My rabbit Blue gets snuffles every time he has the myxo vaccine and he now has another bout from the jab he had in march.I have thought long and hard and have decided not to vaccinate him any more with conventional vaccines.I have been looking into homoeopathic protection.My question is,there is a homoeopathic nosode for myxo has anyone used this to protect their bunnies?
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Homoeopathic nosodes-myxmatosis?
- Thread starter Maizey
- Start date
Jack's-Jane
Wise Old Thumper
Hi Sarah
Yes, there is a nosode. I have not used them but I believe that 'Lurchergirl' on here has. Maybe you could PM her.
I have also decided that a couple of my Rabbits will not be vaccinated again.
They too became very poorly after their last Myxo vac and they both have other chronic health problems.
Yes, there is a nosode. I have not used them but I believe that 'Lurchergirl' on here has. Maybe you could PM her.
I have also decided that a couple of my Rabbits will not be vaccinated again.
They too became very poorly after their last Myxo vac and they both have other chronic health problems.
Jack's-Jane
Wise Old Thumper
I know a wonderful homoepathic vet who is excellent with rabbits. She isnt in your area, but I'm sure she would consult with your vet. If you're interested, I can PM you her details.
LurcherGirl
Mama Doe
I have pm'd you, but for the benefit of other readers:
Yes, there is a homeopathic nosode for both myxi and vhd. However it is important to remember that homeopathic remedies do not prevent diseases like vaccinations, but treat them. So the nosodes are not a preventative, but will only act once the bunny has been in contact with myxi or vhd. That's the reason why I don't give the nosodes on a regular basis, but only really if I hear of any myxi cases in the area (which I never have so far) and I also did when I adopted a bunny that turned out to have myxi... eventhough she was in the same room as my other bunnies for a few days until myxi symptoms appeared, none of the others caught it!
None of my bunnies are vaccinated against myxi or vhd now! BUT, they do get one lot of vaccinations when I first get them (unless they have already been done by the rescue organisation) to kick start the process of antibodies. They just don't get any boosters at all! My bunnies are in a low risk situation being house bunnies and living in a built up area with no wild rabbits, but I am aware that there is still a risk for both myxi and vhd, I am not denying that.
I would NEVER vaccinate a rabbit that has health problems that are either immune system related (which seems to be the case with your bunnies) or that are reoccuring and/or unexplained (e.g. repeated GI stasis, snuffles like yours etc)! Only perfectly healthy rabbits should be vaccinated!.
I do feel that our rabbits - like our dogs - are overvaccinated! There is no reason why most vaccinations should only last 6 months or a year. I wonder whether anyone knows of any research where the time period has been tested in rabbits with myxi and vhd vaccinations? It has recently been done with dogs (where up to recently yearly vaccinations were also recommended) where most vaccinations have been found to be effective for at least three years (probably longer, but that's for how long the tests were done). The vaccination protocol for dogs has therefore now changed to three yearly for all but the lepto vaccinations! The problem is that drugs companies are not really interested in testing these things because a) it is extremely expensive and b) it is not in their interest if vaccines are found to last a lot longer as they would obviously sell less! So we are actually surprised it was done in dogs for the three years!
I just want to stress that I am not against vaccinations at all, they do save lives and are important, but they need to be used carefully as vaccination reactions and overvaccinations can cause major health problems too! So people shouldn't feel bad if they decide not to vaccinate a bunny for good reason!
And lastly re compatibility of homeopathic with conventional medicin. Yes, it is no problem, but do consult with a homeopathic vet first before you embark on any homeopathic treatment!
Vera
Yes, there is a homeopathic nosode for both myxi and vhd. However it is important to remember that homeopathic remedies do not prevent diseases like vaccinations, but treat them. So the nosodes are not a preventative, but will only act once the bunny has been in contact with myxi or vhd. That's the reason why I don't give the nosodes on a regular basis, but only really if I hear of any myxi cases in the area (which I never have so far) and I also did when I adopted a bunny that turned out to have myxi... eventhough she was in the same room as my other bunnies for a few days until myxi symptoms appeared, none of the others caught it!
None of my bunnies are vaccinated against myxi or vhd now! BUT, they do get one lot of vaccinations when I first get them (unless they have already been done by the rescue organisation) to kick start the process of antibodies. They just don't get any boosters at all! My bunnies are in a low risk situation being house bunnies and living in a built up area with no wild rabbits, but I am aware that there is still a risk for both myxi and vhd, I am not denying that.
I would NEVER vaccinate a rabbit that has health problems that are either immune system related (which seems to be the case with your bunnies) or that are reoccuring and/or unexplained (e.g. repeated GI stasis, snuffles like yours etc)! Only perfectly healthy rabbits should be vaccinated!.
I do feel that our rabbits - like our dogs - are overvaccinated! There is no reason why most vaccinations should only last 6 months or a year. I wonder whether anyone knows of any research where the time period has been tested in rabbits with myxi and vhd vaccinations? It has recently been done with dogs (where up to recently yearly vaccinations were also recommended) where most vaccinations have been found to be effective for at least three years (probably longer, but that's for how long the tests were done). The vaccination protocol for dogs has therefore now changed to three yearly for all but the lepto vaccinations! The problem is that drugs companies are not really interested in testing these things because a) it is extremely expensive and b) it is not in their interest if vaccines are found to last a lot longer as they would obviously sell less! So we are actually surprised it was done in dogs for the three years!
I just want to stress that I am not against vaccinations at all, they do save lives and are important, but they need to be used carefully as vaccination reactions and overvaccinations can cause major health problems too! So people shouldn't feel bad if they decide not to vaccinate a bunny for good reason!
And lastly re compatibility of homeopathic with conventional medicin. Yes, it is no problem, but do consult with a homeopathic vet first before you embark on any homeopathic treatment!
Vera
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That is really kind of you.I would be very greatful If you could Pm me the homeopathic vets details,Mudgy
I think the important distinction between the myxomatosis vaccine for rabbits and the vaccines that dogs & cats receive is that it is not derived from the actual disease it is used to prevent. I mean, if we can see that vaccinated rabbits are regularly still contracting myxomatosis then we know that the cross-immunisation isn't 100% effective, it just gives them a fighting chance, so personally I wouldn't let it lapse on a healthy rabbit myself.
What do the Myxi nosodes actually contain?
On the other hand, Lexie has chronic snuffle problems and hasn't been vaccinated, it is currently under control with regular Oxytetracycline injections but I worry that any impact on her immune system could undo this.
What do the Myxi nosodes actually contain?
On the other hand, Lexie has chronic snuffle problems and hasn't been vaccinated, it is currently under control with regular Oxytetracycline injections but I worry that any impact on her immune system could undo this.
LurcherGirl
Mama Doe
Is there any research on this at all as to how long the myxi and vhd vaccinations actually last?
Vera
VHD I don't know and I am not questioning it's effectiveness because AFAIK I have never heard of a vax'd bun dying from VHD, though I have heard of bunnies who have had nosodes dying from it. I do not know how long the antibodies would last though but I would imagine some people might titre before vaccinating as they do with dogs, and in dogs it varies between individuals.
Certainly there have been cases on here where rabbits who have had the Nobivac Myxomatosis have contracted the disease within a year of being vaccinated, some may even have contracted it within the 6 month period but you would need to ask affected members that....might make for an interesting poll. As the recommendation to change from yearly to six monthly was made relatively recently I would imagine, somewhere, there is some research (quite probably done by a vet rather than the manufacturers) as the horrendous Myxi season of a couple of years back had owners, vets and manufacturers alike panicking about a mutated strain and the inadequacies of the current vaccine/vaccination routine.
marie_kubiak
Alpha Buck
I have seen myxi outbreaks in large groups and there has been a far better survival rate in new rabbits that had come in from rescue groups where vaccines had been carried out within 6 months compared to those who had not been vaccinated within the recommended 6 month period so I think that 6monthly vaccination in rabbits is justified. The effective period for myxi vaccine efficacy has always been 6months but it was previously considered adequate to vaccinate in spring to cover for the main myxi risk period and leave the rabbit unprotected over winter. We now know this isn't adequate, particularly as the parasite vectors persist for longer as temperatures are getting milder all year round.
I remain sceptical of homeopathic vaccine treatment. I believe it is only fair to treat them with the same approach as standard vaccines - I will only recommend and use them when controlled scientific studies show both safety and efficacy. There is none of this for any homeopathic vaccine. Conventional vaccines would not be permitted for use without supportive data so I'm not keen to abandon principles and use the nosodes.
There are ongoing discussions currently in the veterinary literature about homepathic efficacy and so far no vet who prescribes homeopathic treatment has been able to provide evidence to substantiate the benefits of use in animals. This is not to say that homeopathy is not useful in some positions but until I have some evidence as to whether it works, which cases would benefit, whether it is safe and how efficacy compares to conventional treatments then evidence based medicine precludes its use.
I remain sceptical of homeopathic vaccine treatment. I believe it is only fair to treat them with the same approach as standard vaccines - I will only recommend and use them when controlled scientific studies show both safety and efficacy. There is none of this for any homeopathic vaccine. Conventional vaccines would not be permitted for use without supportive data so I'm not keen to abandon principles and use the nosodes.
There are ongoing discussions currently in the veterinary literature about homepathic efficacy and so far no vet who prescribes homeopathic treatment has been able to provide evidence to substantiate the benefits of use in animals. This is not to say that homeopathy is not useful in some positions but until I have some evidence as to whether it works, which cases would benefit, whether it is safe and how efficacy compares to conventional treatments then evidence based medicine precludes its use.
