Rabbits, Guinea pigs + heat = maggots

[Two_Sheds]

I've been waiting for it to happen, and it did yesterday: my elderly long-haired guinea pig had flystrike. There were clusters of 100s of tiny white maggots round her rear end.

It happens in every heat wave, however clean the hutch is: the flies lay eggs in the poops and they hatch into maggots which will eat the animal alive if left. Horrible.

I deal with them by sitting the pig in a bath of strong salty water until most of the maggots float off (5-10 mins): then I give her a good bath with Ecover and rinse well.

She's OK this morning, but I'll still be checking her every day for more.

[Florence Fennel]

Thanks TS, my friend is new to guinea pig keeping and she has 2 "girls" as she calls them. I'll pass this advice on to her.

[chris]

Do they like water/being bathed?

[rustylady]

Do they like water/being bathed?

Not particularly, but it's better than being eaten alive by maggots.

[jackie j]

I had a rabbit who for some reason was very dirty, he didnt clean himself, try bathing one like him, nightmare, He died of old age.

[di]

Cheers for the Heads up TS.....just to let folk know it happens to chooks too
We lost Marigold to it

[chris]

I've got it!! They need underpants (or something).

[di]

I've got it!!

[Hilary B]

Agricultural merchants should sell a spray to get rid of this. It works very well (and it will also get rid of lice). The only sheep I ever had get it was one that was very lame, and spent most of her time laying down. What I mostly used it for was instead of louse powder on the milking goats. Powder in their hair seemed likely to end up in the milking bucket, but the fly-strike spray worked very well!

[rustylady]

I've got it!!

What, flystrike? Hurry up and sit in a salty bath. Seriously though, I don't think your comment about underpants will be appreciated by people who have lost pets to this problem.

[Two_Sheds]

.. people who have lost pets to this problem.

My elderly girl died today, although it was old age, not maggots. It wasn't pleasant to have to find her, and then to bury her, poor old thing. She did enjoy a last supper of cherries & strawberries though

[CaroltheCarrot]

O Two Sheds am sorry

[Helgalush]

I am so sorry about your guinea pig.
Flystrike is very serious in rabbits too so I am very paranoid about it.
Sorry again for your girly.

[tamsin]

You can get treatment that you apply to the rabbit that inhibits the maggots development. Although they still hatch it stops them developing to the stage where they start eating the skin. Rearguard is one brand. Be careful with general stuff, what treats sheep may overdose/kill a rabbit.