Warbles
Outdoor pet rabbits can get warbles, a parasite that grows under the skin. If you rabbit has a warble, you will feel a small gumball sized lump under the fur. If you examine closely, it may seem crusty on the top. By washing the custiness off, you will discover a breathing hole for the fly larva that is growing beneath the skin.
Out of over 400 rabbits I've had in my barn, I've only had two rabbits to get warbles ever. So I'd say they aren't overly common, but rather is something that could come up. But, if your rabbit should get one, you need to know what to do.
Unless you are prepared to do minor surgery, you should take your rabbit to the vet for the removal of the warble. The breathing hole is enlarged and the warble should be removed whole, if possible, otherwise your rabbit could go into shock.
Having the warble removed is more likely to bother you (and your vet) than your rabbit. The skin around the breathing hole is quite dead and the enlargement of the hole did not seem to bother my rabbit at all. It took the vet quite awhile to get the warble out. It was rather attached to my rabbit. He eventually did have to remove the warble in bits, which he did not want to do.
My vet prescribed medication to go into the now empty hole to help it heal from the inside out. My doe made a complete recovery within a couple of weeks.
The second time a rabbit of mine got warbles, I tried to remove them myself (he had two), but I found that removing the larva was very difficult, so I had to give up on dealing with it myself.
Fear of warbles should not keep you from allowing your rabbit to enjoy the outdoors. Just make sure that you are having plenty of physical contact with your rabbit so that you will note any change in him, including lumps under the skin.
Laurie Stroupe
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
Out of over 400 rabbits I've had in my barn, I've only had two rabbits to get warbles ever. So I'd say they aren't overly common, but rather is something that could come up. But, if your rabbit should get one, you need to know what to do.
Unless you are prepared to do minor surgery, you should take your rabbit to the vet for the removal of the warble. The breathing hole is enlarged and the warble should be removed whole, if possible, otherwise your rabbit could go into shock.
Having the warble removed is more likely to bother you (and your vet) than your rabbit. The skin around the breathing hole is quite dead and the enlargement of the hole did not seem to bother my rabbit at all. It took the vet quite awhile to get the warble out. It was rather attached to my rabbit. He eventually did have to remove the warble in bits, which he did not want to do.
My vet prescribed medication to go into the now empty hole to help it heal from the inside out. My doe made a complete recovery within a couple of weeks.
The second time a rabbit of mine got warbles, I tried to remove them myself (he had two), but I found that removing the larva was very difficult, so I had to give up on dealing with it myself.
Fear of warbles should not keep you from allowing your rabbit to enjoy the outdoors. Just make sure that you are having plenty of physical contact with your rabbit so that you will note any change in him, including lumps under the skin.
Laurie Stroupe
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
posted by Laurie Stroupe at 5:08 PM
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