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Help!

S

shauna_hale

Young Bun
Hi! I'm very new here and I'm fairly certain I live much further away than most in this forum, but I've noticed y'all seem to have the best information...I've had bunnies for a whopping 6 months now and I feel like I have no clue what I'm doing.

Yesterday morning I woke up to my precious 8 mo old lop dead in his cage. From everything I can read, it seemed to be myxomatosis. I'm heartbroken. As much as I miss my baby, I have other bunnies in the house and I am terrified that I'm going to lose another. I just so happen to have an "oops" litter and I'm stressing. Thankfully all other bunnies are on the opposite side of the house.

I have washed all blankets that my lop ever touched, moved out his cage (prob gonna burn it, idk), sprayed everything down with lysol and I happen to have hospital grade antiviral and antibacterial wipes I've used everywhere.

I can't tell if this virus is ONLY transmitted thru mosquitoes and fleas, or if it can live in other places. I live in north Texas and we MIGHT have a freeze tonight, but prob nit. And nothing hard enough to kill bugs.

What do I do to protect my other babies?

Thank you in advance for any information you have.

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk
 
shauna_hale said:
Hi! I'm very new here and I'm fairly certain I live much further away than most in this forum, but I've noticed y'all seem to have the best information...I've had bunnies for a whopping 6 months now and I feel like I have no clue what I'm doing.

Yesterday morning I woke up to my precious 8 mo old lop dead in his cage. From everything I can read, it seemed to be myxomatosis. I'm heartbroken. As much as I miss my baby, I have other bunnies in the house and I am terrified that I'm going to lose another. I just so happen to have an "oops" litter and I'm stressing. Thankfully all other bunnies are on the opposite side of the house.

I have washed all blankets that my lop ever touched, moved out his cage (prob gonna burn it, idk), sprayed everything down with lysol and I happen to have hospital grade antiviral and antibacterial wipes I've used everywhere.

I can't tell if this virus is ONLY transmitted thru mosquitoes and fleas, or if it can live in other places. I live in north Texas and we MIGHT have a freeze tonight, but prob nit. And nothing hard enough to kill bugs.

What do I do to protect my other babies?

Thank you in advance for any information you have.

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I am very sorry for your loss. I am not sure what, specifically, makes you think the sudden death was due to Myxomatosis. This virus usually presents with obvious clinical symptoms for some time prior to death. So without a Post Mortem examination it is not really possible to be certain as to why your Rabbit died so suddenly.

There is some information about Myxomatosis, its mode of transmission and how to protect your remaining Rabbits on the following links, I have not included links which are more UK specific :

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Viral_diseases/Myxo/Myxo.htm

http://rabbit.org/myxo/

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

I hope that your remaining Rabbits will be OK x
 
Jack's-Jane said:
I am very sorry for your loss. I am not sure what, specifically, makes you think the sudden death was due to Myxomatosis. This virus usually presents with obvious clinical symptoms for some time prior to death. So without a Post Mortem examination it is not really possible to be certain as to why your Rabbit died so suddenly.

There is some information about Myxomatosis, its mode of transmission and how to protect your remaining Rabbits on the following links, I have not included links which are more UK specific :

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Viral_diseases/Myxo/Myxo.htm

http://rabbit.org/myxo/

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

I hope that your remaining Rabbits will be OK x
Click to expand...
Thanks for the links. I'll def read them. The reason I was thinking that was bc his eyes were suddenly watery and swollen, with weird thick drainage. Within 2 days he was gone. I may be overreacting and jumping to conclusions, idk. But, if it was that, I wanted to make sure I cleaned well enough. If it's not, then idk what else to do.

It's not impossible that what I read was seriously incomplete (esp if I didn't find proper sources). At any rate, I don't think I can lose another one like that.

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk
 
shauna_hale said:
Thanks for the links. I'll def read them. The reason I was thinking that was bc his eyes were suddenly watery and swollen, with weird thick drainage. Within 2 days he was gone. I may be overreacting and jumping to conclusions, idk. But, if it was that, I wanted to make sure I cleaned well enough. If it's not, then idk what else to do.

It's not impossible that what I read was seriously incomplete (esp if I didn't find proper sources). At any rate, I don't think I can lose another one like that.

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Perhaps you could seek more specific advice from your Vet ?
 
Jack's-Jane said:
Perhaps you could seek more specific advice from your Vet ?
Click to expand...
I can call and ask. But, so far, one of your links has helped so much! I'm wondering now what on earth it could've been.

Also, are there specific vaccinations bunnies should have? My dog gets rabies and heartworm shots, so would bunnies not need something? My vet said no, but now I wonder...

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk
 
shauna_hale said:
I can call and ask. But, so far, one of your links has helped so much! I'm wondering now what on earth it could've been.

Also, are there specific vaccinations bunnies should have? My dog gets rabies and heartworm shots, so would bunnies not need something? My vet said no, but now I wonder...

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

The Vaccination protocol from Rabbits in the USA is very different from that here in the UK. Whether vaccination against Myxomatosis is either available or recommended can vary from State to State in the USA, as noted on the second link I posted previously

http://rabbit.org/myxo/
 
Jack's-Jane said:
The Vaccination protocol from Rabbits in the USA is very different from that here in the UK. Whether vaccination against Myxomatosis is either available or recommended can vary from State to State in the USA, as noted on the second link I posted previously

http://rabbit.org/myxo/
Click to expand...
I saw that. Kinda silly to not be ok with it here if it's ok in the UK. Ugh.

Your links made so much more sense. The ones I had read gave me panic attacks. Now I just wonder what could've done that in 2 days. The only thing I noticed was his eyes. And he was kind of lethargic. There was nothing else out of the ordinary.

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk
 
As far as I know, there has never been a reported case of myxi in Texas (although there has been a small number of cases in California and Oregon) and there is no available myxi vaccine in North America.

And no, there are no vaccines that rabbits in North America should have. If i'm right in thinking that myxi vaccines aren't available here.

It sounds like an infection somewhere in the body maybe? A respiratory infection?
 
William said:
As far as I know, there has never been a reported case of myxi in Texas (although there has been a small number of cases in California and Oregon) and there is no available myxi vaccine in North America.

And no, there are no vaccines that rabbits in North America should have. If i'm right in thinking that myxi vaccines aren't available here.

It sounds like an infection somewhere in the body maybe? A respiratory infection?
Click to expand...
I've been looking up what can cause a pretty quick death. I'm glad it's pointing to not being myxi, but now I'm wondering what it could've been.

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk
 
My knowledge is that there are no vaccines available for rabbits in the USA as a general. All rabbit owners I've spoken to over there have said there aren't any.

In terms of what can cause the death so quickly with the symptoms you describe... well... the list is endless really and I'd rather not give suggestions as it may cause you upset/paranoia.

I suggest fully cleaning your rabbits accommodation ideally with a Veterinary grade disinfectant such as Anigene if it's available there.
I'd also suggest you keep a close eye on all your remaining rabbits and if they show any signs of ill health getting them to a vet ASAP for a full health check and hopefully diagnostics and treatment. Not all vets are trained to deal with rabbits so please seek an exotic vet as they have much more in depth training and generally are much better at treating rabbits.

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
 
shauna_hale said:
I've been looking up what can cause a pretty quick death. I'm glad it's pointing to not being myxi, but now I'm wondering what it could've been.

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

It's possible he was sick before but was hiding his illness really well.

Yeah, in your shoes i'd want to know what it could be too. I think suggestions are always helpful whether it could possibly cause upset or not. Even if it couldn't help your current rabbits it's always useful to know a bit more about various illnesses and build up your knowledge.
 
shauna_hale said:
Hi! I'm very new here and I'm fairly certain I live much further away than most in this forum, but I've noticed y'all seem to have the best information...I've had bunnies for a whopping 6 months now and I feel like I have no clue what I'm doing.

Yesterday morning I woke up to my precious 8 mo old lop dead in his cage. From everything I can read, it seemed to be myxomatosis. I'm heartbroken. As much as I miss my baby, I have other bunnies in the house and I am terrified that I'm going to lose another. I just so happen to have an "oops" litter and I'm stressing. Thankfully all other bunnies are on the opposite side of the house.

I have washed all blankets that my lop ever touched, moved out his cage (prob gonna burn it, idk), sprayed everything down with lysol and I happen to have hospital grade antiviral and antibacterial wipes I've used everywhere.

I can't tell if this virus is ONLY transmitted thru mosquitoes and fleas, or if it can live in other places. I live in north Texas and we MIGHT have a freeze tonight, but prob nit. And nothing hard enough to kill bugs.

What do I do to protect my other babies?

Thank you in advance for any information you have.

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...


Hi shauna and welcome to the Forum :wave:

I'm so sorry to hear about your rabbit. They are so precious to us, it's awful when this happens ...

Here's some info on cleaning protocol:


Thoroughly clean the area to remove any scale or residue. Use Ark-Klens , which is a benzalkonium chloride disinfectant and as such it should be effective against EC and myxi, to routinely disinfect the housing. Periodically use Virkon (as an inorganic peroxygen compound) to kill any other viruses.

Note: Other benzalkonium chloride disinfectants and inorganic peroxygen compounds may be available, in addition to those named above.


https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/cleaning-protocol/


I would also seek advice from a vet, as it my not be Myxi, as you suspect, and you ought to be prepared for other possibilities. There are many causes of sudden death.

https://www.harcourt-brown.co.uk/articles/sudden-or-unexpected-death

https://pethelpful.com/rabbits/What-Are-The-Causes-Of-Sudden-Death-In-Rabbits

Good luck x
 
Last edited:
I'm sorry to hear this :(

as far as I'm aware, there are hardly any diseases for bunnies in the US. I've spoken to a few US friends and they were totally confused when I had to get mine vaccinated, its just unheard of. there are maybe one or two odd cases, but the main issues are across europe and australia. I don't think the US ever had myxi and I remember reading that most wild rabbits are immune to it.

I'd really suggest a post mortem, it would help work out what went wrong and perhaps you can prevent it spreading or happening again.

could anything have gotten him or scared him? was he outside? I recently saw a bunny who looked like he had myxi but instead had been gotten by a fox. sometimes after death the body releases fluid - and I know after my boy was PTS his eyes were wide open and looked pretty popped out of his head but I don't know if that's a normal thing!! bunnies can often die from heart attacks if scared enough so a wild animal trying to get to him might have done it.

bunnies are so fragile :( hugs to you xx
 
I'm so sorry for your loss :( no real advice here but I'd have a post mortem done just so you might work out what happened and put your mind at rest xx

Sent from my HTC U11 using Tapatalk
 
daphnephoebe said:
My knowledge is that there are no vaccines available for rabbits in the USA as a general. All rabbit owners I've spoken to over there have said there aren't any.

In terms of what can cause the death so quickly with the symptoms you describe... well... the list is endless really and I'd rather not give suggestions as it may cause you upset/paranoia.

I suggest fully cleaning your rabbits accommodation ideally with a Veterinary grade disinfectant such as Anigene if it's available there.
I'd also suggest you keep a close eye on all your remaining rabbits and if they show any signs of ill health getting them to a vet ASAP for a full health check and hopefully diagnostics and treatment. Not all vets are trained to deal with rabbits so please seek an exotic vet as they have much more in depth training and generally are much better at treating rabbits.

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Thank you. I wasn't sure what to do with the cage so i put it outside in the sun so i could clean it later. And then it rained (didn't expect that) so I'll be getting a new one.

I have looked at various sites and there are so many things out there it's scary. I have found 2 vets within an hour of me, so I'll be calling them after the holidays.

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk
 
binkyCodie said:
I'm sorry to hear this :(

as far as I'm aware, there are hardly any diseases for bunnies in the US. I've spoken to a few US friends and they were totally confused when I had to get mine vaccinated, its just unheard of. there are maybe one or two odd cases, but the main issues are across europe and australia. I don't think the US ever had myxi and I remember reading that most wild rabbits are immune to it.

I'd really suggest a post mortem, it would help work out what went wrong and perhaps you can prevent it spreading or happening again.

could anything have gotten him or scared him? was he outside? I recently saw a bunny who looked like he had myxi but instead had been gotten by a fox. sometimes after death the body releases fluid - and I know after my boy was PTS his eyes were wide open and looked pretty popped out of his head but I don't know if that's a normal thing!! bunnies can often die from heart attacks if scared enough so a wild animal trying to get to him might have done it.

bunnies are so fragile :( hugs to you xx
Click to expand...
The only thing that i noticed were his eyes, and he didnt want out of his cage. He was ok if i held him, and i did try to wipe of some of the gunk on his eyes with a warm wet rag and i felt him relax with that, but seriously, that was it.

I kept him away from my females and the babies. The only other animal remotely close to him was my poodle.

I'm at a loss. Y'all have been so very helpful, tho! Not many people here have bunnies as pets. It's so nice to know i can find a place to ask questions.

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk
 
shauna_hale said:
The only thing that i noticed were his eyes, and he didnt want out of his cage. He was ok if i held him, and i did try to wipe of some of the gunk on his eyes with a warm wet rag and i felt him relax with that, but seriously, that was it.

I kept him away from my females and the babies. The only other animal remotely close to him was my poodle.

I'm at a loss. Y'all have been so very helpful, tho! Not many people here have bunnies as pets. It's so nice to know i can find a place to ask questions.

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...


You're welcome any time. Can't always help but can always stand beside you :)
 
MightyMax said:
Hi shauna and welcome to the Forum :wave:

I'm so sorry to hear about your rabbit. They are so precious to us, it's awful when this happens ...

Here's some info on cleaning protocol:


Thoroughly clean the area to remove any scale or residue. Use Ark-Klens , which is a benzalkonium chloride disinfectant and as such it should be effective against EC and myxi, to routinely disinfect the housing. Periodically use Virkon (as an inorganic peroxygen compound) to kill any other viruses.

Note: Other benzalkonium chloride disinfectants and inorganic peroxygen compounds may be available, in addition to those named above.


https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/cleaning-protocol/


I would also seek advice from a vet, as it my not be Myxi, as you suspect, and you ought to be prepared for other possibilities. There are many causes of sudden death.

https://www.harcourt-brown.co.uk/articles/sudden-or-unexpected-death

https://pethelpful.com/rabbits/What-Are-The-Causes-Of-Sudden-Death-In-Rabbits

Good luck x
Click to expand...
Thank you for the links. Based on these articles, it's possible he ate something poisionous, but I can't figure out what. The only time he went outside was when I was holding him, so it wasn't there. If he got into my son's room, tho, that could be the answer.

He was the sweetest thing. Totally ok with kids holding him and he wouldn't run when you picked him up.

I just had to post a pic. His name was Turbo.
cc98a2fa90d0efcff531899fca5938aa.jpg


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