Affected animals are restless, dull and reluctant to graze, and kick at the struck area. Fly strike is usually visible as a discolored, moist area of wool which, on closer examination, reveals maggots and is foul-smelling. It is a costly disease of significant welfare concern ( Wall and Lovatt, 2015). It is common for 1-3% of sheep in a flock to be affected by fly strike ( Broughan and Wall, 2006). It is 10–14 mm long (from Blowfly strike, or myiasis, is an important cause of sheep loss in a number of countries across the world, and in particular in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and South Africa. If diarrhea does occur, be sure to clean feathers quickly and trim any feathers that are unable to be completely cleaned.įlystrike is a serious and potentially fatal condition that can be prevented by close monitoring of your flock, catching wounds and vent soiling early and practicing good fly control.The adult Lucilia sericata are usually a metallic green and can also have a copper green color. Regular veterinary fecal floats as part of a flock health plan can help monitor parasite burdens in your flock which can also help prevent diarrhea. Good husbandry including clean, dry bedding and catching and treating digestive issues and diarrhea early will also help to keep vents clean. If you find any open wounds address them immediately by first aid at home or contacting your veterinarian for more severe or unresolving wounds. Injuries and fly strike can be missed easily by feather cover, so close examination is important. Monitor the health of your flock, checking individuals daily for wounds, and cleaning vents from adhered debris and feces. Practicing good fly control helps to decrease the chances of flystrike in your flock. In addition to causing flystrike, flies are a nuisance and can cause increased stress and expense of energy for birds trying to get reprieve from heavy fly burdens. Fly control is extremely important for the wellbeing and welfare of your flock. Your veterinarian may prescribe antibiotics to treat or prevent secondary bacterial infections and an anti-inflammatory for control of pain and inflammation.įlystrike can occur from any fly species and in any region. The veterinary will then apply a dressing such as silver sulfadiazine cream or an aerosol aluminum bandage. The wound care will entail a safe antiseptic cleansing agent flushing any affected tissue. Veterinary treatment of flystrike involves the complete removal of all visible larvae as well as cleansing and surgical debridement (removal of dead tissue) of the wound. It is best to contact your veterinarian for further treatment. After fly eggs are laid, they hatch in 8 to 12 hours, with each fly able to lay up to 150 eggs.Īffected birds should be isolated from the rest of the flock and placed in a warm protected location with easy access to food and water. Appearance of tissue necrosis-dead tissue- and bleeding are also indicators of fly strike.įlystrike in should be treated as an emergency as it is an extremely painful and potentially fatal condition. Flystrike can be fatal if not treated.Ĭlinical signs of flystrike include presence of eggs, moving insects or visibility of maggots in open wounds or apparent "holes" in the bird's flesh or in and around the vent. In birds, it commonly occurs in open wounds from trauma, predators, aggressive flock-mates or roosters, as well as in the area of vents that have fecal accumulation present.įlystrike causes further tissue damage and can lead to secondary bacterial infections. As the maggots feed on tissue and burrow, they cause significant pain and damage. The eggs hatch into maggots (fly larvae) that begin to feed on the surrounding tissue. Flystrike (the technical name is myiasis) is condition that occurs when flies lay eggs in an animal’s skin or body cavity.
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