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Myxi vacs - is every 6 months necessary?

B

beki

Mama Doe
my buns vaccinations are all up to date (so please don't shout), its just when i took reggie in november to the vets for his vaccinations there was a locum vet there who said that a rabbit doesn't necessarily need a booster every 6 months after they have had a few boosters as, as long as the bunny doesn't come into contact with wild bunnies a vaccination every year is ok. What do people here think about this?

i thought it was every 6 months but was just wondering about this. Does everyone here have their buns vaccinated every 6 months? do rescues also? i was just thinking, if you have a lot of binnies a vaccination every 6 months is going to cost a lot!
 
We vaccinate every 6 months, but we do live in the countryside and also have other animals which may carry fleas. The fact that blood sucking insects are becoming more common throughout the year would decide me not to take the risk and vaccinate evry 6 months. Our vet will do a discount for lots of animals being done at the same time, and ours does us a very special deal.:)
 
level of myxae in the area

My understanding was that if the level of myxae in the area is fairly high then 6-monthly vaccination is recommended... We are on 6-monthly in Glos - I assumed that was general, and not just our own vet's view.
 
As I understand it, the vaccine has only ever lasted for 6 months, however previously buns would be vaccinated in the spring, as myx was so unlikely to infect buns in the months not covered. These days though, the climate is changing, and therefore the myx at risk 'season' has become longer.
 
I vaccinate my buns every 6 months, and i know all the buns in rspca care are vaccinated every 6 months too :) For the case of £15, id rather be safe than sorry

I would go on your vets advise, you could ask how many myxi cases theyve seen this year :) xXx
 
When I had my previous rabbits vaccinated the vet said every 12 months would suffice as he hadn't heard of any outbreaks in the area in all the years he had been at the practise.

However, when I took Louie for his last year I was told every 6 months so I will go with that!
 
My vet (in the Somerset area) recommends 6 monthly vaccinations, but it's up to the owner whether to take that recommendation or not.

I personally get the 6 monthly boosters because I have a (small) colony of wild rabbits 150metres from my house, if they got infected I probably wouldn't hear about it for a few days, maybe even a week or two for it to break into the news, and by then it could be too late.

It's a risk the owner has to weigh up and decide for themselves if it's worth taking.
 
Please vaccinate them 6 monthly. Over here in Australia the Myxi vaccine is illegal.

I'd give anything to be able to vaccinate my buns against it, but can only vacc against VHD.

There's an outbreak at the moment near where I live so I'm on tenterhooks and very nervous. If I had the option to vaccinate I'd grab it with both hands.

:)
 
my vets told me to do both myxi and vhd once a year... and i live in the country..well seaside town, but i think ill be going back for a 6 month redo as it cant do the bunn any harm and id rather be safe, ive seen rabbits in my area with myxi and vhd and it isnt nice... if you can prevent that pain for £20 its worth it.
 
aussiebun said:
Please vaccinate them 6 monthly. Over here in Australia the Myxi vaccine is illegal.

I'd give anything to be able to vaccinate my buns against it, but can only vacc against VHD.

There's an outbreak at the moment near where I live so I'm on tenterhooks and very nervous. If I had the option to vaccinate I'd grab it with both hands.

:)
Click to expand...

Why is it illegal? :shock::shock::shock:
 
according to wikipedia:

It is illegal in Australia due to fears that the immunity conferred by the vaccine could be transmitted through the wild rabbit population, since the vaccine uses a live virus
Click to expand...
 
My vet says that some bunnies keep immunity for 12 months and some only 6 months, but that it is impossible to say which are which, so recommends 6 monthly.
 
Every country has its own laws, they seem to be strict on measures to control the rabbit population.
 
thanks for your input :) its something i have been thinking about lately. of course i wouldn't want to risk my bunnies, but we live in a built up area, nearest countryside is about 1 and a half miles away, where there are wild rabbits as i have seen them play by the road.

vaccination wise, reggie is due for a booster in june and ruby in may. would it matter if ruby got hers done later in june or reggie earlier in may so i can take them togehter?

i never realised it was illegal in australia!
 
Michelleox said:
Thanks for that:wave:

But surely that would be the same in this country? :? :(
Click to expand...

Myxi is supposedly more devastating to the European rabbit than the Australian rabbit, Wikipedia states as follows:-

In rabbits of the genus Sylvilagus (cottontail rabbits), myxomatosis only causes localized skin tumors, but the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is more severely affected.

[...]

In Australia, the virus was first field-tested for population control in 1938. A full-scale release was performed in 1950. It was devastatingly effective, reducing the estimated rabbit population from 600 million to 100 million in two years. However, the rabbits remaining alive were those least affected by the disease. Genetic resistance to myxomatosis was observed soon after the first release and most rabbits acquired partial immunity in the first two decades. Resistance has been increasing slowly since the 1970s, and the disease now only kills about 50% of infected rabbits.

[...]

It reached the UK in 1953, apparently without human action [...] By 1955, about 95% of rabbits in the UK were dead. Rabbits suffering in the last stages of the disease, commonly called "mixy" or "myxie" rabbits, are still a common sight in the UK[citation needed].
Click to expand...

So back in the 50's and within the space of 2 years, 1 in 6 rabbits survived in Australia and today 50% of Australian rabbits survive the diease, which is a lot more than we can say for the UK's wild/domestic rabbits :?

I can in some ways understand them not wanting to vaccinate rabbits in Australia because wild rabbits will become even more immune, and the last thing we want is for them to unleash a new virus to control their wild population and have it seep through the rest fo the world again. But, of course with this, I do feel very sorry for rabbit owners in Australia who aren't able to vaccinate their pets :cry:
 
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I've been advised to vaccinate 6 monthly by my vet, even though I'm unaware of any Myxi outbreaks in York.

I have outdoor cats, who, although they are flea'd monthly, I still worry about bringing fleas indoors to my bunny, so I prefer the 6 monthly vac anyway.
I also know there are wild rabbits close to my house as I live near open land (undeveloped wasteland) next to a railway line, even though I live in the middle of a built-up area.

Besides, the 6 monthly dose, to my knowledge, doesn't do them any harm, & for the small extra cost I think the benefits far outweigh the risks.
 
Yes, it's VERY frustrating. It makes no sense for them to allow us to vaccinate against 1 but not the other. Totally ridiculous.

The main reason they do it I think is because the Calicivirus was released by accident, earlier than intended, not intentionally like the Myxi was.

Poor aussie bunnies :(
 
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