Catching myxo from hay?

Hi all.A question for someone that may know better than me.As in the title can rabbit catch myxo from hay,I am sure they can?The reason I am asking is this past week my little Harvey has been ill.Tuesday he stopped eating and pooing,took him to the vet and it turned out he has spurs on his teeth.Got them sorted on Friday and he is slowly recovering,but he is so fussy over hay.He was on a poor diet before I got him,he was being fed lettuce,muesli and bread and I think this is why he is not keen on hay!I need to get him to eat more hay though to keep his teeth in check.I have tried every kind in PAH but still he is not fussed:roll:.Now,I live in a rural area and will be able to get farm hay,but my dad said our rabbit we had when I was little(over 30 years ago!)caught myxo from farm hay and died!Now Harvey is vaccinated and Daisy is getting hers next week,but it has put me off getting farm hay,but I need to get Harvey to eat more hay.And how can you ensure the farm is myxo free?I would love to get them some lovely fresh farm hay,instead of packaged stuff,but I am not sure about the myxo issue.Thanks for any advice,its been a tough week with Harvey and he is still not 100% but he is getting better.I need to get his diet sorted though,its stressing me out a bit,I want whats best for him and for him to be healthy and happy,and right now his health isn't the best.He is only 6 months

All hay comes from some sort of farm initially!!

Myxo is mostly spread by blood sucking flying insects, it depends on the precise strain of Myxo involved.

http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00dis/viral/Myxomatosis.htm


Vaccinating and using measures to control mosquitoes, fleas etc will help protect your Rabbit, I would not avoid feeding nice bales of farm hay. Mine all have bales of farm hay every single day

My rabbits are vaccinated/getting vaccinated next week and there is fly screen over every mesh surface possible.I wasn't sure if maybe shop bought hay went through some kind of process or something first before being packaged.Thank you for you reply,I will see about getting fresh farm hay

biskit said:

My rabbits are vaccinated/getting vaccinated next week and there is fly screen over every mesh surface possible.I wasn't sure if maybe shop bought hay went through some kind of process or something first before being packaged.Thank you for you reply,I will see about getting fresh farm hay

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No, there are the odd few hays that are kiln-dried, they will likely have less risk, as will readigrass and there is another place that freezes their hay, cant remember which but I think its either Willow Warren or Dust Free Hay. But the vast majoritory of hays are sundried or barn dried, no process to take out things like that.

But if your rabbits are vaccinated I wouldnt worry. The RWAF in their leaflet :http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/content/leaflet_pdfs/vacination28.8.07.pdf advise that insects are mainly to blame for transmitting myxi. Although you could get insects in the hay of course, I'd think that the risk would be fairly small from the hay. You're much more likely to get vhd transmitted through hay, but that is okay because the vaccination is 100% effective.

To be honest, PAH hays arent great! I'd try some others, I'd particularly reccommend Burns Green Oat hay, as its fairly cheap but it seems to be popular with buns on here. You can get loads of hays, and sample packs, from here: www.thehayexperts.co.uk and I'd reccommend trying www.hayforpets.co.uk as well, as their hay is fantastic. But I wouldnt say there is any reason to avoid the farm hay, if your buns love it then buying by the bale is often the cheapest way to get hay anyway, so win win for everyone!

Hay from here is good quality bunnys


http://www.thehayexperts.co.uk/


http://www.hayforpets.co.uk/

I have had a look at thehayexperts.co.uk and other places that sells hay but because of where I live postage is always really expensive.I live in a KW area which always gets charged lots extra for postage or sometimes they don't deliver at all.There is lots of farms around here where I could get fresh hay though.

I can't believe that insects spreading myxi could survive in a bale of hay and then jump out and infect a rabbit. It wouldn't survive the cutting/ turning/ baling/ storing process.

There is no such thing as non farm hay

Even hay from the hay experts etc is farmed.
All hay regardless of where it is grown is 'farmed'. It is grown in a meadow, then cut dried and baled. Where you get meadows you get wild rabbits

Years ago rabbits weren't vaccinated and lots of people lost bunnies to myxo and lots blamed it on hay. We didn't know then that mozzies as well as fleas can carry the virus so it was assumed that the pleas must have been in the hay.


I would carry on feeding the hay you know your buns will eat, keep their vaccinations up and relax knowing you are doing all you can:thumb: