How do i stop a fly strike that seems to have no cause?

[AmysMacdog]

Went out to do evening feed and the flies are all around my french lop buck so I moved him to a clean cage and to see if they'd follow him and was scrubbing his cage and have cleaned under his cage and sure enough they went to where he is. I'm going out to bath him now. What else can I do???

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Fly strike means he would have an open wound where they laid eggs and there are maggots infesting the wound. Is it that or just a whole bunch of flies?

 

[AmysMacdog]

Thank you OAF! I didn't find any broken skin thank God, he's had his bottom washed and the most I could find was his glands down there were icky and he had alittle bit of a uriny smell. Washed his bottom good and he has since peed and pooped normally.
The flies so far were all over his cage and the poop under it so not sure whats up with that so he has been moved to the front deck in a different cage with a tray under it so I can monitor things. I had to empty and clean that a minute ago and it looked and smelled normal. So IDK!
His cage was recently cleaned under so there wasn't much there but the flies really wanted it, they even were still going after the ground after I clean away all the poop!
That suggest a urinary issue. Poops looked great.
His cage has been scrubbed and left it sitting there for the night.
I put ACV in his water, he is eating normally. IDK! :hmm:
I hope he'll be ok! He's my sweety!

 

[OneAcreFarm]

I don't think there is anything wrong with your rabbit. I just think the flies liked whatever they were finding on the ground...have you had a lot of rain lately? or is the area under the cage damp? That really attracts flies.

 

[Miss M]

Somebody recently tried the fly repelling thing where you fill a plastic baggie maybe 1/3 - 1/2 with water, and then drop a few pennies in. Hang a few up in your rabbitry, and it's supposed to really freak flies out. It was a member here, said she figured she didn't have anything to lose by it, and it worked.

 

[AmysMacdog]

So far so good but he smelled alittle uriny again when I moved him back into his clean cage so I put his cage in a shady spot next to the house by himself to keep an eye on him.
OAF -Its weird there were still a couple of flies lingering where his cage sat but none in the bucket of poop I got from his cage. I poured soapy water on that spot to try to discourage the flies and for the most part they left. We had rain about a week ago but its dry back there right now. Also no flies hanging around the tray under his cage this morning and I didn't get him moved until well after sunrise. I thought maybe he had a urine infection b/c he does have a uriny smell to him.
Miss M - Neat I'm gonna try that! I hate flies but those green flies are the worst! Those were the ones hanging around his cage yesterday. For the most part I don't see many back there. Their poop spots stay pretty dry and I scoop it and soak it for the worm bed often or dump in the garden in an empty bed and turn it over with a shovel so the worms in the soil can till it in good.
Hopefully he's ok, I'll know by the end of today if the flies try to bother him again or not. I hope not. :clover:

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Amy, do you have food grade diatomaceous earth? We have a grey mare that the cattle flies love to attack, and the DE seems to deter them. I just rub it on her withers and belly where the flies congregate, and it helps.

 

[DitchDoc]

Barn lime on the ground where the flies have been interested might help too...will dry the ground out and deter the flies from hanging about. I sure hope he's ok~

 

[AmysMacdog]

Whew I had to go to town today I was so glad to be heading home and do my chores and of course check on Frenchy. I pulled onto our road aaaaand forgot to stop at the gas station........AAAWWW DANGIT!! Turned around went..... :evil:
:lol: :lol:

But the good news is the flies are still leaving him alone and I do have some Diatomaceous Earth. I will try that MSD. Thank you!!

Thank you DitchDoc I'll try some lime on that spot, their are still a couple of green flies hanging out around that spot this afternoon but not the bucket I put the poop in. Very strange I don't get it! :shock:
But Frenchy is eating and drinking good hopefully he's fine. <br /><br />__________ Sat Oct 05, 2013 7:27 pm __________<br /><br />They came back and this time laid eggs on his tail and I found the tiniest barely could see them baby maggots in those pockets on each side of his genitals. I cleaned it all up again, nothing there but ear wax looking stuff, now its raw looking because I thoughly cleaned it.
His poops and urine still look fine, he's eating and drinking just fine. Why is this happening????
There wasn't any open sores before but now in those folds is irritated because I made sure it was clean and got all the maggots out of there(there were only a few on one side) and of course they irritate and would have penetrated the skin if I hadn't found them. I shudder to think what Ida found in the morning. Poor Frenchy. I hate to lose him but I don't know whats causing them to go after him like this! He's only 3 y/o!
I got him in a cage in the house trying to protect him. :help:

 

[Miss M]

I have no idea why they would be going after him like that!

 

[AmysMacdog]

Makes me wonder if the flies know something I don't or can't see or something but he looks fine and he's eating and drinking. Ugh! Soooo upsetting! [Sigh]<br /><br />__________ Sat Oct 05, 2013 10:02 pm __________<br /><br />I googled it and found alot on it. One possibility that I thought of is he's not grooming himself well enough or can't groom himself because of a back injury. He seems ok but he may not be able to reach where he needs to because it hurts. Not sure what I can do. If I can keep him clean and flies away from him for a few weeks then cold weather will be here and no flies. Maybe he will heel.....Maybe.
IDK! Ugh! Bummer!