Vet recommended no VHD jab

Skip had his myxi jab today and i discussed with him the fact that every year when he has his VHD jab he gets quite ill and each year he gets worse with it.

So the vet said i need to think carefully about weather to get it done again next year as he might end up worse or in hospital (well i think he meant the vets :lol: ) and that he doesn't see many cases of VHD in my area, unlike Myxi which he sees loads of.

So what do you guys think?? Does anyone elses rabbit have a bad reaction to the jab and did you decide not to do it anymore?

I think the problem with VHD is its hard to say how many rabbits have it/get it as most die suddenly with little or no symptoms and don’t make it to the vets.

You could use a homeopathic VHD nosode if you decide not to do the VHD injection.

http://www.naturalpetcare.co.uk/petshop/product_info.php?cPath=46_47&products_id=354

Louise

PLEASE GET YOU RABBIT VACCINATED against VHD.
Your Vet should know better than to advise you otherwise.
Vets seldom see LIVE rabbits with VHD as they often die so quickly and if no Post Mortem is done VHD will not be noticed.

I'd also seriously consider changing your Vet or at the very least provide him with the RWA Leaflet on Vaccinations.

Janex

My vet did also fill me in on all the facts and said that it was up to me and I should have a good think about it - Princess' reaction to the jab has got steadily worse and I don't want anything dreadful to happen! I'm very undecided at the mo - not much help I know!

Must say my vets are brill with my rabbits and I do trust them - they would say the same if it was a bad reaction in a cat or a dog too, I think they are just letting you know it may get worse and that in the end it is your decision.

Nicola

One of our rabbits, Dave had quite a nasty skin reaction after VHD, althought it did clear up after about 2 weeks. but I would still get him vaccinated again next year.

Tracey x

I don't have to decide until next year thank goodness but its so hard.

When he had it done 2 months ago he got a massive lump at the injection site and refused to eat or drink for 3 days!!!
I literally had to force feed him hay or treats!!

He ate some poos which was good but he just sat in a corner and didn't move i was sooooo worried.
It seems to knock him really hard and he is getting older now too so i do worry, on the other hand i worry he might get VHD too then it would be my fault too!!!

Why is life never easy!

I think it’s the owner’s decision whether they get their animals vaccinated or not.

As long as they have read all the information out there for and against vaccination and are aware of the other options available to them they can make an informed choice.

I see to many people bullied into vaccinating their animals because it’s considered the “right” thing to do without knowing the facts.

A lot of people think vaccines offer 100% protection and are not aware they can give side effects.

Louise

had just the same issue today at vets, jeff went in for his myxi, vet reccomented vhd in 3 weeks. Still undecided as I need to do more research.
What I do know is that in the dog vaccine world a lot of scare mongering and very dubious evidence is given out about the benifits of vaccines, and just how often they need to be given. We know that even in the world of human medicine and baby vaccines things are not always as they seem...

Im not saying dont trust your vet or anyone else, just do your own research and let the final decision be yours alone.

My vet also recommended that Bundle didn't need her booster any more. She had the first ones done when she was little and when I took her for the first VHD booster she suffered a bad reaction to it. For almost 2 days she could barely move, was really stiff and sore and it looked painful for her when she tried to move around. She also went off her food which is most unlike her.

When I took her for the booster the following year I told the vet how badly she had reacted to it and she said that as she was a house-rabbit and never goes outside that she didn't need the vaccination and it was better not to put her through it. She also said she didn't need any more myxi boosters either, being purely an indoor bunny.

I wasn't too sure about this, but I asked another vet at a different practice and he agreed with the first vet, saying that indoor bunnies are only at a miniscule risk and as she had had her initial jabs done (and one subsequent booster) that should be enough.

I was happier not giving her the VHD booster because she had such a bad reaction to the first one, and she is certainly healthy enough in every way so who knows? Comments anyone please?

kiri said:

What I do know is that in the dog vaccine world a lot of scare mongering and very dubious evidence is given out about the benifits of vaccines, and just how often they need to be given. We know that even in the world of human medicine and baby vaccines things are not always as they seem...

Im not saying dont trust your vet or anyone else, just do your own research and let the final decision be yours alone.

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Forgot to mention before that I used to be a vet nurse and also bred German Shepherds. There was a lot of research done in the USA into dog vaccinations and I also did alot of my own and it was found that once a pup had had it's initial vaccinations, boosters weren't really necessary until the dog became senior or infirm. After all the same dose of vaccine is given whether the dog is a Chihuahua or a Great Dane, so either one is being massively under-dosed or one is massively overdosed! As a result all mine just had their initial vaccs and I advised my puppy owners not to have boosters done. Some had to have boosters done because boarding kennels will only take dogs with up-to-date boosters so if they wanted a holiday they had to get them done! but on the whole it's not necessary.

Not sure if it applies the same to bunnies but it would make sense, especially if they are at low risk as house/indoor bunnies.

I would consider not giving the vac if my bunny had a very serious reaction, like Skip, but if the reason was purely that the bunny was indoors, I would still give the VHD vac considering the way in which VHD is spread. Evo lives indoors, and he has his VHD yearly and myxi every 6 months.

Coming back to the original point, I found that Evo has been affected less and less badly by the VHD vaccine as the years have passed. He was really bad the 1st year, but since then has reacted less and less. I'm sure I read somewhere that there's an "antidote" if your bunny reacts badly to the VHD jab. :S

even house rabbits can contract myxi and VHD I get mine done! I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will explain why as i'm a bit brain dead at the moment :shock:

Myxi is spread by biting insects so even inside, rabbits can be bitten! And VHD is carried on shoes, clothes etc so it could be carried into the house.

Thanks nicolar and touie - so would you say I'd need to get Bundle boostered then? She hasn't had one for either myxi or VHD for 2 years now so will we need to start again or will a booster be enough?

I was worried about the VHD because she reacted so badly to the first booster...

Bundle said:

Thanks nicolar and touie - so would you say I'd need to get Bundle boostered then? She hasn't had one for either myxi or VHD for 2 years now so will we need to start again or will a booster be enough?

I was worried about the VHD because she reacted so badly to the first booster...

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With all the myxi about at the moment I'd def get her vaccinated for that. My vet suggested leaving 4 weeks between that and the VHD jab to minimize side affects and she was fine.

I know it's not the same but my son had a really bad reaction with his baby vaccinations, and I delayed his preschool booster as I really didn't want him to have it. He had it in the end and there was no reaction at all, the dr said because he was older and his immune system could cope better with it.

My olds vets told me not to bother with VHD jabs as they had never seen a case of VHD and look what happen to me. Always get it done no matter the reaction XX