Please Note - Medical Advice
Please keep in mind that posts on this forum are from members of the public sharing personal opinions. It is not a replacement for qualified medical advice from a veterinarian. Many illnesses share similar symptoms but require different treatments. A medical exam is necessary for an accurate diagnosis, without which appropriate treatment cannot be given.
You should always consult your vet before following any suggestions for medication or treatment you have read about. The wrong treatment could make your rabbit worse or mean your vet is unable to give the correct treatment because of drug interactions. Even non prescription drugs can do harm if given inappropriately.
We are very grateful to members who take time to answer other members questions, but please do be clear in your replies that you are sharing personal experience and not giving instructions on what must be done.
Urgent Medical Advice: If you need, or think you might need, urgent medical advice you should contact a vet. If it is out of working hours phone your vet's normal number and there should be an answer phone message with instructions on what to do.
Oh no, I'm so very sorry to hear this I really hope it isn't RHD but it definitely sounds like a possibility doesn't it
It's virtually impossible to get rid of the virus if it's already been trodden and touched around, but there are plenty of things you can do to try and minimise the risk to the others. If you can, I'd suggest burning the bedding and anything from within their enclosures so any virus in it gets destroyed by the heat. While you're waiting for the virkon to arrive, I would try and handle your remaining bunnies as little as possible, change your clothes and shoes between them and don't move anything between enclosures. Basically, treat everyone as potentially at risk and everything you hold, carry and touch as potentially being covered in virus. It's really, really hard, but I think anything you can do to reduce the risk will help - so I wore paper suits and gloves, and moved all the bowls and litter trays to the entrance of each enclosure so I only had to lean in and not actually step into enclosures or handle the rabbits.
Boiling water denatures viruses so if there is a way to safely do so, you could use that in the interim to try and reduce any loading on bowls, litter trays, carriers, concrete of enclosures etc. I'd certainly give the carriers a good going over before you put the bunnies in them for their vet visit tomorrow - the last thing you want is them potentially picking the virus up from a pet carrier on their way to get their vaccine.
If you do get any more fall ill, there are various tests that can be done - there is now a blood test for the virus, and there are also labs who will do it from a faecal sample, but this is less likely to be reliable than a direct tissue sample so I would suggest blood if possible. Hopefully you won't need it though. Everything crossed for everybun xx
Thinking of you and your rabbits, sending lots more vibes and hugs xx
Oh no, I'm so very sorry to hear this I really hope it isn't RHD but it definitely sounds like a possibility doesn't it
It's virtually impossible to get rid of the virus if it's already been trodden and touched around, but there are plenty of things you can do to try and minimise the risk to the others. If you can, I'd suggest burning the bedding and anything from within their enclosures so any virus in it gets destroyed by the heat. While you're waiting for the virkon to arrive, I would try and handle your remaining bunnies as little as possible, change your clothes and shoes between them and don't move anything between enclosures. Basically, treat everyone as potentially at risk and everything you hold, carry and touch as potentially being covered in virus. It's really, really hard, but I think anything you can do to reduce the risk will help - so I wore paper suits and gloves, and moved all the bowls and litter trays to the entrance of each enclosure so I only had to lean in and not actually step into enclosures or handle the rabbits.
Boiling water denatures viruses so if there is a way to safely do so, you could use that in the interim to try and reduce any loading on bowls, litter trays, carriers, concrete of enclosures etc. I'd certainly give the carriers a good going over before you put the bunnies in them for their vet visit tomorrow - the last thing you want is them potentially picking the virus up from a pet carrier on their way to get their vaccine.
If you do get any more fall ill, there are various tests that can be done - there is now a blood test for the virus, and there are also labs who will do it from a faecal sample, but this is less likely to be reliable than a direct tissue sample so I would suggest blood if possible. Hopefully you won't need it though. Everything crossed for everybun xx
i have been using your blog posts like a bible. Ive not wanted to update about all the other seem fine so far in case i jinxed myself. I ended up takeing them half an hours journey away instead of my own vet because i rang yesterday to warn that i was setting off with all 14 buns and she said i couldnt bring them because they only had 1 vet in. So i was ringing round EVERYWHERE like mad trying to find someone with 14 doses and the vet in warrington said they had a 50 dose vial and she was putting my name on it. They all were at the vet at 8am this morning and he was amazing with them and me. he checked membranes, eyes, ears, bum, heart, lungs, temp and checked to feel if he could tell if there was organ enlargement. Pleased to say he thinks they all seem in perfect condition, even darcy who was with cosmo and tiggi. Its not to say they wont be ill tomorrow but im taking each day at a time. ive got 5 dust pans and brushes, 5 pairs of crocks, nursing gloves that my daughter got from work and my virkon coming tomorrow. They are all on lock down to there own spaces now. Im very unpopular at the minute but i dont mind.
i have been using your blog posts like a bible. Ive not wanted to update about all the other seem fine so far in case i jinxed myself. I ended up takeing them half an hours journey away instead of my own vet because i rang yesterday to warn that i was setting off with all 14 buns and she said i couldnt bring them because they only had 1 vet in. So i was ringing round EVERYWHERE like mad trying to find someone with 14 doses and the vet in warrington said they had a 50 dose vial and she was putting my name on it. They all were at the vet at 8am this morning and he was amazing with them and me. he checked membranes, eyes, ears, bum, heart, lungs, temp and checked to feel if he could tell if there was organ enlargement. Pleased to say he thinks they all seem in perfect condition, even darcy who was with cosmo and tiggi. Its not to say they wont be ill tomorrow but im taking each day at a time. ive got 5 dust pans and brushes, 5 pairs of crocks, nursing gloves that my daughter got from work and my virkon coming tomorrow. They are all on lock down to there own spaces now. Im very unpopular at the minute but i dont mind.