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Recent surveys have shown that rabbits are the third most common pet after dogs and cats, but when you also consider the number of guinea pigs, chinchillas and small rodents that are kept then this group of small mammals represents a huge pet population. It is for this reason why the veterinary profession strives to provide advice on neutering, vaccination, housing, diet, worming and common diseases. Village Vet group provides advice on your pet rabbit preventive health plan as well as more complex medical and surgical services for this companion animal.
We recommend vaccinating rabbits against two potentially lethal diseases:
a) MYXOMATOSIS
Myxomatosis is a viral disease that only affects rabbits. It is usually spread by direct contact with wild animals (rabbits, foxes) and blood sucking insects/parasites e.g. fleas, mites. The signs are pronounced swelling of the eyes and face, lethargy, anorexia, depression and in nearly all cases the rabbit dies within 4-10 days. This problem can strike at any time but it seems to be most prevalent in the spring and autumn months. There is no cure but you can protect your rabbits by having them vaccinated.
b) VIRAL HAEMORRHAGIC DISEASE- VHD
This is another fatal viral disease that only affects rabbits. It only entered the country during the early 1990s but has since spread throughout the South-East and into much of England. Cases are sporadic at the present time but because of the number of naive rabbits in the country, that is rabbits that have never had any exposure to the disease, there is a real danger of epizootic outbreaks and large scale mortality. Again there is no cure, but you can protect your rabbits with a yearly vaccination.
We offer a single dose protection for 12 months against myxomatosis and VHD (RHD in Europe). This is a new combined vaccine, Nobivac Myxo-RHD developed by MSD Animal Health with a convenient annual booster protocol. As part of your preventive health plan for your pet rabbit, we advice routinely worming your rabbit with Panacur oral paste every 3 months as an aid in the control of Encephalitozoon cuniculi and intestinal worms.
