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bunny deaths

pappilon

New Kit
please help......I have a fantastic set up of mixed bunnies. which is a large part of our life Huge runs insulated and top class care....in the last three days we have lost 6 bunnies....we are beside ourselves....i have been to the vets and the news is bad he says the other 10 will most likely die too.....'

unless i have a postmortem done the vet is guessing at about three/four possible killer viruses

Please please if any one can advise as i am beside myself....

i am new to this forum today, and very desperate for help

pappilons and rex
 
each bunny has died the same way.....they are running around healthy and eating....within minutes they go to a corner of the plot and lie still ...... thats is the first sign....


then within 12 hours they are gone

One which died yesterday has a miscarriage and we had 2 tiny newborns too......Its absolutely horrendous

the babies were formed but died....the mum died with them
 
please help......I have a fantastic set up of mixed bunnies. which is a large part of our life Huge runs insulated and top class care....in the last three days we have lost 6 bunnies....we are beside ourselves....i have been to the vets and the news is bad he says the other 10 will most likely die too.....'

unless i have a postmortem done the vet is guessing at about three/four possible killer viruses

Please please if any one can advise as i am beside myself....

i am new to this forum today, and very desperate for help

pappilons and rex

How awful, I am so sorry. It sounds very much like RHD/ RHD2 :cry: I assume none of your Rabbits are vaccinated ?

Some information about RHD/RHD2 here :

https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-health/disease/rabbit-vhd/
 
Sorry for your losses.

If you are in the UK, rabbits need vaccinating annually for myxomatosis, RHD1 and RHD2. There is a new vaccine which covers all 3 in one jab, otherwise it is 2 vaccinations with a couple of weeks between, in which case I would opt for RHD1&2 first, then myxo & RHD1. Has your vet mentioned getting the remaining rabbits vaccinated as a matter of urgency? It may not help if they are already incubating these horrible viruses, but it may be the only option.
 
hello.....i have lost another 12 week old just now.....i have bought all my bunnies from the same breeder and was advised they were all vaccinated,

they are all under 6 months old



my first 2 rabbits 9 12 month olds) were vaccinated, but one of those has died overnight.....so a vaccinated bunny has died too

i asked for a Vet cal, out but they would not come out to us....i would have paid the earth for them to come out

the vet has prescribed antibiotics to all remaining.....does any one have any idea if i had them all vaccinated now it would help them? or overload their little bodies

please help me
 
Hello Shimmer.....do you know much about this virus? its all so new to me.... i am open to any advice or help you can throw my way suzie xxxx
 
hi...i have sent another thread......2 definately vaccinated, but one died today....the new ones are from a Breeder, and was told they were vaccinated, and boosters required in 12 months....please send me any info you can as its mayhem in the house....xxxxx
 
What were they vaccinated for? Until very recently, they needed 2 separate vaccinations - one covering myxo and RHD1 and the other for RHD1 & RHD2. Did they get both vaccinations? RHD2 is a newer strain of RHD. Do you have the vaccination certificates?
 
I am very sorry you have lost your rabbits :(

what you are describing sounds like RHD - an airborne disease and a very fatal one.
https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-health/disease/rabbit-vhd/
https://www.crownvets.co.uk/blog/may-2019/rhd2-virus-in-rabbits
https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rvhd2-update-november-2017/

just like any vaccine, it is not 100% fool proof and some rabbits do still catch RHD. the vaccine gives them a better chance of survival. however I would say that having non vaccinated rabbits around vaccinated ones would put the vaccinated ones at risk, herd immunity and all that. I can't advise whether vaccination now would help, since iirc it takes 1-2 weeks for the antibodies to take effect. if you did, you would need to inform the vets you've had an outbreak for them to take proper procautionary measures, as otherwise your rabbits could infect any others that come through the practice.

since I imagine its RHD, you are going to need to disinfect everything with a vet grade disinfectant and throw out anything you can't disinfect. vet grade disinfectants for RHD are angiene and virkon. following that, its suggested to have a 4 month period where you do not bring any new rabbits into the home. the virus can live on surfaces for up to that time (on the ground etc), so it allows the virus to pass over.

I would wonder if the rabbits were vaccinated as you were told :( you should have been given vaccine cards as proof as that..if you were not, I would be inclined to say it was a lie, OR your rabbits were not given both vaccines required.

maybe somebody can advise more but I do not think its advisable to bury the rabbits who have died of RHD either, as the virus can still be spread from their death iirc. I am not 100% sure tho
 
I'm so sorry that you have lost so many of your rabbits, what an awful predicament for you. I can't add to the advice already given, but just wanted to offer my condolences x
 
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