Three Poop Questions

[Pipp]

1) How can you recognize fly strike before it happens? Are the eggs veryvisiblebefore they hatch? If you just keep running your hand over their back ends, can you just brush them off? None of my bunshave 'poopy butt' (although Radar seems to be having a few soft stool issues at the moment), but I'm extra cautious because there are a million ways flies can get into my house, and I'm pretty sureI found a BotFlyswimming in my sink the other day. :shock: The buns are all getting mighty tired of me flipping them all over to look for signs of fly strike -- but I don't know what I'm looking for.

2) Radar has a habbit of grabbinga piece of food and eating it in his litter box with the food rolling around the poop.Does this put himat risk for coccidia?

3) I'veseen almost liquid cecals (I think).What are the fool-proof ways to tell the difference between diarrhea and runny cecals?

sas

 

[MyBabyBunnies]

I think they lay the eggs under the skin but I could be wrong. Or perhaps it's just on the skin and the maggots tunnel into the rabbit when they hatch?

I don't know what to look for as initial signs other than maggots. But since mine are outside, I take a bottle with vanilla and water mixed and spray their butts. I also spray the poops in the trays if I don't empty it every day and parts of their cages. The sweet smell discourages the flies from hanging around.

You can buy fly traps if you want -- they have those sticky fly strips for the few that get inside or for those with outside rabbits, they make huge bags that can catch up to 20 000 flies.

 

[Pipp]

Great suggestions. Never thought about vanilla extract in a spray bottle, I've got tons of the stuff.

Thanks again!

sas and the buns :bunnydance::bunnydance::bunnydance::bunnydance::bunnydance:

 

[naturestee]

1. I'm pretty sure you can take eggs off the fur with a flea comb. According to the article that I copied into the Flystrike thread, the flies that cause the problems lay their eggs not in flesh (unless it's already rotting/severely infected) but in warm damp areas. The maggots burrow in on their own. If you're concerned, you can talk to your vet about using Rear Guard. I've only heard about it from UK people, but you may be able to get it in the US/Canada. I think it's only sold by vets.

2. Well, rabbits eat their poop so eating in the litterbox shouldn't increase exposure more than normal. If his poop has coccidea then he's already infected, although many rabbits have a small manageable (non-symptom causing) population of it anyway.

3. A bun with liquid cecals will also have normal fecals at the same time. If it's all liquid, then it's true diarrhea.