Rabbits, Rabbits everywhere....
It is always lovely to see wild rabbits hopping around the fields. Sadly though, it is around this time of year, we start to see these beautiful animals with Myxomatosis.
Myxomatosis is a disease spread by close contact between infected rabbits and is transferred from rabbit to rabbit by fleas, mites and mosquitoes so can affect both outdoor rabbits and indoor rabbits. Myxomatosis can infect rabbits all year round but as the weather starts to warm up and the fleas become more prevalent, the cases tend to increase. With all the glorious weather we have been having over the past few weeks, we are seeing an increase in our wild rabbits with the disease. It is a highly infectious disease that is nearly always fatal. It causes inflammation and swelling of the mucous membranes along with discharge around the eyes. Rabbits that contract myxomatosis, sadly require euthanasia to end their suffering.
Here we are talking about wild rabbits but it's not just wild rabbits who are at risk of catching Myxomatosis, our pet rabbits are too! Thankfully, we can vaccinate your pet rabbit against this disease!
During this unsettled time due to Covid-19, you may be thinking you can't bring your pet rabbit to the practice. This is not the case when it comes to your rabbits vaccinations. As a matter of welfare, rabbit vaccinations are one of the vaccinations veterinary practices have been advised to continue with.
We used a combined vaccine here at the barn. This means that as well as vaccinating for myxomatossis, our vaccination also protects rabbits against another deadly virus called RHD, (Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease).
If you have any concerns or questions regarding your pet rabbit, please get in touch with the practice on 01483 455355.