Has anyone had their rabbit vaccinated for Myxomatosis?

[PixieStixxxx]

I've recently been thinking of having my guys vaccinated.

No, they're not outdoor rabbits, and cannot go outside due to quite a few circumstances (No fence, the number of raccoons and coyotoes, and my backyard is a popular place for about 20 crows).

No other rabbit goes in or out, so fleas are not a threat. Because I live in a colder part east of Vancouver, Mosquitoes are not very popular where I live.

And I search through my hay for even a single piece of mold. I get my hay from a local shelter, but whatever farm that shelter gets the hay from is a mystery for me. And I would really like to find out!

What I would like to know is.. should I have my guys vaccinated? Are there any risks involved with the vaccination?

-Paranoid bunny slave.

 

[MyBabyBunnies]

Vaccinations are not available in Canada and the US. At least, that is what I thought!

 

[mouse_chalk]

I don't know how vaccinations work over there (or if you can even get them!) but I think it's quite common to vaccinate them over here.

Mouse and Chalk have been vaccinated against VHD and Myxomatosis (Snowy and Barney haven't yet but will be), and they had no problems whatsoever. They don't live outside, but the cost was so small (£15 per vaccination per bun, so £60 altogether) that it seemed worth it for the protection, than to risk them catching the diseases, since they are normally fatal, from what I understand.Also, our buns are insured, anda condition of the insurance is that their vaccinations are kept up to date.

I'm not 100% sure, but as far as I'm aware there aren't any real risks, so long as it's administered correctly, although they can be a bit quiet for a day or so, and the VJD can cause a bit of a sore paw for a day or 2, but it's nothing to really worry about. Both Mouse and Chalk were fine after a day!

But if MyBabyBunnies is right that they aren't available over there, this advice is pointless lol!

 

[gentle giants]

I don't know anything about the vaccine, but I did want to point out one thing. Fleas are always a danger. Most people don't realize that fleas travel on people as well as on animals. So if you have a friend that has even a few fleas, and you visit them, then you have fleas too!

 

[Ivory]

The best thing to do to protect your bunnies in Canada/US areas right now is use a rabbit-safe flea medicine. If I remember correctly the ones containing fipronil can cause some problems with bunnies (Frontline Plus, I do believe regular Frontline as well). Imidacloprid (Advantage) is safe. Selemectin (Revolution) is also safe and probaly one of the preferred treatments for bunnies as it tends to cause less problems with the skin.

Application every month or six weeks should be fine.

Vaccinations, I do believe, are not approved by the FDA, and hence aren't available. The FDA is picky (rather rightly so) over new vaccines and that sort of thing. So this is the best we've got right now. It's generally effective.

I also don't know how bad the myxi problem is in the US right now- it seems that I can't really find a good source on it.