Flystrike in rabbits is a rapid, severe, and often fatal welfare emergency in which blowfly larvae eat through living tissue. Vigilant prevention prevents this entirely avoidable welfare crisis.
Flystrike causes one of the most acutely horrific welfare emergencies possible in pet rabbits. The speed at which larvae can cause life-threatening tissue destruction, often before owners realise anything is wrong, makes prevention the only reliable welfare strategy. Daily inspection during warm months should be non-negotiable for outdoor rabbits and any indoor rabbit with health conditions that risk soiling. Chemical prevention with Rearguard significantly reduces risk during peak season but does not replace vigilant monitoring. The prevention of flystrike requires addressing the underlying health conditions that predispose rabbits to soiling: dental disease that causes cecotroph production problems, urinary incontinence, obesity, and diarrhoea. Veterinary treatment of these conditions simultaneously improves general welfare and reduces flystrike risk.