black hole

Question
My rabbit had a hole in his skin with something black kind of sticking out of it. I took some tweezers and pulled on it and out popped a nasty sluglike cocoon of sorts. It felt rather hard, but the bunny didn't seem to mind. It was gross!
What was it? Is this common? what do I need to know?

Answer
Dear Victoria

It sounds as if your bunny had a botfly larva, or "warble".  These parasitic flies lay an egg on damp fur, and the hatched larva burrows into the skin of the host where it grows and develops. At a certain size, the maggot drops out of the hole and pupates into an adult.  So it's not a permanent thing, though it can cause serious problems if not treated.

The cyst may need to be flushed and disinfected by a vet to prevent infection, so please find a good rabbit vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

Outdoor rabbits are far more at risk of botfly infestation than indoor rabbits, so I'd recommend you get bun inside where he'll be safe.  You can find all the information you need on spay/neuter, litterbox training, etc. here:

http://www.rabbit.org/care/new-bunny-index.html

Hope this helps.

Dana