Why We Won't Keep Rabbits Outdoors

Our Outdoor Rabbits

We've had rabbits for a number of years. At first, we kept them all outdoors and, as time went on, we built better and better shelters for them. The latest "bunny house" was a completely enclosed shed with windows all around for light and summer air and a translucent roof for winter solar warming. It was screened in, although not altogether fly-proof. For exercise, we built predator-safe, all weather runs and took our rabbits to them on a daily basis. We tried to make their lives interesting and safe. We also have had indoor rabbits for much of the same time. We just had too many rabbits to keep them all indoors so had to pick and choose who got to live in the house.

Fly Strike

Besides the fear of large predators (dogs, raccoons, etc.) We early on experienced another predator just as deadly; the small, almost insignificant fly. Rabbits can sometimes have a condition which we've heard called "bad butt"; either sticky poops on the rear or wetness caused by some sort of urinary problem. Sticky poops can be caused by a number of causes. Often, it is the result of a rabbit being overweight and being fed a too rich, pellets-only diet. It can also be an indication of an intestinal tract illness or imbalance. Depending on the type of fur a rabbit has, the poops are more or less likely to stick to the rear. The fly is attracted to these conditions and will lay its eggs on the dirty rear of a rabbit. The eggs hatch within 24 hours into voraciously hungry maggots. They start by eating poop stuck to the fur. But quickly, they burrow under the fur and begin feasting on the flesh of the poor, helpless animal. Before long, the maggots will have eaten through the skin into the muscle. They can also burrow into the rectum and colon and feast internally. This process takes only a matter of hours to develop. The rabbit will loose its life without immediate, emergency treatment from a veterinarian. Sadly, the prognosis is not good, even with immediate care.

Tulip

We have witnessed fly strike on my outdoor rabbits five times over a period of about eight years. In three of those five cases, it was fatal. The first time we were on vacation, out of state. A friend was watching our daughter's rabbit Tulip. At that time, we did not know much about rabbit diet and Tulip was fed only pellets. She was overweight and often had a dirty rear. Our friend knew nothing about fly strike, but did take Tulip to our vet's. Unfortunately, it was too late to save her and she had to be euthanized. That experience alerted us to the danger of fly strike. As time went on we also learned more about rabbit diet and introduced timothy hay and fresh vegetables while reducing the amount of pellets.

Licorice

Our next rabbit to get fly strike was Licorice. Prior to the attack, she seemed perfectly healthy. But for whatever reason she was a target. Luckily, we got Licorice to the vet's in time and she survived. She was very red and sore for a while, but completely recovered. Time was on our side and the maggots had not eaten completely through the skin.

Big Wig

Rabbit number three was Big Wig. He had been wet on his rear and when examining him, we noticed what looked like salt crystals on the tips of his fur. We took him to the vet to treat the probable urinary problem. It turned out that the "salt crystals" were actually fly eggs. They had hatched out and Big Wig had the fly strike. Again, fortunately, we got him to the vet in time and he survived.

Tilly and Lily

Our (hopefully) last experiences with fly strike happened during the summer of 2000. By this time, we only had three rabbits in the bunny house. Tilly, Tilley's daughter Shadow and Lily. Tilly and Shadow shared a cage. It was father's day Sunday. Tilly looked a little spacy in the morning, but we put her out for her daily exercise. She had seemed completely healthy right up through the previous evening and her rear was clean and dry just a day or two earlier. She didn't seem to be hopping normally, but it was a busy Sunday and we didn't pay attention. Lily was having her own problems. She had a wet rear and we figured that she might be developing a urinary problem. We washed her off and then (not a good idea!) put her back outside on the ground. She wasn't completely dry. (Have you every tried to dry off a wet rabbit? It takes forever.)

When we brought Tilly back inside the bunny house that evening, we knew that something was seriously wrong. She could hardly walk. We turned her over and there was a mess of poop and maggots crawling around! We immediately took her to the emergency vet but the maggots had already eaten into her colon and she had to be euthanized. Why hadn't we acted earlier? Fly strike happens so fast. Our earlier experiences should have taught us that lesson. But that Sunday had too many distractions.

We decided to take Lily to the vet's on Monday to check on her urinary problem. But guess what? She had fly strike too! The vet shaved her fur and cleaned off the maggots. Lily's skin had been eaten down to the last layer, but not through to the muscle. It appeared that she would live. She seemed to begin to recover. But by Wednesday, she had stopped eating. That night she passed away. The vet thought that some maggots may have gotten into her body through her rectum. What an awful thing to happen to our dear bunny!

Shadow

Poor Shadow was now alone and the last remaining rabbit in the bunny house. Fortunately, we were able to bond her with two of our indoor rabbits, Chippy and Maple. She now lives with them in the house and they make a great threesome. We no longer keep rabbits outdoors.

Final Thoughts

We've shared these stories with you, although they have been difficult to retell, in the hope that you will learn from our experiences and mistakes. If you have rabbits living outdoors, please consider bringing them in. Fly strike is much less likely indoors. But check you rabbit for dirt on the rear as a precaution and as a possible sign of illness. There is a wealth of good information on this site to help you learn how to keep your rabbit indoors. We strongly recommend having your rabbit spayed or neutered, feeding a good diet including hay and veggies, proving safe housing and daily exercise, and finding a vet who is experienced in treating rabbits.