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Concerned for my rabbits (VHD Mnyxi)

CNev

Young Bun
Hi

These are my first rabbits and as yet they havent had their jabs for VHD etc, so they have been confined to hopping around my house and their hutch outside. However last nite i must have not shut their cage properly :oops: ! As this mornin i was greeted by bitey on his hind legs staring up as me as if to say "o its you wheres my food!".

Obviously they are back in their hutch now securely but what are the first signs of VHD etc (they only ran around my garden all last nite). Also it rained last nite will they get colds etc or shud they be ok??? They seemed fine this mornin hopping about looknig lively and like they enjoyed their nite of roaming (they werent too pleased about being caged again :lol: ). O they are being jabbed this monday so they can roam free in the garden!

LAst thing they always seem mega hungry when i feed them pellets literally pushing eachother outta the way to get em. Am i feeding them enuff pellets?? Its about 2/3 handfuls a day + small amounts outta my hand so they get to like me :lol: . Plus constant access to hay (P@H stuff which bitey aint too keen on)

Thanx in advance
 
Hi, and welcome to the forum. :D I'd advise you to get them booked in for
both vaccinations as soon as you can, as bythe time symptoms for both these diseases appear it's generally too late. Prevention is always better than cure!
As for the pellets, you don't say how old the rabbits are, but if they are over 5 months or so they need only a tiny amount per day..e.g an eggcupfull each. Don't worry about them tripping over each other in their rush to get at them....all rabbits do that:D
Don't forget to find out about having them spayed and /or neutered otherwise when their hormones kick in anytime after 4 months you could have fighting and aggression or, heavens forbid, if they are one of each sex you could have an unwanted litter.
 
O sorry they are 10-12weeks old.

Earliest i can do is this monday (took the day off work!!) for the jabs. It is an enclosed garden with high fences (solid wood) and the only contact they could have is with cats i suppose. Just really worried, even tho the nurse at the vets said only other rabbits can pass the infection on to my rabbits is this true?? In regards to neutering i'm told they are both males and yes they will both get the snip, as all my pets have.

Glad to know its normal bout them rushing for food, everytime i go to their cages they expect me to feed em and they look soo cute especially bitey the lop :lol:

Cheers
 
In case you are not aware you will need to leave a two week gap between getting the mixi and vhd jabs, try not to worry to much in the meantime :D
 
In case you are not aware you will need to leave a two week gap between getting the mixi and vhd jabs, try not to worry to much in the meantime :D

Really the nurse i spoke to over the fone at the vets seemed to imply they could be done together??
 
I'd say 3 handfuls pellets each (depending how big your handfuls are) a day, split in 2 or 3 meals - my adult bunnies have 2 small handfuls a day (Maa has double this as she seems to need it) and of course fresh hay twice a day - they won't eat old hay. You might find nice hay if you can get to farm shops, or stables, markets etc. It should be greenish, longish and smell sweet and fresh.

I would be more worried about a fox or cat killing them than disease - can you fit bolts on their hutch, or put a bin against the doors at night? I always put a rug over mine too, so they know it's bedtime, and it puts off predators.
 
No they can't, a good rabbit vet will know this. I don't think it harms them having it done together but can make them ineffective as it is too much for their immune system. I'm sure someone will post some more info for you.
 
Really the nurse i spoke to over the fone at the vets seemed to imply they could be done together??

Some vets don't specialise in rabbit medicine, rather cats and dogs, so it's important to find a vet that has been updated on small animal care at annual conferences, before you actually need a vet for an emergency. This is a good list of things your vet should know - and a good website for info too :)
http://www.mybunny.org/info/vet_questionnaire.htm
 
Did your vet mean that both rabbits could be done at the same time, or the vaccinations? There should be a 2 week gap between the two vaccines.
 
it is not true that vhd and myxi can only be passed by direct contact from one rabbit to another - there is an intermedite 'vector', e.g. fleas/mites (it is, as yet, unknown what the vector is)... So, your bunnies could catch either disease from something in the hay/bedding/food etc.... unfortunatley, even housebunnies are at risk.
Hope this helps :D and welcome to the forum! :wave:
 
Well i was only talkin to the nurse not the vet himself so dunno, hes been the family vet for years and his practice is small animals. Hes dealt with nething from hamsters or the dogs we had always excellent service.

As for the rabbits i try to keep them together all the time so yes they'd be going to the vets together even if one of them didnt need to go!

As for cats and foxs *normally* they are locked up the the hutch overnite with the rain cover down. I figured that would be enuff to stop predators as the cage (thistle hall 2 storey) is recommended by the RWA and says its fox/cat proof!!

I'd like to let them play in the garden but it seems like its gonna be months before i can, feelin cruel cos they did look happy this mornin!

LAters
 
it is not true that vhd and myxi can only be passed by direct contact from one rabbit to another - there is an intermedite 'vector', e.g. fleas/mites (it is, as yet, unknown what the vector is)... So, your bunnies could catch either disease from something in the hay/bedding/food etc.... unfortunatley, even housebunnies are at risk.
Hope this helps :D and welcome to the forum! :wave:

So is there nothing i can do to protect them?? From that post it seems there isnt, am i doing right by keepin em in the hutch for most of the time??
 
You aren't protecting them from either disease by keeping them locked in their hutch, and in fact the lack of exercise is not good for their digestive system or development physically, so letting them out for a run is a risk you have to take - If you are getting them vaccinated I think you are doing all you can :)
 
You aren't protecting them from either disease by keeping them locked in their hutch, and in fact the lack of exercise is not good for their digestive system or development physically, so letting them out for a run is a risk you have to take - If you are getting them vaccinated I think you are doing all you can :)

:shock: :shock: Really?? Hmm well then i'll cut the lawn tonite and let them play in their garden. I just fell in love with em since they've been ere and i dont want nething to harm them, same goes for everyon ere i imagine :D . O well guess i'll worry my **** off til their vac'ed and just ave to live with it. *EDIT* I've only just got them on tuesday so they should have been kept in the hutch this long to get used to their new surroundings yea?? *EDIT*

Whats the chances of em catching it or is that a stupid question.
 
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Oh yes - if you only got them on Tuesday they will have needed a settling in period anyway - less stress for them :)

Chances of catching disease? Who knows? When I got my bunnies 2 years ago none of the rescues I used vaccinated their rabbits, and they survived. Like I say, gut problems are more likely to kill your rabbits than anything else, so concentrate on good diet and lifestyle for them :)
 
Oh yes - if you only got them on Tuesday they will have needed a settling in period anyway - less stress for them :)

Chances of catching disease? Who knows? When I got my bunnies 2 years ago none of the rescues I used vaccinated their rabbits, and they survived. Like I say, gut problems are more likely to kill your rabbits than anything else, so concentrate on good diet and lifestyle for them :)

O well if thats the case they will still get vac'ed just let nature handle the rest then. I reckon their diet is pretty good loadsa hay etc.

Thanx all my worries ave been somewhat calmed alittle. Now i just have to work how to bath a rabbit as after they'd been on their night excursion sherbet's feet were covered in mud :lol:.

LAters
 
They'll be fine out on the grass. Confining them to the hutch won't give them extra protection from the diseases anyway as they can be airborne and/or brought in by mossies and the like. If they've not been used to having extended outings on the grass, then limit them to an hour for the first few times to let their stomachs adjust to a grass overload. They should be fine though. Damp grass will help to wash their muddy paws at the same time:)
 
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