How do you remove fly larva parasites from a rabbit?

Answer 1

If you notice fly larva (or any parasites) on your rabbit, bring her to a rabbit-savvy vet immediately! Before you go, remove any larva/eggs from the fur; but, if you can get to a vet immediately, leave any larva that has burrowed into the skin for the vet to take care of.

If a vet is not immediately available, you have to administer first aid. Rabbits are very sensitive to stress, and when they panic they can seriously injure themselves, so whenever you administer first aid on a rabbit, at all times try to minimize stress. Instil a calm environment. Hold the rabbit firmly. Have all the supplies you need laid out beside you, and have a friend there to help.

Carefully remove all the larva you can find and bring your rabbit to the vet as soon as possible (whether or not you think you've gotten rid of all the larva).

Be extremely careful when removing larva from the skin. If you burst the larva, toxins will be released into your rabbit's system and he will probably die.

Try to pull the larva out of the skin with tweezers. If the larva is in too deep for that, look for the hole in the skin and try squeezing gently around it to push it toward the hole. Again: Be gentle! Do not burst the larva! If this doesn't work, try applying a warm compress to the area, covering the hole -- this might incite the larva to come up to the surface, where you can pull it out with tweezers.

Answer 2

It's important to keep flies away from your rabbit because, if you don't, fly strike can result (where the fly lays its eggs on the rabbit and the fly larva burrow into the rabbit and eat its live flesh, leading to the onset of shock and then death).

• Keeping your rabbit indoors goes a long way to keeping it away from flies and other dangerous organisms (parasites, insects, predators, etc.).
• Keep your rabbit's habitat clean: flies are attracted to filth.
• Allow your rabbit plenty of space to move around; flies are less likely to lay their eggs on a running rabbit than an immobile one.
• Keep your rabbit clean and healthy by feeding it the proper diet and grooming its fur regularly.
• Do at-home physical health checks regularly and remove any eggs and insects you find in the fur. If you notice any broken skin, serious consequences can be avoided by vising a vet ASAP.
• Fly sticky pads and strips can be helpful, too.

See the related questions (linked below) for more info.