Unvaccinated rabbits with Myxi

First time post here and in at the deep end !!!

Both of my rabbits are unvaccinated and have caught myxi - first symptoms showed last Tuesday. Does anyone have experience of treating unvaccinated animals and and whether anyone has had one survive. I realise the mortality rate is horrific but just want to see if we stand any chance with them at all.

They are Harry (Belgian hare - 4kg) and Jack (Rex - 3.5 kg). Current medication is:

Baytril 5ml daily
Meloxidyl 1.5 dosed at 12kg rate daily

We are feeding Harry with Recovery mixed with apple puree as he has stopped eating but Jack is still eating pellets and spring greens though has stopped eating hay.

Both are strong rabbits and up until today (day 8 after first symptoms showed) have been putting up a good fight however Harry seems to be weakening and I think the end may be near for him. I will know when the time is right to PTS but want to give my little fighters any chance I can.

Any advice or help appreciated.

Dave

Sorry I can't offer any advice but I hope they pull through. Sadly I know the chances are slim in unvaccinated bunnies.

from what i've picked up reading r u, unvaccinated rabbits stand very little chance against myxi.

Very sorry to hear your buns have myxi. It's such a terrible disease, sorry you didn't get to vaccinate them in time. There's a chance but it's very very slim.

Mischief and Tinker's Mum said:

Very sorry to hear your buns have myxi. It's such a terrible disease, sorry you didn't get to vaccinate them in time. There's a chance but it's very very slim.

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I agree with above - what an awful shame.

If they have been vaccinated in the past, and you just missed their 6-monthly booster, they will stand a chance.

If they have never been vaccinated, I would reccommend pts soon to relieve the suffering. I believe vets usually reccommend pts straight away if the rabbits are unvaccinated. Myxo is a man-made disease, and it is very effective at its purpose. There is no cure - all you can do is support the animal through it (and often having to force-feed) and hope their immune system manages.

Sorry you had to find out about this awful disease this way

I had five unvaccinated bunnies catch myxi and ALL survived.

Please don't PTS unless they are suffering. Bunnies can get through it. My buns caught it many, many years ago and one of them, Molly, is still alive now.

Myxi is a horrible disease and vaccination is so important - but it is possible get some buns through the disease.

well done, rhianna. i didn't realise you'd had so many and kept them all alive.

Rhianna,

Thanks for the positive comments - what did you do in terms of nursing and medication on these rabbits as you seem to have been unbelievably successful, I'm still hoping for some luck with our 2. Any tips that may help us?

How long did it take with yours before seeing signs of stabilisation and improvement? How sick did they get at their worst?

Ours are still on Baytril and Meloxidryl but need a visit to the vets today for more Baytril. We are still syringe feeding Harry but Jack is still feeding himself though we are syringing water as he isn't drinking sufficient from his bottle. We have started using tea tree and eucalyptus oils in a vapouriser to help with creating but no real signs that it helps - though their room now smells really nice

Dave

Daedalus said:

Rhianna,

Thanks for the positive comments - what did you do in terms of nursing and medication on these rabbits as you seem to have been unbelievably successful, I'm still hoping for some luck with our 2. Any tips that may help us?

How long did it take with yours before seeing signs of stabilisation and improvement? How sick did they get at their worst?

Ours are still on Baytril and Meloxidryl but need a visit to the vets today for more Baytril. We are still syringe feeding Harry but Jack is still feeding himself though we are syringing water as he isn't drinking sufficient from his bottle. We have started using tea tree and eucalyptus oils in a vapouriser to help with creating but no real signs that it helps - though their room now smells really nice

Dave

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Just a thought - might be worth giving him a bowl of (warmish) water to encourage drinking as many rabbits (including mine) much prefer to drink from a bowl than a bottle.

I do hope your rabbits survive this terrible disease.

Daedalus said:

Rhianna,

Thanks for the positive comments - what did you do in terms of nursing and medication on these rabbits as you seem to have been unbelievably successful, I'm still hoping for some luck with our 2. Any tips that may help us?

How long did it take with yours before seeing signs of stabilisation and improvement? How sick did they get at their worst?

Ours are still on Baytril and Meloxidryl but need a visit to the vets today for more Baytril. We are still syringe feeding Harry but Jack is still feeding himself though we are syringing water as he isn't drinking sufficient from his bottle. We have started using tea tree and eucalyptus oils in a vapouriser to help with creating but no real signs that it helps - though their room now smells really nice

Dave

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My memory isn't great as it was a long time ago (sadly, I was ignorant then about how myxi was transmitted and thought my buns were safe) but I know my five all survived.

They didn't catch it at the same time. Molly was the first one - the bun I still have now. She got a lump at the base of her ear and was snuffly. I was horrified when the vet said she had myxi but had no idea how serious it was and fully expected her to recover.

I can't remember what meds they had but I know I was at the vet almost daily with one or another of them and the disease seemed to last forever.

None of them lost their spirit or wanted to stop fighting. I didn't bring them indoors or separate them at all and I think now possibly keeping things as familiar as possible for them may have helped. My vet agreed to treating them and it was only after they all got through it that she told me how unusual that was.

I wish I could remember more about the actual treatment. I know I had to bathe the eyes when they got sore and they had regular meds.

I wish you heaps of luck with your buns and send you lots and lots of vibes xxxxxx

Day 10.

Thanks for your comments and the good vibes are much appreciated - our rabbits need all the help they can get.

Earlier today I thought Harry had truly given up and it was time to let him go but before he went to the vets he rallied a little and was grooming himself incessantly (he is a very vain and handsome hare) which gave me some hope. Jack is still eating pellets and greens and is in altogether better shape.

The vets visit went better than expected as I was still expecting him to recommend we PTS but he felt it was still worth continuing treatment and has given medicines for at least another week of care and has given us hope as every day we can keep them alive gives them better odds of survival. Currently we have been given 50:50 on them which is 100% better than I had anticipated.

Babsie, they now have water in bowls too so hope this will help.

Dave

Have no advice but just wanted to wish you well and well done for trying so hard for your buns.

Keep us updated. I so hope they can recover!

Have you tried hand feeding Harry with some forage food?..... bramble leaves, dandelions, plantain, rose or apple leaves. herbs etc.. things which are that bit easier for him to digest/nibble on.

I'm so sorry and wishing you all the luck in the world.

I am so very sorry to read this, you have had some good advice here and I have nothing to add to it, I just wanted to wish Harry and Jack lots of luck fighting this horrnedous desease x

Day 12

bunniemum said:

Have you tried hand feeding Harry with some forage food?..... bramble leaves, dandelions, plantain, rose or apple leaves. herbs etc.. things which are that bit easier for him to digest/nibble on.

I'm so sorry and wishing you all the luck in the world.

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He is totally off his food at the moment and not tempted by any hand fed foods. Jack however is taking greens forage and some pellets but no hay - nowhere near as much as I would like but is at least eating. Today Harry did at least move his head around some hand fed food but wouldnt or couldn't eat them - this is better than yesterday so I'm continuing trying him on leaves and see how it goes.

Currently Harry is being syringe fed with a mixture of apple puree baby food, sweet potato baby food and Recovery. I know the baby foods aren't healthy long term being so sugary but won't kill or harm him immediately whereas the myxi, not eating, drinking, secondary infection etc. could so this is a problem I'll deal with later.

He has just started on fibreplex today to try and help keep his gut working. Both of them are now also getting Bio-Lapis and Pro-C to try and keep them hydrated and keep the gut working whilst on antibiotics.

Unfortunately Harry is loosing weight rapidly as he just isn't getting enough food through his system at present (another reason I'm not too concerned about the sugary diet). I'm still very concerned about both of them but each day just aim to keep them alive as every day improves their odds. Just to make things worse Harry has ripped the top of his foot really badly and had about a dozen staples on Thursday and today has ripped it again. I'm pretty sure this is with his other foot when he is being fed while wrapped in a burrito as he has never liked sitting still for more than a few seconds.

For those other people with myxi problems I hope my experiences are helping. Also, looking after them (especially Harry) has become a nearly full time job for both myself and my partner as syringe feeding a very miffy rabbit has become a 2 person job. They are getting fed and medicated 3 to 4 times per day which is draining and time consuming. Clearly there are options other than immediate PTS for myxi but no guarantee of success and you really need to look at the commitment required in making a decission.

Dave

Thanks for keeping us updated, you're providing a useful source of info for the many others who are also nursing buns with myxi at the moment.
You are doing everything you can, they have the best chance they could have. Continued good luck to you and them.

I'm sorry to complicate things further but sugary foods could cause issues short term too - they are not good for the gut, and an unhealthy gut will not absorb nutrients properly and may slow down or get gassy and painful. I'd syringe mainly mushed up pellets and/or Recovery food if you can. Oxbow Critical Care may be worth getting, as its more readily available in larger quanitities and a bit cheaper - and its essentially the same stuff as Recovery. The Fine Grind version is easier to syringe feed than the normal version. Also, could you liquify/puree some of their normal veg, rather than the baby food?

If theyre not eating alone, you'll want to check with your vet (if you havent already) how often a rabbit needs to eat to keep its gut movement up and prevent dysbiosis (gut slowdown) and stasis (gut stopping), as both will cause the rabbit to not want to eat, and are incredibly painful, and could also be fatal if left unnoticed/untreated (the main symptom being not wanting to eat and pain, you may not notice as buns are doing both anyway.) I imagine you'll have to feed every 4 hours or so, so the gut always has something in it, but you'll to ask a rabbit-specialist vet.

How much metacam are you giving now?

When buritto-ing the rabbit, make sure the blanket is tucked securely around the legs. I find it easier to lay the towel (big one) out, and then plonk the rabbit on top and quickly wrap it around, so no loose bits are near teh feet.

Wishing you all the best luck x

Day 14

nessar said:

I'm sorry to complicate things further but sugary foods could cause issues short term too - they are not good for the gut, and an unhealthy gut will not absorb nutrients properly and may slow down or get gassy and painful. I'd syringe mainly mushed up pellets and/or Recovery food if you can. Oxbow Critical Care may be worth getting, as its more readily available in larger quanitities and a bit cheaper - and its essentially the same stuff as Recovery. The Fine Grind version is easier to syringe feed than the normal version. Also, could you liquify/puree some of their normal veg, rather than the baby food? Thanks for the info. I have now cut out the apple and heavily reduced the sweet potato . I have found moshed pellets are far easier to syringe than Recovery though I am mixing in some Recovery too. They don't really have normal veg as Harry always seems to (literally) run away from it and won't go near his food bowl if there is veg in it :? They are eating more syringed food now so that is giving me a little more hope.

If theyre not eating alone, you'll want to check with your vet (if you havent already) how often a rabbit needs to eat to keep its gut movement up and prevent dysbiosis (gut slowdown) and stasis (gut stopping), as both will cause the rabbit to not want to eat, and are incredibly painful, and could also be fatal if left unnoticed/untreated (the main symptom being not wanting to eat and pain, you may not notice as buns are doing both anyway.) I imagine you'll have to feed every 4 hours or so, so the gut always has something in it, but you'll to ask a rabbit-specialist vet.He's happy with the feeding at the moment. We are syringing morning, lunch time and evening so roughly every 4 hours. Both are still pooing though Harry isn't doing much - mostly because he has been so hard to get food into until yesterday, he's a little easier now though.


How much metacam are you giving now? 12kg dose so 1.2mg once daily

When buritto-ing the rabbit, make sure the blanket is tucked securely around the legs. I find it easier to lay the towel (big one) out, and then plonk the rabbit on top and quickly wrap it around, so no loose bits are near teh feet. Our technique seems to have improved a little, I'm now using the floor rather than my lap and getting them under better control.


Wishing you all the best luck x Thanks

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Harry is now drinking water from a bowl which he wasn't before. Jack still struggles with the bottle but won't use a bowl. Both are clearly still very I'll but seem to be doing better with the feeding now.

Dave

Have you tried Ellas baby Food? Comes in ready pureed form in easy to portion sachets. Comes in fantastic bunny friendly flavours - (though watch for the high apple content in some) - available all good supermarkets and is Organic.

Although not ideal as not so good as forage can often tempt a poorly bun. AND is smooth enough to go sown a syringe so you can mix medicines wth it to syringe them in with less stress.