Fly Strike

[Patchatch]

A lot of people don't know about fly strike.
But, unfortunately, my pig has a big potential of getting it. We have the flies (trying to get rid of them) that could potentially... kill her.
What can I do to prevent it? She's at most risk than Hammy, because of her long fur that sometimes gets messy "back there."

For those who don't know what fly strike is...
warning: if you're easily grossed out be prepared!
When you get small flies (usually fruit flies), they tend to lay their eggs in warm and moist areas. Some animals--pigs and rabbits mostly--run risk of having the flies lay their eggs by a cut or their back end. When the eggs hatch they will eat the animal alive, leaving horrible infections and, if not stopped, leading to death. You can read more here:
Fly-Strike Emergency
(note that's rabbits but the same may happen to pigs)

[salana]

Give her a haircut.

[Patchatch]

-headdesk-
She gets them every once and a while but it still won't prevent it.

[Haley0489]

Why won't it prevent it? If your pigs rear-hair is trimmed, it won't get nasty or stay damp.

[Patchatch]

It will partially prevent it, but you can't keep a long-haired pigger positively clean all the time without regular bathes. (bad for the skin)

[Ly&Pigs]

I've never seen anyone post about fly strike here before. I had house flies in the spring pretty bad for awhile and I hung fly strips and cleaned the cages more frequently. That seemed to take care of the problem I had with the flies. I have a long haired pig and keeping her bum trimmed does seem to prevent any type of thing like this happening.

[Patchatch]

Thanks Ly&Pigs. I'll work on that, thanks. :D
Has no one really ever posted this stuff? xD Well, a lot of pig owners don't know about Fly Strike...

[rabbitsncavyluv]

Pets housed outdoors are more prone to it.

[salana]

Or else we know, but our pigs have short and/or clean enough butt hair not to get it. ;)

I suppose pigs with grease gland infections could be a little susceptible to it, as their skin would be cracked and inflamed in the grease gland area. Or maybe the grease gland helps repel flies, anyway.

Incidentally, fruit flies are not the flies involved in flystrike.

Myiasis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

If you are worried that your cavy may have developed flystrike, ivermectin is the preferred treatment. Probably oral or injected would be best--consult with your vet for dosing instructions.

[pink piggy lips]

I've read it's a bigger problem with rabbits. I was vigilant about getting rid of the flies just before my elderly bun passed in May.

I think piggie butt hairs should stay regularly trimmed on a long haired piggie. My male abyssinian has quite the haircut. My female is more clean so only her butt hairs get trimmed. But it makes it nicer all around that way.

[VoodooJoint]

Do your pigs live outdoors? I have never heard of any animal who primarily lived indoors suffering from any kind of significant fly-strike.