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Myxomatosis Remember, it's up to you to make sure you give your rabbit the best possible chance of survival, even if your vet only recommends the myxomatosis vaccination once a year, you can insist that it's done 6-monthly, especially if they say "it's not necessary, you're not in a high risk area", it's your bunny and you pay the vet to carry out the treatment.
How do I recognise the symptoms? "The classic form of myxomatosis is seen in rabbits that haven’t been vaccinated. It is a dreadful disease that causes immense suffering: affected rabbits can take a fortnight to die and treatment is usually futile, which is why euthanasia is usually recommended. Classic myxomatosis starts with runny eyes and in the very early stages can be confused with other causes of conjunctivitis. However, myxomatosis differs as the genitals are also swollen. It rapidly progresses to a severe conjunctivitis which causes blindness and is accompanied by lumpy (nodular) swellings on the head (and/or ears), plus lumps on the body. Excessive amounts of thick pus discharges from the nose and swollen eyes (which are often sealed shut). There are also two atypical forms of myxomatosis: one causes pneumonia and a snuffles-like illness; the other ("Nodular myxomatosis") mainly affects skin and carries a better prognosis. If a vaccinated rabbit develops myxomatosis, the disease is usually much less severe. The exact pattern of disease seen in vaccinated animals is very variable, and impossible to predict: it depends upon how much immunity the rabbit has. Some rabbits develop just a few odd skin lesions and remain otherwise well; others become quite poorly and suffer from swellings and conjunctivitis more like classical myxomatosis. The difference is that vaccination turns a fatal illness into one that is treatable." (quoted from the RWF website) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> oOo<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< VHD (Viral Haemorrhagic Disease) VHD used to be pretty much unheard of in Scotland, it was classed in the UK as an 'English disease', not any more! The VHD vaccination is given to pet rabbits annually, you may need to ask your vet to order the vaccination in advance as not all practices stock it. It's a horrible and sudden death, this is a quote from Kynoch Vets: "Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (VHD) is a very serious viral disease of rabbits that was accidentally introduced into the UK in the early Nineties. Although various methods of controlling it were tried, it soon spread through wild and pet rabbit populations and it has now spread throughout the country. VHD can be spread in many ways. It can survive for long periods of time (over 100 days) off rabbits in the environment, and as well as direct contact, it can be spread by insects, birds and on the shoes and clothes of pet owners. For this reason, it is likely that rabbits kept as house rabbits are just as much at risk as those kept outdoors. There is no known cure for a rabbit that catches VHD. The disease incubates for 1 to 3 days, and then causes a fever, followed by internal bleeding. Affected rabbits will die, often without any symptoms, within 12 to 24 hours. Fortunately, there are no reports of the disease spreading to any other animals, or people. As vets, we suspect that many cases of the disease go unreported, as rabbits will die so quickly and unexpectedly that owners would not have time to contact us. We have diagnosed several cases recently in the Bracknell area, and the disease has been found in most areas of the UK. Diagnosis can normally only be made following a post-mortem examination, and often further testing. Some rabbits will have small amounts of blood on their nostrils, mouths or back ends. If you suspect that any of your rabbits have died of VHD, it is very important to contact your veterinary practice. You need to isolate any other rabbits and use antiviral disinfectants to try and prevent any spread of the virus. If this is done very quickly, it is possible to save some, if not all of the remaining rabbits. The main way to protect your pet rabbits against VHD is to have them vaccinated. This is a simple injection that allows the immune system to recognize the virus quickly enough to stop an infection. The vaccines are safe to use in healthy rabbits, and should be repeated once a year. It is normally recommended that vaccines in rabbits should be given separately (e.g. from myxomatosis vaccine). It is possible to vaccinate rabbits from an early age, but we generally recommend starting vaccines from approximately 10 weeks old. It is also sensible to make sure that your rabbits are kept in a large, clean and well ventilated hutch to reduce the likelihood of flies and insects being attracted to the rabbits. Any build up of urine and droppings in the hutch or on the rabbit will bring flies very quickly. A useful trick is to use a cat litter tray in the corner of the hutch – most rabbits can be litter trained like a cat. This makes it much easier to keep things clean. A cat litter such as Megazorb tends to work well. The litter tray should be emptied and cleaned daily. Rabbits with a large amount of space and good access to an outdoor run throughout the year are far more likely to keep themselves clean, and also make much better pets! If you would like to find out more about prevention of VHD in your rabbits, contact your veterinary practice, and they will be able to advise what is best for you" Your rabbit
is your responsibility, it depends on you for it's welfare, if you love your
bunny, you'll want to do the right thing .....
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