS! I was wondering about whether it was an abscess or not, it sure sounded like it. I wonder if the others were pus too, or really fly larvae, or if the abscess just grew at the wound site. Hopefully the shelter will pay for the outside vet care, and the other volunteer won’t be stuck with the bill. When you said “he is going to try and keep her…” did you mean the shelter vet, or the other vet?

You guys are awesome volunteers, and I sure hope the shelter appreciates what you’ve done.

[Scarlet_Rose]

OMG I am so glad that the proper diagnosis was finally made so the bun can be on its way to recovery. What is important is that the bunny is being treated and well cared for. Please keep us updated!

[Hedi]

The other volunteer is just going to tell the shelter director that since she has so much stuff needed, drain care and then three meds with one being an injection he would prefer to keep her at his home. They were fine with it. We are so overwhelmed with cats and dogs that last week we were euthenizing due to space issues-which I didnt even know they did. Cats and dogs only though. No buns. So they will be happy to have one less animal to care for especially with such needs.They will reimburse for her visit. I know that when I have asked before they said they would take care of it. I went last week and bought Purina Rabbit Chow and new bedding and they reimbursed me immediately. The director has told me before whatever we need buy it and they will pay us back. Which is a huge relief. I buy greens for my  buns and the shelter buns weekly. I dont mind because we can afford it but I was always worried they would assume we would just pay for everything-and they dont. So we have a good relationship built as far as care items go.

I kept Carmella for four days when she was fixed. I think as long as we dont ask too much of them they are fine if we keep the animals out of the shelter.

Technically Lilly has already been adopted (but not paid for) so her new owners are anxiously awaiting her to be well. This set back will cause us to keep her for at least another week. So they will be sad about that.

Good news though our local HRS has a vet that just graduated from OSU vet school that works at my vets office. She has buns she adopted from a local shelter to us that is cats and dogs only. These buns were dropped off and she adopted them on the spot. She loves working with them. Im gonna call tomorrow to see if I can get a face to face mtg with her to see if she will donate time to check our new buns when we get them.

[BinkyBunny]

Oh, Hedi that’s such good news, and I hope that vet will be willing to donate her time!  Big kudos to you, once again!

[Spacehopper]

I’ve been reading this daily (not knowing quite what to say), i am just SO relieved someone knew what they were doing, and thank buggery for people like you Hedi!!

It goes to show vet’s are NOT always right, and that is where i’ve found this site to be invaluable. Cha cha cha.

[Hedi]

Thanks.

This site has been invaluable and what is so great is so many people on this board have had their own experiences that we can all learn from what we all go thru. This was my first encounter with fly strike- Im assuming they were correct in that but the online vet suggested it could have been warbles as well.

(BinkyBunny had given me a website to ask a bun vet about Lilly. She asked me to email her back about the outcome. She even responded with her home email in case I had more questions.)

Bunny people are amazing! lol

[osprey]

I have been away, just catching up on this story.  WOW!  You saved that baby’s life, Hedi.  Flystrike and an abcess, yikes.  We’ve gotten in a few babies that had predator bites, and these became infected and abcessed.  I wonder if that happened to you litte one.  I hope she does not need surgery, sometimes antibiotics alone are not enough to clear out an infection.

I think that flystrike is considered an emergency because the maggots produce some kind of toxin that can kill bunnies very quickly.  The treatment that I’ve seen (I once saw a bun getting treated for it at the vet *shudder*) involves shaving the area, picking out the larvae, and then retreatment if more hatch.  Baytril will not treat the maggots, but will treat any skin infections that may arise.

I am glad that someone is giving her extra care.

[Scarlet_Rose]

Oh that’s great you have such a good working relationship with your shelter! I really hope that the vet will agree to donate some time, it sounds like the shelter is a bit overwhelmed right now too.  So sorry to hear about that.  I don’t like to see any animal be put to sleep.

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