Small AnimalUncategorizedFly Strike

Keep an eye on your small animals in the summer!

Summer is a prime time for flies and insects, even more so with the scorching weather we have been having lately and these pests can cause serious health problems for your small animals.

Ever heard of fly strike?

It is a condition also known as myiasis, caused by flies laying eggs on fur, which then hatch into maggots that burrow into their skin and feed on flesh. Basically, eating them from the inside out. It is an extremely stressful and painful process for your pet and once it gets to that stage (internal) can be fatal. If the infestation is beyond untreatable a vet’s only option is the euthanise.

Fly strike can happen as quickly as 1-3 days. Once a fly has laid its eggs it only takes a few hours for the eggs to hatch and less than a day for them to burrow into the animal’s skin.

All animals are vulnerable to fly strike, but it is most common in Rabbits and the most common place you will find it is around the bottom. Flies are attracted to smell, faeces, and wet areas, so you must check your pet regularly and clean off any dirty bottoms. Another place for flies is the toilet area. This must be cleaned out every single day. Some small animals tend to lie in their toilet area. Flies will hover around here in the cage/hutch and lay their flies on the animal or in the wet defecated bedding.

Be careful with any open wounds too, as this again is a perfect hosting area for their larvae.

Keep an eye out for…

• White hard eggs attached to the root of your pet’s fur. These are either unhatched eggs or hatched egg cases
• Maggots/larvae wiggling in between your pet’s hair
• Loss of fur in patches
• Red dots (holes) in the skin where the maggots have burrowed in
• Hard black tumorous looking lumps (when cut open by a vet they are usually filled with larvae)
• Lethargy
• Loss of appetite
• Strong bad smell

What to do if your pet has fly strike…

If you find any maggots on your pet’s fur, you are best contacting your vet for an immediate appointment to have them checked over. Your vets will know exactly what care to give your pet to give them the best chance of survival.

You must NEVER try to remove any of the maggots yourself. If the are burrowing trying to remove them will cause severe pain and distress to your pet which can cause them to go into shock and result in death.

If your vet thinks your pet’s condition is treatable, they will clip their fur, clean their skin, and remove as many maggots as possible with forceps. Usually this would need to be done under anaesthetic to avoid causing your pet any further pain or distress. Pain relief and medication is usually given to kill any remaining maggots and eggs.

Fly strike can be easily avoided by just general housekeeping and maintenance.

• Clean their living area out regularly
• Clean their toilet area out DAILY
• Examine your pet daily paying particular attention to the bottom
• Keep your pets well exercised, less time laying in dirty bedding.
• Use a fly strike or a cage/hutch insect spray daily
• Keep longer haired animals’ fur short especially around the bottom
• Feed the correct diet. Small animals should have hard poops, Diarrhoea usually means something in their diet is not agreeing with them or too much fruit/veg/muesli/treats and not enough fibre(hay).
• Use a small animal insecticidal shampoo every now and again. Great for preventing fly strike but also great for killing any hay mite or fleas too.