Strange wound on all of my rabbits

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drumma

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Feb 19, 2011
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Location
Moncton, New Brunswick
Hi Guys,
I was hoping to get some collective advice on a strange wound/mark that all 3 of my rabbit have developed over the last 2-3 weeks.

My buck was the first one that developed it and I didn't think much of it. I just cleaned it and let it heal on it's own. It was healed over and gone in a few days.

Then a week later one of my does got the same exact mark in the same spot. It looks like it was fairly fresh and didn't look infected so I left it alone to heal. It's scabbed over now and looks like it's healing fine but there is a lot hair missing from the spot.


Then today I went out and my other doe has the exact same mark in the same spot.

It's hard to describe. It doesn't look like a bite, or a cut. It just a small spot on the back of their neck with a little spot of blood and the skin looks like it might have been rubbed or a small patch of fur ripped out. There is no depth to the wound it's only on the surface. But it is so weird that all of them have now gotten it in the same spot, right on the back of the neck. I checked their cages for anything sharp. I've rubbed my hand along the entire inner surface of the cage and couldn't find anything that they might scratch themselves on. The only thing is their J feeders but for the feeder to cause the scratch on the back of their necks would be near impossible.

Any ideas?

Oh yeah, some additional information - They are all in separate cages. The 2 does share a wall so they can see each other and could have possibly bitten one another but the buck is on a different level and and alone so it can't be a bite from another rabbit. The cages are outside on my deck.

Here's some pics.
Doe #1 - The freshest wound. I couldn't get a good shot.
IMG_0480.jpg
Doe #1 - Different angle
IMG_0481.jpg
Doe #2 - Older wound but lots of hair missing
IMG_0482.jpg
Doe #2
IMG_0483.jpg
 
Something has burrowed into your rabbits! Get a vet to tell you what to use to kill Botfly larvae before they kill your rabbits!
 
Bot fly was my first thought too. I'm not sure, however, whether that is an entrance hole or an exit hole. If you're not familiar with the nasty critters, Drumma, I suggest you google them.
 
That is entrance!!1 The exit holes are a LOT larger-- and she would have felt/seen the lump before the exit was made....
 
Oh my crap.. that is nasty. It never even occured to me that it could be something like that.

I'm looking it up now. Have any of you ever had this happen before? Is this common? Can I prevent it?

I'm kinda freakin out right now.
 
How common are bot flies in the US? I thought it was mainly Central and South America....
 
I think the ones that are responsible for that stomach-churning mess in the link I posted are mostly in South and Central America. There may be a type in the States that attacks cattle etc.(warbles) though. In the article it said they mostly lay their eggs on things like mosquitoes though.
 
Our horses were always covered in bot fly eggs before we moved and had lots of barn swallows start covering the area. The bot flies we usually deal with don't burrow like that though. The livestock ingest the eggs grooming themselves and the larvae burrow in the mouth and then in to the stomach before passing through the digestive tract so you only ever see the eggs. A dewormer interrupts the cycle and makes the larvae pass through the animal before it's mature enough to survive.
 
are bot flies a danger to rabbits? in cattle we just squeezed and popped them out. Killed the larva. On the odd time that they burst inside we just squeezed the spot (until all the ick came out) for a couple days to keep it from infecting. They normally healed up just fine.

Is it different with rabbits?
 
Well, I've done a bunch of searching online and found a bunch of stuff. Most of it mentions that they CAN be lethal but mostly it just says that the larvae will eventually work itself out and as long as the wound heals properly there shouldn't be a problem.

I had never heard of the gross little bastards before and I had no idea how common they are in wild animals and cattle/horses.

I just did a thorough check of all 3 of my buns and rechecked their spots. Burger(the buck) has no sign of his original spot. I gave him a good feel all over his body checking for lumps or any signs of an breathing hole/exit wound and I couldn't find anything. Also checked the other does and applied some vinegar to the spots. I read that vinegar will cause the eggs to hatch and kill the larvae. I also checked them all over and couldn't feel any lump or bumps. So again, we'll just keep an eye on them.

I also cut their nails for the first time. It worked better if I held them up and my wife did the cutting. But they all took it quite well. I was surprised.
 
if it is bot fly, it won't take long and you'll feel a bump below the surface. IF it is like it is with cattle (and this I am not sure of). Open up the original wound a bit and pop them out. the bunny WILL NOT appreciate your efforts, so might be a two person job. Kill whatever emerges. :)
 
That is nasty.......especially the pictures on that link! EWWWWWWWWW!!! :shock:
 
Tthe bot fly larvae-- if they get too close to the nerves, will cripple the animal-- as they will be feeding on the nerve sheath, nerve, etc-- Ihad several rabbits my first summer-- I would dig out the 'warble' they would be fine, but a couple others- the 'warble' wa sso close to the spinal column, that damage had been done..
 
Wow, that's sick... MaggieJ, do we have those here in Ontario?

That's just one more reason I won't be keeping a full herd through the suimmer... I like bugs, as long as they are OUTSIDE. I think I prefer the minor inconvienience of frozen water crocks toanything like this.
 
We do have bot flies in Ontario, but they are I'm glad to say I have never seen any sign of them here... We've been living here ten years now, so they can't be a common problem in this neck of the woods... and even less of a risk in town, I would think.

I read about a really gross case where some campers in Ontario noticed an odd swelling on their kid's cheek. At first they just thought insect bite but when the larva started to move under the skin they got spooked and took the kid to emergency. They got it out okay, but how yucky is that? Shudder.
 
being a fan of documentaries, I've seen some very gross stuff, and byfar, the grossest things are the removal of larva/worms from human tissue... *shudder*
Hubby just doesn't understand why I hate travel...
 
The thought of this creeps me out. I'm just hoping it turns out to be nothing. I'm a big burly 6'4" 365lbs dude and the thought of this nearly cripples me.
 

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