So worried about Myxomatosis!

Hi everyone, please let me explain what's happened, and why I'm so concerned. Where I work, there were 2 bunnies, a Netherland Dwarf, and a bigger black and white bunny. The bunnies were donated to my boss about a year or so ago. The bunnies had apparently been Myxy vaccinated in their previous home, but my boss didn't get them redone, despite me saying how important it was. Anyway, my worst fear happened Thursday, when I went to check on the bunnies after some time off work, and immediately noticed the Netherland Dwarf had Myxy. I boxed both bunnies in separate boxes and we took them to the vets. They put the Netherland Dwarf to sleep, he looked awful, with swollen eyes, and head, and he couldn't breathe well. The vet checked over the bigger bunny, and said he's not showing any signs of Myxy, but as he's been exposed to it, he may well get it. The vet vaccinated him with the combination vaccine for Myxy and VHD, and said keep him inside for 10 days, and after then, if he's not come out with Myxy, he should be safe. I have brought him back to my house, and have him in my out building in a wire top cage at the moment. I've had him for 3 days, and he looks very well at the moment. I'm a bit concerned, as I have 2 bunnies of my own, but I have kept them separate. (My 2 have their Myxy and VHD boosters every year.) I read however, that the incubation period for Myxy, can be up to 21 days! How likely is it that this bunny has Myxy?! Several times a day I check him for any signs of the disease, and it's so stressful just waiting and not knowing!

I have no idea about the chances of him having Myxy, but I would have thought he would have been showing signs already as he was with the other bun who had it.

I hope the bun doesn't have it and is ok. Well done you for spotting it, and getting them to the vet, and taking care of the (hopefully) well bun. So sad about the nethy, but at least he's no longer suffering. Binky free little one.

Thank you, my boss asked me tonight if I would keep this bunny, I don't think they really had the time for them sadly. I have said yes, but I hope he can be introduced to my 2 if all this Myxy scare passes. I have a boy and a girl (both neutered) but this bunny isn't neutered. I just really hope he isn't ill, he's the sweetest bunny, and nudges your hand! I think it looks more like a girl, although we were told they were boys. The vet said it was a hard one and couldn't tell! :/

Well done for taking on the bunny despite the Myxy scare. Hopefully he won't have it and you could have a trio with a bit of luck :thumb:

Don't worry about not definitely knowing the sex - there's been quite a few stories on here about buns being booked in to be neutered/spayed and turned out to be the opposite sex :lol: it can be hard to sex them!

We'd love to see pics of your buns too

As I said, I really hope the bun is ok, and I hope you keep us updated

Thank you, I so hope everything works out! I'm on my iPhone at the moment, so not sure I can post photos. Will sort some out tomorrow. I just tried to add an avatar pic, and it turned out sideways lol!

*Amber* said:

Thank you, I so hope everything works out! I'm on my iPhone at the moment, so not sure I can post photos. Will sort some out tomorrow. I just tried to add an avatar pic, and it turned out sideways lol!

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I hope it all works out for you

You might find the Tapatalk app easier? its what I, and a few other use on their phones. I find it easier to upload photos as they upload straight from my gallery. Not sure about it on an iPhone though.

Either way I look forward to seeing your bunnies!

Thank you, I saw that pop up, and didn't know what it was! I've tried Photobucket! I'll see if it works! Here's Alfie (brown) and Willow (white)

And here is Oreo, the new bunny.

They're all gorgeous oreo would go really well with Alfie and Willow, he's got both of their colours :lol:

Thank you. Ha ha, mix and match!

See his head looks quite boy like to me, but he has a bit of a dewlap lol!

It's not a guarantee he'll get it just because the other bun did. It's spread by biting insects so it can be a case of one rabbit getting bitten and another not, particularly in domestic rabbits that are less likely to share fleas. Once a rabbit has discharge that's infectious by contact, but it sounds like you caught it pretty quick. Your rabbits being vaccinated and in a different area should be safe.

The longer he goes without showing signs the more you can relax. The vaccination takes time to trigger the antibodies but with three days in, there is a possibility that even if he does show signs at this point he could be developing partial immunity and stand a chance of fighting it or get the milder nodular myxi.

Thank you Tamsin. Unfortunately I had been on holiday, so had not been at work to check on the bunnies (although someone else should have done!) The Netherland Dwarf looked like he'd had it a good few days, he had pus in his eyes, and was coughing up discharge, as he couldn't breathe well bless him, it was awful. That's why I'm so worried about Oreo, as he'd been in with him. As they were vaccinated by the previous owner, is there a slight chance that although their boosters were way overdue, that he may have still had immunity from that, and that's why he didn't have it too? I'm almost too scared to get too attached to him, as although he's now been given to me, I'm still so scared of waking up in the morning and going to check him and he has the puffy eyes. I'm just so scared for him. Can't believe their boosters weren't kept up to date grrrrrrr, makes me so cross.

Yes, the vaccinations don't run out on the dot 12 months after the jab, 12 months is sort of the 'guaranteed' period and then the immunity would likely taper off. I don't know if they've ever tested past the 12 months to know how long they actually last. Likewise getting immunity from the vaccine isn't an instant on/off switch - it builds up gradually with full immunity being 3 weeks post vacc.

One of the vaccination notes is:

In very rare cases the appearance of mild clinical signs of myxomatosis may occur within 3 weeks of vaccination. Recent or latent infection with field myxoma virus seems to play a role in this to a certain extent.

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Which to me implies that it can be effective (mild signs are ok) even if the rabbits is infected (latent = infected but not showing symptoms) when they get it. On the plus side, if he was infected at the same time (eg a biting insect) then I'd have expected him to show symptoms roughly the same time as the other bun and he hasn't. If he was infected once they other bun became contagious he got the vaccination so the virus didn't have a lot of time to multiply before he started building antibodies.

I wish I could give you a definate answer either way, but even with the probabilities on his side you couldn't guarantee the outcome for an individual. Just cross my fingers for you and I can certainly understand trying to avoid getting too attached - it won't do any harm to leave bonding with him a few weeks as much as you can.

Thank you so much Tamsin, that's very helpful! Well it's now day 4, and he still seems well. With everyday that passes, I'm slightly more hopeful! Soooooo, if he does start showing signs of Myxy, it could be the vaccine and not the actual disease?! Just to make things even more complicated! I've been giving him active manuka honey (20 plus UMF) in my silly attempt at fighting Myxomatosis! :/ I know it's really helped me if I have started to get a cold, although I know a cold and Myxy aren't the same! He enjoys licking it off apple.

Oh, I forgot to add that I de-flead him with Advantage for bunnies on the day he arrived here, just incase he'd picked up any yukky fleas, although I didn't see any. Wild bunnies had started to do little digs in the grass close to their run at work, so the bunnies could have been all around them at night. Where I work is just around the corner from my house, and I have seen ill Myxy bunnies here occasionally.

De-fleaing him was a really good idea, that way if he was carrying any it kills them and they can't bite anymore plus you cant transfer them between bunnies.

Yes, he could show mild symptoms or nodules and not get full blown myxi at this point.

I don't think I've heard people feeding it, but some people swear by it for abscesses, which I expect get licked a bit. Not too much though as it's not someone buns would normally digest

Tamsin said:

Yes, the vaccinations don't run out on the dot 12 months after the jab, 12 months is sort of the 'guaranteed' period and then the immunity would likely taper off. I don't know if they've ever tested past the 12 months to know how long they actually last. Likewise getting immunity from the vaccine isn't an instant on/off switch - it builds up gradually with full immunity being 3 weeks post vacc.

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I have tried very hard to find out 'exactly' how long after the 12 months the vaccine is still valid. If the info is out there, nobody thinks it's worth producing. I guess the manufacturers want us to vaccinate every year regardless of the efficacy after the year is up.

Interesting question though, as now with cats and dogs there is a big move to vaccinate less, as annual vaccination seems to be causing problems in animals according to some people ...

*Amber* said:

Thank you, my boss asked me tonight if I would keep this bunny, I don't think they really had the time for them sadly. I have said yes, but I hope he can be introduced to my 2 if all this Myxy scare passes. I have a boy and a girl (both neutered) but this bunny isn't neutered. I just really hope he isn't ill, he's the sweetest bunny, and nudges your hand! I think it looks more like a girl, although we were told they were boys. The vet said it was a hard one and couldn't tell! :/

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Ummm... if the vet can't sex a rabbit, would you trust him with the lives of yours??

The vets we went to was my bosses vet, not my personal vet. I'm so worried, I've cleaned Oreo out, and one of his eyes has very slight discharge, I'm hoping it was just any dust from the clean out, but I'm so worried. He also looks a bit grumpy today, which has worried me. He is however, eating very well. This is all so stressful for me! Why didn't they just keep his boosters up to date?