#using saline only solution as the fluid I kept them in after cleaning

[vashti-lives]

I don’t know why my brain is so bad at processing my own allergies but boy!!!!!!

[xpouii]

JSE Day 8: Connected

Day 8 of the JSE artists prompts 2019 by @septic-bella

**All of the previous entries are available on AO3 under the title “Mayhem” with my same username.**

               Henrik had blood up to his elbows when the paramedics finally arrived; his voice was deceptively calm as he updated them on Jameson’s condition, and the cause of the injury. Jackie had already carried Marvin into the lab to avoid causing a fuss. The magician had been fairly out of it, but he was responsive enough that Henrik was comfortable waiting to treat him. Jameson had gone out long before the medics came for him, and he still wasn’t completely stable. “Edward Iplier is waiting in the trauma bay; he’ll be standing in as primary until I arrive.”

               Henrik squeezed Jameson’s hand one last time as he was loaded onto the stretcher, then he hurried to the lab where the others waited. He walked directly to the sink, washing away Jameson’s blood and peeling off his soiled cardigan. He grabbed a clean scrub top from the nearby locker and pulled it on. All of the ruckus had finally brought Chase out of his half-dead sleep and he was watching from the cot, afraid to get close enough for a good look at Marvin’s skin. Henrik took a calming breath as he gloved up, “Jameson is in the ambulance. Dr. Iplier is going to take care of him. Let’s take a look at-“ Henrik fell silent, startled at the state of Marvin, obscenities and rambling words scarred into his arms and feet, and likely extending well underneath his clothing. “Mein Gott. What happened?”

               “He was in his room,” Jackie said. “It was like his magic was burning him. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“I let down… a barrier,” Marvin muttered. “That bastard baited me.”

               Henrik started his work, cutting away Marvin’s shirt and pants; the fabric fell away, revealing a torso and legs as intricately destroyed as Marvin’s arms. Jackie took Marvin’s hand gently, “It’s ok. It’s n-not that bad.”

               Marvin laughed softly, “Yeah I bet I look great. At least he left my face.”

               “He needs your face,” Henrik said, gathering supplies from drawers as he prepared to clean the wounds. “These burns look to be second degree, but…”

               “But?” Jackie asked, leaning in.

               Henrik touched the worst looking wound on Marvin’s abdomen with gloved fingertips. Marvin didn’t flinch, or even indicate that he’d felt any contact at all. “What’s the but, Schneep?”

               “They’re behaving more like third degree burns,” Henrik sighed. “Which means there could be underlying damage to nerves.”

               Henrik prepared a gauze pad with a solution of iodine and saline to clean the burns. As soon as he touched the gauze to the first wound, Marvin arched up off of the table with a strangled cry of pain and the wound flared with green light. Marvin reached to grab for Henrik’s wrist but Jackie held him gently, “It’s ok Marv!”

               “Please stop! Fucking please, Henrik! Stop!”

               Henrik persisted, but each swipe of the gauze just caused more green light, and within seconds Marvin was babbling and sobbing incoherently. Henrik tossed the gauze down on the table, “I’m only making it worse. I’m not exactly an expert treating magical wounds.”

               Silence stretched out as the lights faded and Marvin’s crying quieted to sniffles and sighs, “It’s m-my wards. They’re protecting it. I have to bring them down.”

               “You’re not going back in that room,” Jackie said firmly. “Not when you’re this weak.”

               “I’ll run some fluids,” Henrik said. “I’ll have to put the IV through your internal jugular vein to avoid the markings. Let’s hope it works.”

               Jackie’s eyebrows furrowed in frustration, but he kept quiet. Henrik didn’t make medical decisions about them lightly, and he was doing his best. Marvin nodded, “Sounds like a plan.”

               “When I get back I’ll place a Quinton catheter,” Henrik said, gathering his supplies and returning to the exam table. “And once you’ve sorted out those wards, we’ll need to start debridement.”

               Marvin sighed, “Oh goodie.”

               Henrik placed the IV with little difficulty, and no flaring of magical pain on Marvin’s part. He hung antibiotics and saline, checking that everything was running smoothly.

               Chase finally shuffled over, looking green, “Schneep, we better go.” He took Marvin’s hand and squeezed, giving him a sad smile.

               Henrik nodded, “As soon as Jameson is stabilized, I’ll-“

               “I’ll be fine,” Marvin said. “As long as nobody tries to fix me. Just go help him, ok? I was trying to spy on him. I suspected him of—I thought he was a p-“

               “Shh,” Jackie soothed, gently combing Marvin’s hair out of his face with his fingers. “You only did what you thought was right. Anti knew what he was doing.”

               “Find him somewhere comfortable,” Henrik said. “Don’t leave him on this table for long.”

               “He can stay in my bed,” Jackie said. “Anything I should look for?”

               “If Anti comes back, call,” Henrik said. “And don’t let Marvin try any magic until morning. If I’m not back by then, call too.”

               Jackie nodded, “Sure thing, I’ll call.”

               “Good luck,” Chase said, squeezing Marvin’s hand again.

               “You too,” Marvin said as Chase moved away, and he watched them go with a sigh, trying to hide how scared he was.

                Jameson was in surgery when they arrived, and Henrik left Chase in Jack’s room to go and scrub in. Chase curled up in the chair beside Jack’s bed and fell asleep to the rhythmic beeping of monitors in the dark room. He stirred when Henrik and Edward stopped outside of the open door, opening one eye as he listened to their soft voices.

               “He’s lucky to be alive. What the hell happened?”

               “Anti,” Henrik said.

               “Shit,” Edward said. “Sorry. How are the others handling it?”

               Henrik was quiet for a moment, “We’re doing what we have to. Danke noch einmal. I owe you.”

               Edward smiled, “Maybe you should consider officially coming off sabbatical. It was good to work with you again.”

               “Once this is all dealt with,” Henrik said as the other man turned to leave. “Edward?”

               He turned around, hands in the pockets of his coat, “Henrik.”

               “Would you keep Jameson under your care, until he is released? He needs a watchful eye, and I’m stretched thin.”

               Edward nodded, “You got it.” Then he swept down the hallway, a nurse jogging to join him with a stack of charts.

               Henrik stepped into the room then, closing the door and smiling when he saw Chase was awake. Chase sat up straighter, “How is he?”

               “He’ll be fine,” Henrik said. “His trachea has been repaired, and no arteries were damaged. It could have been much worse. If Anti hadn’t been in a hurry-“

               “Yeah,” Chase said. “So how long does he have to be here?”

               “It depends,” Henrik said. “He’s breathing just fine, but for now his jaw is sutured to his chest to keep his trachea from splitting again. If things heal quickly enough, he’ll be home and back to normal before you know it, but we mustn’t rush these things.”

               Chase glanced over his shoulder at Jack, “Yeah, I know all about that.”

               Henrik frowned then, not happy about what he needed to say, “Chase, about Jack.”

               “What?”

               “The seizures are coinciding with Anti’s attacks.”

               “Wait,” Chase said. “So when he has a seizure it’s… Anti coming after us?”                “The timeline fits,” Henrik said. “He had his most violent episode tonight before we arrived. Anti is either exploiting Jack for the energy to come for us, or Jack is fighting him to protect us. If the seizures continue to worsen, they could cause severe brain damage, even death. Either way, this coma will end by Jack’s hand, not ours. There’s a good possibility he’s already suffering some neuron loss by now.”

               “So what do we do?” Chase asked, “What the hell do we do?”

               “We end this,” Henrik said. “Once and for all. I have some ideas, but I need time. How are you feel-“

               “Don’t ask that, Schneep,” Chase said, sinking back down into the chair and pulling his knees to his chest.

               Henrik moved in front of Chase, “Chase.”

               “Fuck,” Chase muttered. “I don’t know. My hands won’t stop shaking. Earlier I forgot I was on the way to the bathroom and that’s why I ended up puking in the sink—sorry about that, again. I can’t stop sweating and I just want a drink so goddamn bad I would probably punch you if you had alcohol on you right now. None of this matters because Jameson almost got fucking murdered, and Marvin looks like one of those really fucked up zombies that survive explosions and shit. You remember those ones on that tv show? They were melted to the asphalt and-“

               “I remember,” Henrik said. “Chase I kept you with me because I expect you to report your symptoms. You’re in danger too, you know.”

               “When am I not?” Chase said.

               “I want to admit you here, just for a night or two, to be safe.”

               “Schneep I’m not going off to some room all by myself,” Chase said.

               Henrik smiled, “You can stay here, with Jack. Keep an eye on him while I go and help Marvin in the morning. Alright? Anti’s already physically manifested once. If he does it here, with nobody to defend Jack, it could be over before we even get a chance.”

               Chase sighed; Henrik was humoring him again, but he nodded, “Sure. I’ll watch Jack.”

[josephkitchen0]

How the Bot Fly Causes Warbles in Rabbits

Bot fly symptoms in rabbits show up after the Cuterebra fly deposits an egg on the skin of the rabbit. It is one of the rabbit facts you should know about as you begin raising rabbits on your farm or homestead. Also known as the condition warbles in rabbits, it is self-limiting, and usually not fatal. However, the symptoms of warbles in rabbits can be both alarming and rather disgusting.

How Warbles in Rabbits Occurs

Flies are a nuisance and common to any area with livestock, manure, and moisture. Bot flies are different than regular run-of-the-mill flies. The Cuterebra fly is a large insect, somewhat resembling a large bumble bee. It doesn’t take many Cuterebra to cause a problem in your rabbits. The bot fly lays a single egg, either on the rabbit or on the vegetation near where the rabbits hang out. Either the egg hatches and the bot fly larvae burrow into the skin of the rabbit, or the eggs are picked up on the fur of the rabbit as it grazes by a plant or something else. The larvae hatch and make their way under the skin of the host rabbit, grow and mature. The larvae stage feeds on secretions from the host. Pretty unpleasant, right? The rabbits don’t seem to be bothered by the growing larvae although some mild scratching at the site might be noticed. Our rabbits continued with normal eating and activity.  The first thing I noticed was a large cyst type growth on the back of one rabbit.

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Our Journey with Warbles in Rabbits

I was familiar with the bot fly and the yellow sticky eggs as they are a concern with other livestock. However, I did not think about this as the cause of the large lump growing on my older male rabbit. Mistakenly, I assumed the poor old boy had some sort of tumor and would be leaving us shortly.

I kept a close watch to see if he was suffering, acting sick, not eating, but none of those things occurred. Quincy continued to eat normally, play with his hutch mate, Gizmo and do normal rabbit activity. I am not against taking a rabbit to the veterinarian, but Quincy was not acting sick! I thought there was a possibility that the abnormal growth was a benign cyst and not a malignant tumor. I never thought about the possibility of a bot fly larvae growing beneath the skin. Soon, I noticed that the “growth” had gotten considerably smaller. I examined the lump and found it to be oozing fluid and pus. After cleaning the area and cleaning the wound it was clear that whatever it was had burst and was draining. I had been taking photos all along to show to a veterinarian if I needed to take the rabbit to the vet’s office. I remembered a friend who had been raising rabbits for many years. I showed her the photos and she suggested that I look up warbles in rabbits. The symptoms of what I had been observing were exactly the same. We even had the distinctive round hole, where the larvae had crawled from the host rabbit. Yuck! Things continued to get even more disgusting! Warbles in rabbits are not for the faint of heart!

This is what the area looked like after the larvae emerged. The hole is hidden by the fur.

I did a lot of research and spoke to our veterinarian. He confirmed what I suspected and agreed with my treatment plan for warbles in rabbits, which I will explain in a moment. I checked the other rabbits in the rabbit area. Gizmo had a few smaller lumps on him, actually, he had five lumps but it was too soon to be sure they were warbles. Quincy had one other smaller warble. With my vet in agreement, I was to let the infestation run its course from this point. He could have done the extractions surgically in his office but we opted to carefully monitor both rabbits and perform twice daily wound care. The holes are actually fairly easy to clean and treat if you can stand to do it yourself. I have a fairly high tolerance for grossness so I opted to do it myself. Treating the wounds is similar to treating a deep tissue wound or puncture wound. Keeping it clean and dry is key.

Why Does This Happen?

While sanitation and cleanliness are important when raising any livestock, fly issues can still occur. Even in the best of rabbit care, situations can occur that make us question our methods and care taking ability. Conditions of extreme wetness at just the right time can give the Cuterebra fly the right situation to lay her egg. Although we cleaned the hutches regularly, added dry bedding, removed spilled food and cleaned water bowls, we still had to deal with this bot fly attack.

The larvae burrow into the skin of the host rabbit and it takes a while before you notice the growth developing. By this point, many bot flies may have laid their eggs on the rabbit or other rabbits in the area. Although cleanliness is important, the fact that you end up with warbles in rabbits does not necessarily mean that you don’t do a good job of keeping the rabbit area clean.

Bot Fly Symptoms – Cuterebra Fly Attack

The bot fly deposits one egg on the skin of the rabbit. The larvae mature under the skin of the rabbit, creating a large, hard mass that looks like a tumor or cyst. When you examine the lump you may notice a hole that the larvae is breathing through or it may simply be a soft crusty area on the skin. The rabbit seems to not be bothered by the examination or by hosting the creepy crawly larvae.

Farm Medical Kit Alert — Must Have!

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Bot Fly Removal

This part is very important to understand. Removal of the larvae causing warbles in rabbits should be performed by a veterinarian. If you squeeze and accidentally squish the larvae it releases a deadly toxin which can send the rabbit into shock and result in death. The larvae can be difficult to remove and require quite a bit of pulling, all the while trying to not squish it. It’s best to leave that to the veterinary professional. As our rabbit’s bots were about to emerge, the skin around the breathing hole would thin out, and get crusty. At this point, I was extremely careful to check twice a day, so I could immediately begin wound treatment and ward off further infection. Cleaning the area soon after the larvae exited, made all the difference in the time it took for the hole to heal up and close over.

The site soon before the larvae crawls out. The skin thins out and reddens or appears scabbed over

Even though I was vigilant, I never actually saw the bot larvae emerge.

Treatment of Warbles in Rabbits

The hole left behind when the larvae emerges requires twice daily care for the first week. If the wound was healing well, I then went to once daily wound care. Take care to keep the area clean and sanitary during the healing so you don’t attract more flies. House flies will be attracted to the fluids oozing from the wound and you don’t want to end up with a case of maggots or fly strike in rabbits on top of warbles in rabbits.

The products I use to treat the wound from warbles in rabbits are commonly available.

Clean the area. Trim away any fur that is in the way, or that may get stuck on the drainage.

The wound should not bleed or only bleed a little.

1. Flush the wound inside the hole with a sterile saline solution.  I flush, then mop up the fluids, then flush again.  I try to flush out as much debris as possible to aid in healing.

2. I use a product called Vetericyn, that is sold in many pet supply or farm supply stores. I spray this into the hole and around the outside of the wound.

3. Last, I squeeze a good bit of triple antibiotic cream into the hole. (CAUTION: DO NOT use a triple antibiotic cream with pain reliever included)  

Warbles in rabbits is self-limiting, meaning it should clear up without major infection or complication. If the wounds are not healing and progressively getting worse, it is best to seek the advice and care of a veterinarian. If you feel at all uncomfortable or ill-equipped to perform the wound care it is best done by a veterinarian. Everyone’s comfort level in dealing with wounds and illness is different. You and your veterinarian are the ones to make this decision.

What Other Animals Can be Victims of Bot Fly?

Each species of livestock acquires a bot infestation in different ways. In livestock, the bot fly often lays its egg on the grazing area and is eaten or inhaled by the animal. Sheep are susceptible to nasal bots. In cattle, the large bot flies spook the cattle causing them to interrupt their grazing. The fly lays eggs on the cow’s lower legs. Larvae enter the body, migrate through, and many weeks later emerge on the back through holes they make in the skin. Bot flies in cattle are an economic problem. The meat surrounding the bot or warble is discolored and not used. The holes left in the hide make it poor quality.

Horses experience bot fly eggs deposited on the lower leg also. When you see these, a tool known as a bot comb can help remove the sticky eggs. Horses ingest the eggs, when they lick or bite the eggs off their feet and legs.  Other forms of bot flies lay the eggs on horse’s nose or throat. The eggs hatch in the horse’s mouth and burrow into the gums and tongue. The next place they migrate to is the stomach where they hang out for many months. After almost a year the bot is released from the stomach and exits in the manure. That’s almost a year of this parasite living and damaging the horse’s stomach lining.

Cats, dogs, rodents, and other wildlife often contract the bot fly larvae by brushing by the egg after it is laid. While there are cases of bot fly infecting humans the cases seem to be in underdeveloped countries.

Clearly the bot fly is an economic issue for livestock and a health nuisance at the very least. Have you battled with bot flies infesting your rabbits or other livestock? How did you take care of the problem?

How the Bot Fly Causes Warbles in Rabbits was originally posted by All About Chickens

[becs-the-minion]

Piercing Life: Double Helix

Hi there!

I have seen so many blogs and community threads about piercing experiences, after care guidance and all other forms of tips and pointers. 

I don’t normally write blogs, make videos or anything on social media other than the usual day-to-day life posts on Facebook. I haven’t even been on DeviantART for ages to post drawings and arts and crafts I’ve accomplished.

However, it would be nice to have my life achievements and accomplishments posted somewhere and if someone scrolling through Google ever came across my post and found anything I’ve written helpful then I’d know I’ve made a difference.

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THE BEGINNING: BACK STORY:

Most people say to really think and research about what you are getting done and where. My experience so far has been a good one but it was kind of done on a whim.

This is just my back story so if it does bore you, you can skip this to go to the actual event or for after care sections and advice...

I’d got it done 3 days before Christmas (22nd December 2017), I’d just been paid and had lost my job about 3 weeks previously. So I wanted to do something to cheer myself up and give me a slightly new look. I’ve already got two tattoo’s but didn’t have enough money for another. I was still contemplating what I wanted (I have now decided and will be getting it next week --> 6th April 2018). I’ve never been brave enough to get a piercing, my ear lobes were done when I was about 5 and I chickened out of a nose piercing around 14 or 15 years old.

I’d seen a photo online that I fell in love with. I decided then and there that it was what I wanted. I went to Underground Tattoo in Enfield, London. I picked there purely because I had got my Minion Tattoo (my 2nd one) done there about 12-18 months previously, so I knew the reputation of the establishment.

1 week later I found myself in town, waiting outside the place for it to open to get it done. It helped they were advertising piercings on offer (£15 per piercing)... but don’t skimp on price for quality --> as I said, I knew the establishment already so I knew I could trust it.

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THE BEGINNING: THE EVENT

One word of advice before getting any peircings done -- if you have long hair, please make sure you tie it up. I didn’t think this would matter too much, but it helps the peircer during the process and during the bus ride home I had to keep brushing my hair out of the way!!

Luckily, I had decided to get there when it first opened and going during the week, it made it quite quiet. I was asked to fill in forms, provide photo I.D. (make sure you take some with you) and pay up front. I had decided to get a double helix on both ears (this is probably something I should have thought through, but we will get to that later). 

As mentioned previously, I’d never had any other piercing (except for my lobes which was done at 5 years old, at my chemist with a piercing gun), so I had no idea what to expect.

I was taken in to a sterilised room, with a long bench with a blue sheet of paper towel rolled out on to it - kind of what you’d get when visiting your GP. That filled me with confidence, knowing that they were following through with a hygienic environment.

I thought I’d have to lay down on it (I’d seen it in Youtube videos) but she asked me to sit upright, my back was not supported by anything and to keep as still as possible.

She marked (in pen) the positions on my ears that I would be pierced, so you can check that you are happy with. When I confirmed I was happy with the positioning, I told her I was nervous -- I must have had a face a little like this...

 As I said, luckily it was quiet, so she offered to bring in her colleague so she could pierce one side and her colleague could do the other at the same time.

Let me tell you now, that made a lot of difference!

The procedure itself was like a somewhat strong pinching feeling, as if someone was pinching a thin bit of skin. The first ones weren’t too bad at all as far as I am concerned. Trust me, I am pretty much a wimp when it comes to pain and stuff!!

It was the second one that was more uncomfortable, because your ear is still sore from the first wound created in your ear anyway. It is a bit more intense because it is pretty close to the second one.

That was it. I WAS DONE!! If they hadn’t offered me the second piercer, I’d have to of then gone through with the second side. I would have gone through and managed but it was a lot quicker and more tolerable the way they did it.

N.B: I was pierced with a barbell, which made it so much easier to clean and monitor. I had never intended on getting a ring anyway, but I have heard a lot of horror stories about rings. At the very least, please research what you want. I think switching between barbells to rings and vice versa when the time comes also has an impact because of the curvature (or lack thereof) of each type of jewellery!

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Days 1-7

For the first week or so my piercing was sore and tender (but not massively painful). As I wasn’t used to it, I kept snagging it too, when I brushed or ran my fingers through my hair.

Sleeping was an absolute nightmare too, especially for the first couple of days. I knew it might be a bit of a pig and had prepared for that. I had whipped out my trusty old travel pillow. However; if I had one side pierced I could sleep on my other side with the travel pillow supporting me. As I mentioned before, because I had not thought it through and got them both done together, I could only sleep on my back. This is ok if you like or are used to it -- I was neither and found it extremely difficult to sleep. I think I had 3 hours sleep over 48 hours.

Cleaning it wasn’t too bad, I still had loads of packs of saline solution tubes from when I had to have a wound packed, dressed and sterilised. I healed much quicker than they expected so it was left over (and still in date don’t worry!). Just be careful when cleaning it. I was cleaning it 3 or 4 times a day for the first week. I found out this was too much. So I toned it down after the first week to twice a day (morning and evening). ALSO ENSURE THAT YOUR HANDS ARE ALWAYS CLEANED THOROUGHLY BEFORE CLEANING AND TOUCHING YOUR EAR/PIERCING TO CLEAN. IF YOU DON’T IT CAN LEAD TO INFECTIOUS MATERIAL GETTING INTO YOUR PIERCING AND GETTING AN INFECTED PIERCING!!

N.B: Your ear will swell up fairly quickly after getting it pierced and should only last a few days, up to but no more than 1 week. You should expect some drainage of fluids during this time. So long as there isn’t any heat coming from your ear, this is normal. If you ear feels hot, then please go to your piercer and let them check it out -- it could potentially be an infection. If it is, go to your GP straight away and get some antibiotics. You do not want an infection to spread so badly that you have to remove the jewellery or worse end up with dead cartilage.

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Days 7+

My sealed and tubed saline solution had run out after approx 2 weeks. I was then at a slight loss on what to do as I had heard so many things. 

I decided to try cleaning with a mug of warm water and 1/4 tsp of sea salt mixed together and getting a cotton bud to clean near the piercing and cotton wool balls as a warm compress to drizzle over the piercings. This worked fairly well for me, although I was always cautious in what people wrote (and my own sister saying) about getting fibres of it caught and causing issues.

So I switched to spraying my piercing with sea salt water so that my piercing would get cleaned without fibres of cotton wool getting stuck. You can make your own the same way you would make a sea salt soak (which I will describe below) and a spray bottle or buy a bottle of H2Ocean Spray. I bought the spray first, because I didn’t think and it was handy for when I was away -- one weekend a month I visit my sister, nephews and nieces and a second weekend a month I visit my BFF -- so having a travel-friendly option really helped. Then I thought about making my own, which was so much more cost effective.

It works well when you are on the go, but as you can imagine, it isn’t very thorough and I ended up getting a small infection on one of the four piercings on one side. I had to up my cleaning regime and include cotton buds and cotton wool balls to clean the muck around them.

SO...

I switched to a sea salt soak. I was up and down with this process because of the different advice I had on this. The different advice I was told stretched from using hot, warm and lukewarm water and for 15, 7 or 5 minutes each time. 

I will tell you what worked for me, as two of the options cleared up the first bought of infection that I had but didn’t stop another from happening.

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SEA SALT SOAK: INSTRUCTIONS

Get a mug of water --> you can either boil it in the kettle and wait for it to cool down, or fill it with cold tap water and zap it in the microwave for 1/1.5 minutes. Ensure the mug is filled fairly close to the top without over-spilling on it is own or when carrying it -- it should be room temperature, maybe a little warm, but not to warm, hot or scolding!

Add 1/4 tsp to the water and stir well.

Dip your ear into the mug and sit there for 5 minutes -- I tend to use the timer on my phone so an alarm goes off when I am done, rather than trying to look at a clock at an awkward angle. Also if you can prop yourself somehow with a pillow and cushion and stick on the TV or Radio to keep you entertained.

Do the same on the other side -- unless you only got one side pierced...

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SUMMARY:

It takes 3 months minimum to heal fully. Some people have reported it taking 6, 12 or even 18 months to heal fully!

Always ensure that your hands are pristine! Wash them thoroughly before cleaning and touching your earrings/piercing to prevent infections.

During the healing process the piercing an/or surrounding area can be itchy... try not to scratch if possible. If you really have to be gentle AND as mentioned above, ensure your hands are thoroughly washed!

If you are not prepared to care for it for that long, don’t get it done.

Do not change the earring before the minimum three month period. Go to your piercer to change them (they will do this for free).

Always ensure that the material of your jewellery is top quality, stainless steel as a minimum but titaniums and hypo-allergenic earrings are the best. I bought mine from my piercing studio to be safe (don’t trust online eBay/Amazon etc postings of “stainless steel”/”Titanium” --> some people have done so and they turn out to be fake!!). Ask your piercer if in doubt!

Ensure your clean your piercing twice a day. Once is not enough and more than two is too much!

I recommend SSS’s as described earlier (apologies you’ll have to scroll up!) and sometimes cotton wool compresses and cotton bud wipes around the piercing.

If all else fails, ensure you give them a good rinse when you have a shower... this can also help if you have temporarily run out of sea salt -- but not suggested as a long term method.

You may experience some little bumps near your piercing/earring. If you piercing is not oozing pus and it is not hot and swollen then it is likely that this is a keloid scar rather than an infection:

Trauma causes keloid scarring -- so no twisting the piercing, no sleeping on it if you can help it. Catching, knocking and bumping it, although cannot be helped should be minimised or eliminated, so be more aware of your piercings and surroundings. Do things slower than normal.

Keloid scarring is common and should disappear within a couple of weeks. Remedies vary; my piercer recommended an aspirin paste: 

1 crushed aspirin, 1 or 2 drops of pure tea tree oil, a small amount of warm water and a pinch of salt. Mix it in to a paste and dab it on your piercings at night to sleep on and wash off in the morning. It helped a little but annoying to make as it never pasted properly for me and was a nightmare to wash off.

I found the best way to get rid keloid scars was SSS (sea salt soaks) as described above twice a day (morning and evening).

IF IN DOUBT, SPEAK TO YOUR PIERCER, OR ANOTHER PROFESSIONAL PIERCER AND/OR GP -- SEEK HELP IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT ANYTHING!

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Now:

My piercing is now three months old. At this point, assuming it is in good condition you should be able to get the earring changed. 

The lady that pierced me initially was able to do this for me. It hurt a bit... even after three months old my piercing is a little tender to touch. She said they looked good, one side needed a bit more cleaning, but a little tenderness is kind of normal. She had hers for ages and can still be a little tender sometimes. So they can be a little pissy... BUT they look amazing.

Last week I spoke to my GP about it  as I was worried it might be infected (I was seeing him about something else anyway so it helped to kill two birds with one stone!). He recommended an ibuprofen gel to put on near (but not inside the piercing itself) my piercing to relieve a little bit of tenderness. He examined my ears and confirmed they were not infected, just a little tender with some minor keloid scars!

To me they are very much worth getting done.

1) I can sleep on my side with the help of a travel pillow, so this is no longer an issue.

2) They look amazing.

3) I still keep up my cleaning routine - just to be safe, but now I know what works for me, it is simple and easy to do.

I think that piercings can be somewhat addictive (like tattoo’s) and I am now considering getting my daith done after the amazing jewellery I have seen both in the tattoo parlour today AND online.

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Thanks for reading my blog post, even if you skipped my story and went for the advice and cleaning instructions. I hope that I have helped someone just from putting my experience out onto the World Wide Web :-)

Please I am by no means an expert, so if you have concerns please consult a professional. I am only able to answer questions and queries based on my experience but I will help where I can so please feel free to ask where you can...

* I AM NEW TO TUMBLR - AS YOU CAN SEE THIS IS MY FIRST POST, SO IF YOU CANNOT COMMENT BELOW, PLEASE E-MAIL ME *

[josephkitchen0]

How the Bot Fly Causes Warbles in Rabbits

Bot fly symptoms in rabbits show up after the Cuterebra fly deposits an egg on the skin of the rabbit. It is one of the rabbit facts you should know about as you begin raising rabbits on your farm or homestead. Also known as the condition warbles in rabbits, it is self-limiting, and usually not fatal. However, the symptoms of warbles in rabbits can be both alarming and rather disgusting.

How Warbles in Rabbits Occurs

Flies are a nuisance and common to any area with livestock, manure, and moisture. Bot flies are different than regular run-of-the-mill flies. The Cuterebra fly is a large insect, somewhat resembling a large bumble bee. It doesn’t take many Cuterebra to cause a problem in your rabbits. The bot fly lays a single egg, either on the rabbit or on the vegetation near where the rabbits hang out. Either the egg hatches and the bot fly larvae burrow into the skin of the rabbit, or the eggs are picked up on the fur of the rabbit as it grazes by a plant or something else. The larvae hatch and make their way under the skin of the host rabbit, grow and mature. The larvae stage feeds on secretions from the host. Pretty unpleasant, right? The rabbits don’t seem to be bothered by the growing larvae although some mild scratching at the site might be noticed. Our rabbits continued with normal eating and activity.  The first thing I noticed was a large cyst type growth on the back of one rabbit.

Vetericyn wound and skin products are used to clean, moisturize, and protect wounds. Jumpstart healing with their pH-balanced, non-toxic products that are safe for all animals. Buy Vetericyn Now >>

Our Journey with Warbles in Rabbits

I was familiar with the bot fly and the yellow sticky eggs as they are a concern with other livestock. However, I did not think about this as the cause of the large lump growing on my older male rabbit. Mistakenly, I assumed the poor old boy had some sort of tumor and would be leaving us shortly.

I kept a close watch to see if he was suffering, acting sick, not eating, but none of those things occurred. Quincy continued to eat normally, play with his hutch mate, Gizmo and do normal rabbit activity. I am not against taking a rabbit to the veterinarian, but Quincy was not acting sick! I thought there was a possibility that the abnormal growth was a benign cyst and not a malignant tumor. I never thought about the possibility of a bot fly larvae growing beneath the skin. Soon, I noticed that the “growth” had gotten considerably smaller. I examined the lump and found it to be oozing fluid and pus. After cleaning the area and cleaning the wound it was clear that whatever it was had burst and was draining. I had been taking photos all along to show to a veterinarian if I needed to take the rabbit to the vet’s office. I remembered a friend who had been raising rabbits for many years. I showed her the photos and she suggested that I look up warbles in rabbits. The symptoms of what I had been observing were exactly the same. We even had the distinctive round hole, where the larvae had crawled from the host rabbit. Yuck! Things continued to get even more disgusting! Warbles in rabbits are not for the faint of heart!

This is what the area looked like after the larvae emerged. The hole is hidden by the fur.

I did a lot of research and spoke to our veterinarian. He confirmed what I suspected and agreed with my treatment plan for warbles in rabbits, which I will explain in a moment. I checked the other rabbits in the rabbit area. Gizmo had a few smaller lumps on him, actually, he had five lumps but it was too soon to be sure they were warbles. Quincy had one other smaller warble. With my vet in agreement, I was to let the infestation run its course from this point. He could have done the extractions surgically in his office but we opted to carefully monitor both rabbits and perform twice daily wound care. The holes are actually fairly easy to clean and treat if you can stand to do it yourself. I have a fairly high tolerance for grossness so I opted to do it myself. Treating the wounds is similar to treating a deep tissue wound or puncture wound. Keeping it clean and dry is key.

Why Does This Happen?

While sanitation and cleanliness are important when raising any livestock, fly issues can still occur. Even in the best of rabbit care, situations can occur that make us question our methods and care taking ability. Conditions of extreme wetness at just the right time can give the Cuterebra fly the right situation to lay her egg. Although we cleaned the hutches regularly, added dry bedding, removed spilled food and cleaned water bowls, we still had to deal with this bot fly attack.

The larvae burrow into the skin of the host rabbit and it takes a while before you notice the growth developing. By this point, many bot flies may have laid their eggs on the rabbit or other rabbits in the area. Although cleanliness is important, the fact that you end up with warbles in rabbits does not necessarily mean that you don’t do a good job of keeping the rabbit area clean.

Bot Fly Symptoms – Cuterebra Fly Attack

The bot fly deposits one egg on the skin of the rabbit. The larvae mature under the skin of the rabbit, creating a large, hard mass that looks like a tumor or cyst. When you examine the lump you may notice a hole that the larvae is breathing through or it may simply be a soft crusty area on the skin. The rabbit seems to not be bothered by the examination or by hosting the creepy crawly larvae.

Farm Medical Kit Alert — Must Have!

One Spray, Multiple Uses, Multiple Animals

Vetericyn Plus Utility Spray is an all-purpose wound cleansing care solution for livestock application. Take care of common wounds and irritation with Vetericyn Utility Spray. Don't like the spray and want a thicker consistency? Check out Vetericyn Utility Gel instead.

Bot Fly Removal

This part is very important to understand. Removal of the larvae causing warbles in rabbits should be performed by a veterinarian. If you squeeze and accidentally squish the larvae it releases a deadly toxin which can send the rabbit into shock and result in death. The larvae can be difficult to remove and require quite a bit of pulling, all the while trying to not squish it. It’s best to leave that to the veterinary professional. As our rabbit’s bots were about to emerge, the skin around the breathing hole would thin out, and get crusty. At this point, I was extremely careful to check twice a day, so I could immediately begin wound treatment and ward off further infection. Cleaning the area soon after the larvae exited, made all the difference in the time it took for the hole to heal up and close over.

The site soon before the larvae crawls out. The skin thins out and reddens or appears scabbed over

Even though I was vigilant, I never actually saw the bot larvae emerge.

Treatment of Warbles in Rabbits

The hole left behind when the larvae emerges requires twice daily care for the first week. If the wound was healing well, I then went to once daily wound care. Take care to keep the area clean and sanitary during the healing so you don’t attract more flies. House flies will be attracted to the fluids oozing from the wound and you don’t want to end up with a case of maggots or fly strike in rabbits on top of warbles in rabbits.

The products I use to treat the wound from warbles in rabbits are commonly available.

Clean the area. Trim away any fur that is in the way, or that may get stuck on the drainage.

The wound should not bleed or only bleed a little.

1. Flush the wound inside the hole with a sterile saline solution.  I flush, then mop up the fluids, then flush again.  I try to flush out as much debris as possible to aid in healing.

2. I use a product called Vetericyn, that is sold in many pet supply or farm supply stores. I spray this into the hole and around the outside of the wound.

3. Last, I squeeze a good bit of triple antibiotic cream into the hole. (CAUTION: DO NOT use a triple antibiotic cream with pain reliever included)  

Warbles in rabbits is self-limiting, meaning it should clear up without major infection or complication. If the wounds are not healing and progressively getting worse, it is best to seek the advice and care of a veterinarian. If you feel at all uncomfortable or ill-equipped to perform the wound care it is best done by a veterinarian. Everyone’s comfort level in dealing with wounds and illness is different. You and your veterinarian are the ones to make this decision.

What Other Animals Can be Victims of Bot Fly?

Each species of livestock acquires a bot infestation in different ways. In livestock, the bot fly often lays its egg on the grazing area and is eaten or inhaled by the animal. Sheep are susceptible to nasal bots. In cattle, the large bot flies spook the cattle causing them to interrupt their grazing. The fly lays eggs on the cow’s lower legs. Larvae enter the body, migrate through, and many weeks later emerge on the back through holes they make in the skin. Bot flies in cattle are an economic problem. The meat surrounding the bot or warble is discolored and not used. The holes left in the hide make it poor quality.

Horses experience bot fly eggs deposited on the lower leg also. When you see these, a tool known as a bot comb can help remove the sticky eggs. Horses ingest the eggs, when they lick or bite the eggs off their feet and legs.  Other forms of bot flies lay the eggs on horse’s nose or throat. The eggs hatch in the horse’s mouth and burrow into the gums and tongue. The next place they migrate to is the stomach where they hang out for many months. After almost a year the bot is released from the stomach and exits in the manure. That’s almost a year of this parasite living and damaging the horse’s stomach lining.

Cats, dogs, rodents, and other wildlife often contract the bot fly larvae by brushing by the egg after it is laid. While there are cases of bot fly infecting humans the cases seem to be in underdeveloped countries.

Clearly the bot fly is an economic issue for livestock and a health nuisance at the very least. Have you battled with bot flies infesting your rabbits or other livestock? How did you take care of the problem?

How the Bot Fly Causes Warbles in Rabbits was originally posted by All About Chickens

[josephkitchen0]

How the Bot Fly Causes Warbles in Rabbits

Bot fly symptoms in rabbits show up after the Cuterebra fly deposits an egg on the skin of the rabbit. It is one of the rabbit facts you should know about as you begin raising rabbits on your farm or homestead. Also known as the condition warbles in rabbits, it is self-limiting, and usually not fatal. However, the symptoms of warbles in rabbits can be both alarming and rather disgusting.

How Warbles in Rabbits Occurs

Flies are a nuisance and common to any area with livestock, manure, and moisture. Bot flies are different than regular run-of-the-mill flies. The Cuterebra fly is a large insect, somewhat resembling a large bumble bee. It doesn’t take many Cuterebra to cause a problem in your rabbits. The bot fly lays a single egg, either on the rabbit or on the vegetation near where the rabbits hang out. Either the egg hatches and the bot fly larvae burrow into the skin of the rabbit, or the eggs are picked up on the fur of the rabbit as it grazes by a plant or something else. The larvae hatch and make their way under the skin of the host rabbit, grow and mature. The larvae stage feeds on secretions from the host. Pretty unpleasant, right? The rabbits don’t seem to be bothered by the growing larvae although some mild scratching at the site might be noticed. Our rabbits continued with normal eating and activity.  The first thing I noticed was a large cyst type growth on the back of one rabbit.

Vetericyn wound and skin products are used to clean, moisturize, and protect wounds. Jumpstart healing with their pH-balanced, non-toxic products that are safe for all animals. Buy Vetericyn Now >>

Our Journey with Warbles in Rabbits

I was familiar with the bot fly and the yellow sticky eggs as they are a concern with other livestock. However, I did not think about this as the cause of the large lump growing on my older male rabbit. Mistakenly, I assumed the poor old boy had some sort of tumor and would be leaving us shortly.

I kept a close watch to see if he was suffering, acting sick, not eating, but none of those things occurred. Quincy continued to eat normally, play with his hutch mate, Gizmo and do normal rabbit activity. I am not against taking a rabbit to the veterinarian, but Quincy was not acting sick! I thought there was a possibility that the abnormal growth was a benign cyst and not a malignant tumor. I never thought about the possibility of a bot fly larvae growing beneath the skin. Soon, I noticed that the “growth” had gotten considerably smaller. I examined the lump and found it to be oozing fluid and pus. After cleaning the area and cleaning the wound it was clear that whatever it was had burst and was draining. I had been taking photos all along to show to a veterinarian if I needed to take the rabbit to the vet’s office. I remembered a friend who had been raising rabbits for many years. I showed her the photos and she suggested that I look up warbles in rabbits. The symptoms of what I had been observing were exactly the same. We even had the distinctive round hole, where the larvae had crawled from the host rabbit. Yuck! Things continued to get even more disgusting! Warbles in rabbits are not for the faint of heart!

This is what the area looked like after the larvae emerged. The hole is hidden by the fur.

I did a lot of research and spoke to our veterinarian. He confirmed what I suspected and agreed with my treatment plan for warbles in rabbits, which I will explain in a moment. I checked the other rabbits in the rabbit area. Gizmo had a few smaller lumps on him, actually, he had five lumps but it was too soon to be sure they were warbles. Quincy had one other smaller warble. With my vet in agreement, I was to let the infestation run its course from this point. He could have done the extractions surgically in his office but we opted to carefully monitor both rabbits and perform twice daily wound care. The holes are actually fairly easy to clean and treat if you can stand to do it yourself. I have a fairly high tolerance for grossness so I opted to do it myself. Treating the wounds is similar to treating a deep tissue wound or puncture wound. Keeping it clean and dry is key.

Why Does This Happen?

While sanitation and cleanliness are important when raising any livestock, fly issues can still occur. Even in the best of rabbit care, situations can occur that make us question our methods and care taking ability. Conditions of extreme wetness at just the right time can give the Cuterebra fly the right situation to lay her egg. Although we cleaned the hutches regularly, added dry bedding, removed spilled food and cleaned water bowls, we still had to deal with this bot fly attack.

The larvae burrow into the skin of the host rabbit and it takes a while before you notice the growth developing. By this point, many bot flies may have laid their eggs on the rabbit or other rabbits in the area. Although cleanliness is important, the fact that you end up with warbles in rabbits does not necessarily mean that you don’t do a good job of keeping the rabbit area clean.

Bot Fly Symptoms – Cuterebra Fly Attack

The bot fly deposits one egg on the skin of the rabbit. The larvae mature under the skin of the rabbit, creating a large, hard mass that looks like a tumor or cyst. When you examine the lump you may notice a hole that the larvae is breathing through or it may simply be a soft crusty area on the skin. The rabbit seems to not be bothered by the examination or by hosting the creepy crawly larvae.

Farm Medical Kit Alert — Must Have!

One Spray, Multiple Uses, Multiple Animals

Vetericyn Plus Utility Spray is an all-purpose wound cleansing care solution for livestock application. Take care of common wounds and irritation with Vetericyn Utility Spray. Don't like the spray and want a thicker consistency? Check out Vetericyn Utility Gel instead.

Bot Fly Removal

This part is very important to understand. Removal of the larvae causing warbles in rabbits should be performed by a veterinarian. If you squeeze and accidentally squish the larvae it releases a deadly toxin which can send the rabbit into shock and result in death. The larvae can be difficult to remove and require quite a bit of pulling, all the while trying to not squish it. It’s best to leave that to the veterinary professional. As our rabbit’s bots were about to emerge, the skin around the breathing hole would thin out, and get crusty. At this point, I was extremely careful to check twice a day, so I could immediately begin wound treatment and ward off further infection. Cleaning the area soon after the larvae exited, made all the difference in the time it took for the hole to heal up and close over.

The site soon before the larvae crawls out. The skin thins out and reddens or appears scabbed over

Even though I was vigilant, I never actually saw the bot larvae emerge.

Treatment of Warbles in Rabbits

The hole left behind when the larvae emerges requires twice daily care for the first week. If the wound was healing well, I then went to once daily wound care. Take care to keep the area clean and sanitary during the healing so you don’t attract more flies. House flies will be attracted to the fluids oozing from the wound and you don’t want to end up with a case of maggots or fly strike in rabbits on top of warbles in rabbits.

The products I use to treat the wound from warbles in rabbits are commonly available.

Clean the area. Trim away any fur that is in the way, or that may get stuck on the drainage.

The wound should not bleed or only bleed a little.

1. Flush the wound inside the hole with a sterile saline solution.  I flush, then mop up the fluids, then flush again.  I try to flush out as much debris as possible to aid in healing.

2. I use a product called Vetericyn, that is sold in many pet supply or farm supply stores. I spray this into the hole and around the outside of the wound.

3. Last, I squeeze a good bit of triple antibiotic cream into the hole. (CAUTION: DO NOT use a triple antibiotic cream with pain reliever included)  

Warbles in rabbits is self-limiting, meaning it should clear up without major infection or complication. If the wounds are not healing and progressively getting worse, it is best to seek the advice and care of a veterinarian. If you feel at all uncomfortable or ill-equipped to perform the wound care it is best done by a veterinarian. Everyone’s comfort level in dealing with wounds and illness is different. You and your veterinarian are the ones to make this decision.

What Other Animals Can be Victims of Bot Fly?

Each species of livestock acquires a bot infestation in different ways. In livestock, the bot fly often lays its egg on the grazing area and is eaten or inhaled by the animal. Sheep are susceptible to nasal bots. In cattle, the large bot flies spook the cattle causing them to interrupt their grazing. The fly lays eggs on the cow’s lower legs. Larvae enter the body, migrate through, and many weeks later emerge on the back through holes they make in the skin. Bot flies in cattle are an economic problem. The meat surrounding the bot or warble is discolored and not used. The holes left in the hide make it poor quality.

Horses experience bot fly eggs deposited on the lower leg also. When you see these, a tool known as a bot comb can help remove the sticky eggs. Horses ingest the eggs, when they lick or bite the eggs off their feet and legs.  Other forms of bot flies lay the eggs on horse’s nose or throat. The eggs hatch in the horse’s mouth and burrow into the gums and tongue. The next place they migrate to is the stomach where they hang out for many months. After almost a year the bot is released from the stomach and exits in the manure. That’s almost a year of this parasite living and damaging the horse’s stomach lining.

Cats, dogs, rodents, and other wildlife often contract the bot fly larvae by brushing by the egg after it is laid. While there are cases of bot fly infecting humans the cases seem to be in underdeveloped countries.

Clearly the bot fly is an economic issue for livestock and a health nuisance at the very least. Have you battled with bot flies infesting your rabbits or other livestock? How did you take care of the problem?

How the Bot Fly Causes Warbles in Rabbits was originally posted by All About Chickens