Rabbit Larvae

Question
Dear Lee,

A few days ago we found a little orphaned rabbit.  Yesterday I picked it up and discovered this "tumor". We had heard about a bot fly host in rabbits, so we squeezed it out (didn't know that was bad to do-little fella is still alive).  I stumbled upon your Q&A site and read about the cuterbra. Is this the same one?  

I thought, by chance, that you might educate me (and my kids) more about this parasitic alien being. We would love to see a picture, and compare it with the one we took (included). What is the actual name of this thing? We saw a bot fly, on another website, but the pic did not show it's larvae. Our horses have little yellow eggs on the tips of their hair from time to time, which we've called "bot lice", but I've never seen anything quite like this.  Can you help us?
Jeanine P.




Dear Lee,

A few days ago we found a little orphaned rabbit.  Yesterday I picked it up and discovered this "tumor". We had heard about a bot fly host in rabbits, so we squeezed it out (didn't know that was bad to do-little fella is still alive).  I stumbled upon your Q&A site and read about the cuterbra. Is this the same one?  

I thought, by chance, that you might educate me (and my kids) more about this parasitic alien being. We would love to see a picture, and compare it with the one we took (included). What is the actual name of this thing? We saw a bot fly, on another website, but the pic did not show it's larvae. Our horses have little yellow eggs on the tips of their hair from time to time, which we've called "bot lice", but I've never seen anything quite like this.  Can you help us?
Jeanine P.







Dear Lee,

A few days ago we found a little orphaned rabbit.  Yesterday I picked it up and discovered this "tumor". We had heard about a bot fly host in rabbits, so we squeezed it out (didn't know that was bad to do-little fella is still alive).  I stumbled upon your Q&A site and read about the cuterbra. Is this the same one?  

I thought, by chance, that you might educate me (and my kids) more about this parasitic alien being. We would love to see a picture, and compare it with the one we took (included). What is the actual name of this thing? We saw a bot fly, on another website, but the pic did not show it's larvae. Our horses have little yellow eggs on the tips of their hair from time to time, which we've called "bot lice", but I've never seen anything quite like this.  Can you help us?
Jeanine P.







Dear Lee,

A few days ago we found a little orphaned rabbit.  Yesterday I picked it up and discovered this "tumor". We had heard about a bot fly host in rabbits, so we squeezed it out (didn't know that was bad to do-little fella is still alive).  I stumbled upon your Q&A site and read about the cuterbra. Is this the same one?  

I thought, by chance, that you might educate me (and my kids) more about this parasitic alien being. We would love to see a picture, and compare it with the one we took (included). What is the actual name of this thing? We saw a bot fly, on another website, but the pic did not show it's larvae. Our horses have little yellow eggs on the tips of their hair from time to time, which we've called "bot lice", but I've never seen anything quite like this.  Can you help us?
Jeanine P.







Dear Lee,

A few days ago we found a little orphaned rabbit.  Yesterday I picked it up and discovered this "tumor". We had heard about a bot fly host in rabbits, so we squeezed it out (didn't know that was bad to do-little fella is still alive).  I stumbled upon your Q&A site and read about the cuterbra. Is this the same one?  

I thought, by chance, that you might educate me (and my kids) more about this parasitic alien being. We would love to see a picture, and compare it with the one we took (included). What is the actual name of this thing? We saw a bot fly, on another website, but the pic did not show it's larvae. Our horses have little yellow eggs on the tips of their hair from time to time, which we've called "bot lice", but I've never seen anything quite like this.  Can you help us?
Jeanine P.







Dear Lee,

A few days ago we found a little orphaned rabbit.  Yesterday I picked it up and discovered this "tumor". We had heard about a bot fly host in rabbits, so we squeezed it out (didn't know that was bad to do-little fella is still alive).  I stumbled upon your Q&A site and read about the cuterbra. Is this the same one?  

I thought, by chance, that you might educate me (and my kids) more about this parasitic alien being. We would love to see a picture, and compare it with the one we took (included). What is the actual name of this thing? We saw a bot fly, on another website, but the pic did not show it's larvae. Our horses have little yellow eggs on the tips of their hair from time to time, which we've called "bot lice", but I've never seen anything quite like this.  Can you help us?
Jeanine P.







Dear Lee,

A few days ago we found a little orphaned rabbit.  Yesterday I picked it up and discovered this "tumor". We had heard about a bot fly host in rabbits, so we squeezed it out (didn't know that was bad to do-little fella is still alive).  I stumbled upon your Q&A site and read about the cuterbra. Is this the same one?  

I thought, by chance, that you might educate me (and my kids) more about this parasitic alien being. We would love to see a picture, and compare it with the one we took (included). What is the actual name of this thing? We saw a bot fly, on another website, but the pic did not show it's larvae. Our horses have little yellow eggs on the tips of their hair from time to time, which we've called "bot lice", but I've never seen anything quite like this.  Can you help us?
Jeanine P.







Dear Lee,

A few days ago we found a little orphaned rabbit.  Yesterday I picked it up and discovered this "tumor". We had heard about a bot fly host in rabbits, so we squeezed it out (didn't know that was bad to do-little fella is still alive).  I stumbled upon your Q&A site and read about the cuterbra. Is this the same one?  

I thought, by chance, that you might educate me (and my kids) more about this parasitic alien being. We would love to see a picture, and compare it with the one we took (how do I show you?). What is the actual name of this thing? We saw a bot fly, on another website, but the pic did not show it's larvae. Our horses have little yellow eggs on the tips of their hair from time to time, which we've called "bot lice", but I've never seen anything quite like this.  Can you help us?
Jeanine P.  

Answer
Hi Jeanine,

a bot fly larva is usually about 1/2 to 1 inch long, and appears to have sections (like the Michelin man logo) and looks kind of chubby in the middle, with narrowing ends.

You can find pictures of the larva by Googling the term "cuterebra".

If you plan on keeping him, you should take him to a vet as soon as you can to have him inspect the wound.  He/she will probably want to flush out the would and possibly give him some antibiotics to make sure an infection does not occur.  Rabbits are very delicate when it comes to their skin and they are very prone to infections from scrapes and wounds like this.  He will probably require a prescription medicine to deal with this.

For a good rabbit vet near you, go to  www.rabbit.org\vets and find a House Rabbit Society recommended vet in your area.  Not all vets are proficient in dealing with rabbits.

I would suggest that you visit the House Rabbit Society web site (www.rabbit.org) and at the bottom of their main page, search on the terms "orphan", "nutrition", and "hay".  

Diet is incredibly important with rabbits.  The crash course:  get Timothy hay, like Oxbow or Kaytee.  Hay makes up 80% of their diet.  They can eat it all the time, they won't get fat from it.  Very small amounts of safe greens and carrots.  You can't give them all at once, you have to intro new foods like greens/carrots one at a time every two weeks to let their gut bacteria adjust to dealing with the new food.  Good greens: romaine lettuce, green leaf lettuce, italian (flat leaf) parsley.

I would avoid any sugar/hi carb foods right now.  Not until you are able to get to know your bunny and read up on their nutritional needs.

Two other good books to get:  "The House Rabbit Handbook 4th Ed." by Marinell Harimann.  "Rabbit Health in the 21st Century 2nd Ed." by Kathy Smith.  Major bookstores can get them in if they don't carry them in stock.

Lee