Possible VHD2 virus, sudden deaths

Hi,
I just wanted a bit of advice really.
I had two rabbits, one female who was about 6 (twinkle) and a male who was around 3 (charlie) and they were not housed together. They were both in perfect health eating, drinking, etc. and looked well. Then suddenly one morning around 3 weeks ago when i got up to feed them the female rabbit had died. It was very upsetting but i put it down to her being quite old. Then last week I got up and i found my other rabbit dead in his cage too. But before i had found them both they were completely fine. I buried them both and consulted our vets after Charlie died as it was sudden and we didn't know what caused it but the vets were not interested. Recently in the papers i have seen about the VHD2 virus but don't really know much about it or the symptoms but neither rabbits showed any symptoms or changes that I could see. We asked the vets about this and they said they hadn't had any cases in our area and they couldn't do anything and they weren't really bothered. I was wondering if someone could tell me the symptoms and how it is spread etc. because the rabbits cages were not even close to each other or if someone has any other suggestions as to what may have caused their sudden deaths .
I am thinking about getting two more bunnies (bonded) and keeping them in the same cage because i really miss having rabbits, but do you think I should wait until this virus has died down because i have heard there is no injections for it, I don't really know what to do I really miss my babies but wouldn't want to get more rabbits if they will get this virus.
Thankyou

Bramble1234 said:

Hi,
I just wanted a bit of advice really.
I had two rabbits, one female who was about 6 (twinkle) and a male who was around 3 (charlie) and they were not housed together. They were both in perfect health eating, drinking, etc. and looked well. Then suddenly one morning around 3 weeks ago when i got up to feed them the female rabbit had died. It was very upsetting but i put it down to her being quite old. Then last week I got up and i found my other rabbit dead in his cage too. But before i had found them both they were completely fine. I buried them both and consulted our vets after Charlie died as it was sudden and we didn't know what caused it but the vets were not interested. Recently in the papers i have seen about the VHD2 virus but don't really know much about it or the symptoms but neither rabbits showed any symptoms or changes that I could see. We asked the vets about this and they said they hadn't had any cases in our area and they couldn't do anything and they weren't really bothered. I was wondering if someone could tell me the symptoms and how it is spread etc. because the rabbits cages were not even close to each other or if someone has any other suggestions as to what may have caused their sudden deaths .
I am thinking about getting two more bunnies (bonded) and keeping them in the same cage because i really miss having rabbits, but do you think I should wait until this virus has died down because i have heard there is no injections for it, I don't really know what to do I really miss my babies but wouldn't want to get more rabbits if they will get this virus.
Thankyou

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Welcome to the Forum Bramble :wave:

I'm really sorry to hear about your two rabbits. That's devastating

Unfortunately without a post mortem you can't know what caused them to die so suddenly and so close to one another.

There's a thread here all about the vaccine:

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?456446-RHD2-Vaccine-*UPDATED*-30-July-2016

There is certainly a vaccine available, you need to ask your vet. It sounds like you may have to look for another vet who is more interested in rabbits though.

The very last post on that thread tells you about 'Bio Security' and the measures you should take re disinfecting. Virkon is a good one to use, and you shouldn't use the cages until they have been thoroughly disinfected in one of the ways suggested.

I hope you get a lovely bonded pair of rabbits and they have a long and healthy life with you

I'm so sorry you lost your bunnies . Some good advice above.

I'm really sorry you lost your bunnies & the not knowing why must add further upset.

Some rescues are vaccinating their bunnies against VHD2 so that may be a good option for you to give extra peace of mind, likewise a rescue might be happy for you to arrange vaccination prior to collecting them.

Welcome to RU by the way

:wave: welcome to the forum, so sorry, its in such sad circumstances

If you give us an idea of your area, we may be able to recommend a local rescue

I'm sorry to hear of your rabbits. As has been said, impossible to know cause without a PM. I'm assuming they were up to date with their routine vaccinations.
Doesn't sound as though your vet is experienced with rabbits. I think it has already been suggested that you start another thread 'rabbit savvy vet needed in ........." so someone may be able to recommend one to you.
I use Virkon, it is very good.

I'm so sorry to hear this sad news Of course it's impossible to tell without a post mortem, but it does sound as if it's a possibility - there aren't that many illnesses which are suddenly and unexpectedly fatal to rabbits especially in short succession. Some kind of toxicity might be another possibility - have you had a good look around your garden to see if there's anything poisonous that could have got into their pens; although most plants would require a reasonably large amount to cause a fatal illness, there are a few which could cause it - laburnum or foxglove spring to mind.

I've had confirmed RHD2 here so I know how devastating it can be. The symptoms can vary from literally nothing and then suddenly dying, through to a rabbit that is slightly lethargic and off-food. I had one which was very sudden, and also one which came on much more slowly. It is spread very widely, mainly by indirect contact e.g. by hands, feet as well as potentially by insects. But the main way of transmission is thought to be indirect - so you could easily move it from one rabbit to another on your hands, without realising that you've got it

The virus has been shown to live for up to 200 days in ideal conditions, so personally I would be very wary about getting any more rabbits in the foreseeable future. This is especially the case if your bunnies have been buried nearby rather than cremated, as the virus (if indeed it is the virus they had) would have a reservoir nearby. Although it's possible to disinfect hard surfaces like patios and kitchen floors, it isn't possible to disinfect grass or carpets, where it may have been trodden. No vaccine is 100% effective in all circumstances, so personally I would advise waiting until 200 days have passed before getting any more rabbits. It's possibly erring on the side of caution, but knowing how awful it can be for the rabbits, for their sake I wouldn't risk it.

It sounds as if you've had a horrid time, I hope you're ok x

Bramble1234 said:

Hi,
I just wanted a bit of advice really.
I had two rabbits, one female who was about 6 (twinkle) and a male who was around 3 (charlie) and they were not housed together. They were both in perfect health eating, drinking, etc. and looked well. Then suddenly one morning around 3 weeks ago when i got up to feed them the female rabbit had died. It was very upsetting but i put it down to her being quite old. Then last week I got up and i found my other rabbit dead in his cage too. But before i had found them both they were completely fine. I buried them both and consulted our vets after Charlie died as it was sudden and we didn't know what caused it but the vets were not interested. Recently in the papers i have seen about the VHD2 virus but don't really know much about it or the symptoms but neither rabbits showed any symptoms or changes that I could see. We asked the vets about this and they said they hadn't had any cases in our area and they couldn't do anything and they weren't really bothered. I was wondering if someone could tell me the symptoms and how it is spread etc. because the rabbits cages were not even close to each other or if someone has any other suggestions as to what may have caused their sudden deaths .
I am thinking about getting two more bunnies (bonded) and keeping them in the same cage because i really miss having rabbits, but do you think I should wait until this virus has died down because i have heard there is no injections for it, I don't really know what to do I really miss my babies but wouldn't want to get more rabbits if they will get this virus.
Thankyou

Click to expand...

I am very sorry for you losses Sadly 'Santa' (see post 8 on this thread) has become our expert on RHD2, a title I am sure she could well have done without

Aswell as reading her above post, which contains the most accurate information please do try to take a look at her RHD2 Blog too. If nothing else it may help you feel less alone with the grief you are feeling as a result of your recent tragic losses which might have been due to RHD2.

https://rhd2diary.wordpress.com/

Santa also has a Facebook Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1744958082388756/

I can completely sympathise, as I recently lost two rabbits in two days. It's just horrible. :-(

However, ours was due to a yew bush in a part of the garden we didn't allow our rabbits in. They had got hold of some leaves on the grass where they grazed. We didn't actually know the yew was a yew, as it was a bush rather than a tree. As Santa mentioned, toxicity may be possible. Both of our rabbits were perfectly healthy, eating and drinking etc, then we found them dead. Could something similar be a possibility?