Topic: Myxomatosis - Rabbit Owners Please Read.

[Trixiebelle]

Just had to have my gorgeous black rex rabbit Rita put to sleep because she's got this horrible disease  :'(
 
It affects their eyes, noses and genetalia - they swell up & discharge pus. Unless they're vaccinated there's is 100% chance they won't survive and it takes up to 2 weeks for them to die.
 
Absolutely awful 
 
I am a huge believer of domestic animals being 100% the owner's responsibilty whilst in their care and that makes me 100% guilty for not vaccinating her in the first place.
 
If you've got a pet rabbit then please consider getting them vaccinated ASAP.
 
The disease is extremely contagious and is spread by birds, foxes and insects (particularly mosquitoes)
 
This summer has been really wet so mosquitoes are breeding in the puddles of water left in water butts and buckets etc. I've got water butts AND foxes at the allotment (where she lived) so it upped her chances of getting infected by 100's.
 
She had babies in the Spring & I kept one that lived with her in the same hutch. She hasn't got any signs of it yet, but I'm taking her straight to the vet on Monday to be vaccinated.
 
So please, if you've got pet rabbits, consider having them vaccinated. It was awful to see her suffering and I'm not going to forgive myself easily 
 
I had a chat with the (lovely) vet that put Rita to sleep and she told a really interesting story about New Zealand where she used to work.
 
They introduced myxomatosis in NZ deliberately to kill the rabbit population over there. Apparently rabbits were introduced to NZ by Westeners who originally bred them for pelts. When the 'pelt' market didn't take off, they released them into the wild. Where they bred like rabbits, naturally! Unfortunately, NZ had no predator mammals that could balance the situation so it was the only option.
 
She also told me that NZ's lack of predators meant that it had a high population of flightless birds (no predators = no need to fly)
 
There was a rare breed of flightless wren that nested on the coast. Someone took over the lighthouse on the coast and brought his CAT with him. End of rare breed of flightless wren apparently 
 
ANYWAY! Whether I heard the stories correctly I have no idea, I was trying to fight back tears about Rita at the time.
 
Interesting to note how humans tend to be able to thingy up ecosystems without a second thought though. Hindsight may be a wonderful thing with ref: to NZ wildlife/birds but I don't think we've really learned after all these years 
 
RANT OVER - FEELING MAUDLIN XXX SORRY

[katynewbie]

 :'(

I saw a "mixy rabbit" when I was little and have never forgotten it. It is a truly dreadful disease as you say Trixie.

I am so sorry about your rabbit, but you have absolutely done the right thing, R.I.P Rita.

[Trixiebelle]

I saw one when I was little as well Katy. I was with my dad and he killed it :( I didn't see him do it but it stuck with me for years. It's funny what you remember isn't it.

[Trixiebelle]

Here she is/was



ttp://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e350/Trixiebellemadmum/Rita-1.jpg

[Emagggie]

Sorry to hear about Rita Trixie. Our Roger met the same end a few years ago.
I was going to post a similar warning thread as we have seen two very obviously Myxie smitten wild rabbits on our dog walks in the last couple of days.
It's a wicked disease. On a walking hols in the past, the kids stopped counting the corpses at 140.
Hope your other bun keeps well, chin up  ;)

[mc55]

awww, Trix, poor Rita  :-*

[Jeannine]

Trixie I am so sorry too, I hadn't resalised that it was so prevalent I thought it was long gone, shows how out of touch I am.

We are back to that floods, fire, pestulence thing again, the world had gone mad...is the famine next..

Sorry, rambling there..I really am so sorry for your baby, they are so sweet and don't desrve it, thankfully you made a a good choice.  It would not enter my head to vaccinate a rabbit, I  am glad you put this here, you have certainly educated me and I can pass this on to Mums I work with, the kids have a lot of bunyips.

Hugs honey XX Jeannine

[shirlton]

There are two nasty deseases that rabbits are prone to. One is Myxy and the other is VHD. Both are very distressing ways for a rabbit to meet their  end. Both our house rabbits are vaccinated every year against both. Another thing about rabbits is that they are prone to fly strike if not kept clean. Rabbits are quite a lot to take on. They are more difficult to look after than cats and dogs. Not really a childs pet unless they are completely devoted to their welfare.

[debster]

for anyone who has ever lost a beloved pet
http://www.petloss.com/poems/maingrp/rainbowb.htm

run free little Rita at Rainbow Bridge

[shirlton]

The Rabbits United Site has all the advice and support that you will ever need if you are considering keeping rabbits

[OllieC]

Very sad news for you Trixie. It was deliberately introduced here too! After we'd nearly killed all the foxes, the rabbit population increased, "needed" controlled, etc etc... usual story, "personkind" strikes again!

[digswell]

I am sorry to hear about your pet bun, it is sad when any pet has be put to sleep, it is good advice to take preventative measures and protect your pet as far as possible against this horrible disease.

Unfortunately myxi was  introduced in France and Australia in the 1950's to protect the countryside from rampant rabbit reproduction. In 1952 it arrived in Kent. Before changes in the law in 1954 some farmers deliberately intoduced the virus to cull rabbit populations.
South American rabbits have some imunity but most European rabbits are not very imune to the main strains.
It tends to subside for a number of years then as the local rabbit population reaches critically high levels and the weather is right up it pops again. Since a confirmed outbreak in our area the local estate have been out shooting day and night for the last week to bring the local rabbit infestation under control and prevent the spread of the disease.

Unfortunately vaccination is only a partial cure and an infected rabbit may need antibiotics and intensive care to get over the infection before making a full recovery.

Mosquitos and rabbit fleas are the usual methods of transfer, so I would urge all rabbit owners to invest in a UV flykiller light (battery or mains powered) and be very vigilant about fleas to help reduce the risk of infection. Also anyone who has a dog or cat that hunts rabbits should beware and check what their pets are doing as there have been rare cases of it transferring to cannines and felines fortunately with non-fatal results just flu like symptoms which can be easily treated but are not pleasant for the animal concerned.

Once again I am very sorry to hear of your loss Trixi