Tibbar, I know you have rabbits, and there must be others here. Are your rabbits vaccinated for myxomatosis? The vaccine available in the UK is not available in the US, by the way.

Kingfisher

I know when we used to have a rabbit it was vaccinated, I also know someone whose rabbit had to be put down because it caught myxomatosis. Is the vaccine not available at all in the US? If not, why isn't it?

When I had nine rabbits I could not afford to vaccinate but I learnt the hard way & lost all but two to myxomotosis. After that I made sure but I think also that the cost of vaccine has come down such a lot & I tend to take mutiples at one go as then my vet only charges me one consultation fee. When I thought back about that episode the only common denominator was the EGS as the ones in the middle run were unaffected & I had seen that squirrel going in all but the middle run.
I now vaccinate against myxomotosis & VHD every year. They are due their vaccinations now. We have had Sebastian done as he had to go for a sore hock & the others are waiting.We have to take them in two's or three's.

This post was last modified: 16-08-2007 09:20 AM by tibbar.

EGS?? I am confused. You mention squirrels? Myxomatosis only affects rabbits, & occassionally hares. Not Squirrels.
By the way, the vaccine has to be repeated every 6 months.

I have to confess, I don't know why the vaccine is not available in the US. I started thinking about myxomatosis because I have been seeing a lot of rabbits on my trip. Apparently in Australia use of the vaccine is illegal because it is believed that immunity from pet rabbits could be transmitted to wild rabbits (a live virus vaccine is used). Perhaps that is the reason in the US?

Kingfisher

As myxomotosis is carried by flea or transmitted by mosquito bites I thought that was the only thing that could have carried a flea if is the EGS. We do have wild rabbits on the field at the back but never have them in the garden and there is like a piece of land which is about 80 foot long which offers a buffer zone & the gtarden is rabbit proof but that doesn't mean that fleas cannot be brought in.
Your comments about 6mths innoculations is well worth taking note of but on advice from our vet he would only recommend 6mths if we were at 'high risk'.
Here's something I found on the internet - "High risk" areas typically include:
• Anywhere near standing water or a with large mosquito population
• Areas affected by outbreaks of myxomatosis in wild or domestic rabbits.
If you hear of a myxi outbreak in your vicinity, it would be wise to ensure your bunny has been vaccinated within the previous 6 months: take him for an early booster if necessary.
We certainly will watch this but feel a bit better because our innoculations take place in the summer although we will probably innoculate earlier in the year next year to make sure we are well covered.
Even though myxomotosis tends to appear in cycles it was a few years back we had a large outbreak but we are now more vigilant. This was my only case in 18yrs here but I don't ever wish to experience it again. As I know quite a few of the farmers locally I can always get a warning if wild rabbits are affected & I would certainly repeat vaccinate immediately, thanks for that snippet.
Sorry ,EGS (Eastern Grey Squirrels ) is what Kingfisher calls Grey Squirrels rather than reds so it has caught on along with the squirrel recipes!!

This post was last modified: 16-08-2007 03:25 PM by tibbar.

I think I may have said before that my rabbit died of myxomotosis, but I had know idea at the time it was a common disease in rabbits or that there was a preventer either.

I am thinking about getting another rabbit soon and wanted to start taking it on walks. I bought a rabbit lead for my last one but it hated it being put on so I gave up. Im hoping if I get a rabbit young enough it will get used to the lead.
Does anyone know if rabbits have to get any other vaccinations other than against myxomotosis before it can go out on the streets?

That's great news sunshine, Can't wait for a pic. The myxo vaccine does not prevent the rabbit from catching it.What it does is make recovery possible if the rabbit is unfortunate enough to get it. We only tried to treat my first rabbit which got it & by the subsequent ones we euthanised them straight away.Funnily enough the first one to get it was a blue Beveren also. I would always vaccinate now but do not worry about the disease possibly being about unduly.LIke I said above if I hear it is in the wild rabbit population then I would certainly top up vaccinations.It seems to be spread by mostly insect bites be it a flea or mozzie. One of the diseases that I would also definately vaccine against is VHD (Viral Haemorrhagic Disease.) It seems only to have become prevalent in pet rabbits since the early 1990's & like myxo mostly proves fatal.

This post was last modified: 17-08-2007 08:12 AM by tibbar.

What are the signs of myxo as my rabbit just randomly died one day. It had the VHD vaccine but no the myxo. Could it have been killed by that?

There's no mistaking the symptoms of myxo: lumps and puffiness around the head and genitals. Eventually the disease spreads to the eyes, causing acute conjunctivitis, and can cause blindness. They become listless, and have no appetite.

Kingfisher

The first sign in mine was as Kingfisher says sore eyes , they were weeping & I can't remember if it had a runny nose. There would definately be signs if it was myxo.
I once had one which was just stretched out dead in the shed one morning & the only thing I thought of for this instance was that he had been on the grass & maybe eaten some 'ragwort'. I will never know for sure but I check the grass every couple of weeks for ragwort.It causes a terrible death for any animal that eats it but I can't remember if it is when it is green or when it goes brown that it is it's most dangerous.In the New Forest I have seen the council pulling ragwort but I think that not enough is done in other places. The only other explanation I thought of was that it was heart attack as it showed no other symptoms. Quite a mystery unless there is a 'sudden rabbit death syndrome'.
Funny myxo vaccne is not available in the US.

This post was last modified: 20-08-2007 04:00 PM by tibbar.

Here's an interesting, although disturbing, list of symptoms.

http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/myxo.html

I have tried to find an answer about the vaccine, and failed. The vaccine used in the UK is based on a rabbitpox virus called shope fibroma. In the US, rabbits infected with this closely related virus develop fibromas (or, localised swellings). It does not appear to kill them, and once the swellings have reduced in size, it seems to give permanent immunity against the return of the virus.

It seems that the rabbits I see on my daily rides are natural hosts for the disease. Rabbits of the genus Sylvilagus, known as 'cottontails' here, apparently have a high immunity to the disease.

Still doesn't explain why the vaccine is not available.

Kingfisher

My rabbit did not have any symptns like that and she was only a year old. It was winter too so she had been with the guinea pigs inside. Horrible, was really upset.

I have a ragwort plant though in my wildflower meadow. WIll make sure I pull it out before it seeds. I knew it was poisonous to horses but did not realise it was poisonous to rabbits too.

I had never heard of ragwort before. I don't think I would have it in my garden. Does it grow in certain places more than others?

Ragwort can grow more or less anywhere but you never see it on moorland. Mostly by the roadside. I always wonder how I get it in my grass.It has crinkly leaves & yellow flowers & you can find cinnabar caterpillars on it & that's what make cinnabar caterpillar poisonous to birds.
I would think it is poisonous to anything I first heard about it on countryfile where the cattle had eaten it & had died. I think that I just read that it is when the leaves are dry but it has a cumalative effect.If it is when it is dried watch your hay especiallylike me if you buy it by the bale.

This post was last modified: 21-08-2007 05:26 PM by tibbar.