Reaction to VHD?

[Joh619]

I took Walter and Nora in for their VHD last week. They were both a bit calmer this time, although the vet couldn't look at Nora's teeth as she didn't like the idea and the vet didn't want to scare her too much. They were both very good for their injections and weighing though.

When we got home they both seemed a bit stiff, so I checked their cards and they'd both had Cylap. They both had something to eat and I left them in their hutch and they seemed fine the next day.

But Nora's been really grumpy all week. I thought she was maybe taking her time to forgive me for taking her to the vets, but today I managed to give her a little tickle (the most she normally lets me) while she was having breakfast and I noticed a little lump behind her front shoulder. Have just managed to get my BF to help pick her up (she runs away as soon as you move both hands towards her and I'm too slow to get her). We had a look at her shoulder and there's a big red sore bit there. She didn't seem to mind me touching it, but it didn't look very nice. Her fur is all tufty around it where she's been licking it, and I've noticed Walter licking it a bit too. Is this likely to be from the injection? And is there anything we can do to make her feel a bit more happy?

I took a photo as it's so difficult to pick her up normally, and especially atm, and didn't want to bother her, so i'll try and upload it

 

[Joh619]

OK, gotta love the image quality of the iPhone...

But you get the idea anyhoo...

 

[Jack's-Jane]

Poor girl, she has had a very nasty skin reaction to the vaccine.
She would benefit from an anti-inflammatory, she has probably been grumpy as she is so sore
Your Vet also needs to know that the reaction occured and next time I'd request the LAPINJECT Vaccine.

 

[Joh619]

Thanks for the reply. I've booked her into the vets tomorrow morning. Not the same surgery she got her injections at as they aren't open on a morning, but the same vet group so i'll let them know that she doesn't want Cylap next time, poor baby

Just tucked them both in for the night and she seemed a bit happier and threw her williow ball at me that I'd just filled with hay for them :lol: Maybe she's happier now that she knows that we know whats wrong with her. She's a very clever bunny.

 

[vick]

That's a nasty reaction. A vet that I saw recently claimed to have not heard or seen an adverse Cylap reaction until I reported my rabbits side-effects to him! It's interesting that you mention they were both stiff when they got home as Harvey was also very stiff and was behaving very strangely the next day after the vaccine. He was fine 24 hours later but it gave me a scare.

I love your bunnies names by the way!

 

[Joh619]

Took Nora to the vets this morning. She's had pain relief and antibiotics and we've got to take her back on wednesday to check her again. There's a lot more sore skin than I first thought. There's a bit about the size of a 2p where the injection was, and then another bit about 3 inches long down the side of her leg. The bit I got the photo of was only the top of that bit.

I took her home and put her back in her hutch and made sure she had something to eat before I left for work. Though now I'm sat at work covered in fluffy bunny fur :?

The vet said to keep an eye on it to make sure there's no maggots of flys that get into it. That'll be fun as it took us about 30mins just to get her in her carrier this morning. Would it be better to keep them inside for a couple of days? I don't really have any stuff for them inside, but I've got a spare room and plenty of carboard boxes.

 

[prettylupin]

I hope the vets didn't charge you for the treatment?! I would have expected free treatment following a reaction to a vaccine 'known' for causing side-effects requiring further treatment!
I hope your bunny feels better soon My bun was given Cylap a few years ago and was terribly stiff and sore for 24 hrs and very miserable with quite a pronounced limp. I ALWAYS make sure it is lapinject these days. Sending her lots of get well wishes

 

[Joh619]

I checked Nora out again today and managed to get a photo of the whole sore bit it looks a lot better now that it's gone scabby and she seems to have mostly stopped biting and licking it.

She's a suprisingly fluffy bunny though - it took me about 10mins of digging to find it!

Gah, it just annoys me that this is a known reaction to this drug, but they don't bother telling you that before they give it to your rabbits, you just have to find out for yourself!

 

[scatter]

I'm glad I read this, my two babies are hopefully, all being well, going for VHD vaccine on Monday.

 

[Joh619]

This being said, Walter had the same injection at the same time and didn't develop any sore bits, thankfully.

Nora's been back to the vets again today for more antibiotics just to be safe, but its looking even more scabby than it did last night which is great. Soon she'll just have a nice big bald patch to match the one on her other shoulder where she pulled the fur out to make a nest a while back :S

It does mean she's going to have to wait even longer until I can get her spayed though. I wanted to wait a few weeks after her VHD to make sure she was 100% but that's going to be a few weeks more now. Things never go the way you plan them, do they?

 

[scatter]

This being said, Walter had the same injection at the same time and didn't develop any sore bits, thankfully.

Nora's been back to the vets again today for more antibiotics just to be safe, but its looking even more scabby than it did last night which is great. Soon she'll just have a nice big bald patch to match the one on her other shoulder where she pulled the fur out to make a nest a while back :S

It does mean she's going to have to wait even longer until I can get her spayed though. I wanted to wait a few weeks after her VHD to make sure she was 100% but that's going to be a few weeks more now. Things never go the way you plan them, do they?

Never, ever Hope your bun's okay though.

 

[Doddy]

I spoke to my vet about the Cylap, and he said he has never heard of any adverse reactions, however, reading this thread, and all the others about adverse cylap injections, I will be finding another vet that does offer the lapinject.

 

[myfriendchez]

Took my buns for their myxi jabs today and was talking to vet about VHD vaccine. He had never heard of adverse reactions to CYLAP either - and he is a locum, so I pointed out the problems people had mentionned on here. I was pleased to be able to make a vet more savvy about this.

I also checked which vaccine they use and thankfully, it's LAPINJECT. Interestingly they obviously used CYLAP in the past as it was the one mentionned on their website - hence why I questionned which injection they use.

Whilst I was there I also informed two other members of staff of the potential dangers of CYLAP - pleased to have done my duty for the day!

You will also be pleased to know that my vet did say to wait two weeks before the VHD vaccine following their Myxi today - well done that vet!

 

[HCB]

I dont think my vet knows about cyclap either...as my buns have all had that injection, all with NO problem. Two were 7 years old, one was 8 weeks, then had to have it redone at 14 weeks, and one was 12 weeks. They definatley didnt seem stiff either, they were their normal selfs in all respects, and as i said, 2 were old, 2 were young...

I dont get why its still on the market if it really does have that many reactions? Surely they'de have banned it? Im not saying it doesnt causes reactions, everything causes reactions to some animal or human, but are the reactions really that common?

My vets also gave the correct advise about having the injections at least 2 weeks apart however.

 

[Lauralopps]

My rabbit had the CYLAP injection a few months back, 2 days after the injection i noticed he was limping, and thought he could have fallen in his cage and hurt himself. It wasnt until we looked up about the injection on the internet we founf out it was a reaction to it. He was off his food and not himself at all. Being on a sunday i left him alone and by monday he looked better, well i thought he looked better, but when i picked him up i notced he had a lump on his front paw. On the Tue the lump had gone but i noticed all his fur was falling out where the lump had been.

I called the vets the next day and got an appointment the same day. They said they had never heard or seen anything like it before and that it was nothing to do with the injection. We presented them with pictures and information we had found on the internet, and basically said it is the injection so you better do something about it!

They phoned their supplier and they agreed to cover all costs. He had to have some cream for it, it was very sore very flaky skin, and some medicine. They checked him out again a week later and it was much better. Although the fur has only just grown back.
I was very annoyed and will never give him that injection again, they aid the other was more expensive, but i dont really care! I'd rather him be well

 

[prettylupin]

My bunny also had a reaction to his VHD jab when he was given Cylap three years ago.....I've never let him have it again and have changed vets because of this and other reasons. Our current rabbit-savy vet does not even stock Cylap, only Lapinject.
Nino didn't exactly have the 'limp' more of an all over stiffness and lethargy, he was sore, couldn't hop properly or lie down without looking like an old arthritic man in the process. He was also off his food. 24 hours later he was much better and pretty much back to normal.
I will never let a Cylap vaccine near my rabbits ever again! :evil:
Lapinject all the way

 

[vick]

Has anyone ever noticed side-effects (e.g. stiffness) with Lapinject? My vet advised me not to have my rabbit vaccinated against VHD next time as he reacted so badly to Cylap. I don't want to risk losing him to VHD but am worried if there is a risk with Lapinject too.

 

[prettylupin]

Has anyone ever noticed side-effects (e.g. stiffness) with Lapinject? My vet advised me not to have my rabbit vaccinated against VHD next time as he reacted so badly to Cylap. I don't want to risk losing him to VHD but am worried if there is a risk with Lapinject too.

All drugs and vaccinations carry risk of side-effects. It is part of pharmacology. However, the risks of not vaccinating for VHD IMO outweigh these..... Unless your bun is in poor health or immunocompromised I would always vaccinate to protect from this deadly virus. Cylap has common side effects. Lapinject, to my knowledge does not. We had our VHD here the other day and I was discussing the two vaccines with my vet...he said that side-effects from Lapinject are much more unusual. However, there may be another underlying health condition re. your rabbit that your vet has in mind when he advises not to vaccinate for VHD?? Or is it that he doesn't carry the Lapinject vaccine in his clinic? I would suggest discussing this further with him and asking perhaps another vet for a second opinion? You are allowed to do this. I would consult another vet for advice but they would need to see your bunny's medical notes to make a qualified decision.

 

[Lauralopps]

Sorry to pull this old post back up but i havent been on here for a while.
After Austins very bad reaction to the VHD injection and me being very unhappy with the vets, i had a good outcome.
I took Austin back to the vets for his final check up after they had given him cream to help the sore heal, they told us that the local vets all got together and had quite a debate about poor Austin!
They said they hadnt come across a rabbit in about 30 years that had the disease, and that because Austin had had such a bad reaction to it - and also i had a bad reaction with the vets... that they are no longer going to be given rabbits the injection unless people ask for it.
Also if people do ask for it they are going to always be using the other kind - that most rabbits dont get a reaction too. It was horrible for Austin to get such a bad reaction, it took a few months for the fur to grow back completely - but in another way im glad that they have done something about it for future rabbits and their owners

 

[lilbun]

Sorry to pull this old post back up but i havent been on here for a while.
After Austins very bad reaction to the VHD injection and me being very unhappy with the vets, i had a good outcome.
I took Austin back to the vets for his final check up after they had given him cream to help the sore heal, they told us that the local vets all got together and had quite a debate about poor Austin!
They said they hadnt come across a rabbit in about 30 years that had the disease, and that because Austin had had such a bad reaction to it - and also i had a bad reaction with the vets... that they are no longer going to be given rabbits the injection unless people ask for it.
Also if people do ask for it they are going to always be using the other kind - that most rabbits dont get a reaction too. It was horrible for Austin to get such a bad reaction, it took a few months for the fur to grow back completely - but in another way im glad that they have done something about it for future rabbits and their owners

I would still get your bunny vaccinated (with Lapinject). Vets rarely actually get to diagnose VHD because it tends to cause sudden, symptomless death. Most owners don't even contact the vet, never mind request a postmorten, they just assume the bunny died of a heart attack. They only tend to hear about an outbreak if it affects a larger group of rabbits e.g. a 'pets corner' or a breeders colony.