myxamotosis

[Bunny Mum]

Hi all we live in victoria Australia where there is no vaccine for myxamotosis.

Has any one gone through the painful process of loosing a family of rabbits like us or even one to this horrible disease.

 

[Marietta]

Oh, my God, this is horrible! Why isn't there a vaccine for myxo? I'm sure I've read in the past that Australia is one of the countries with high rates of myxomatosis, therefore, you should have access to the vaccine. If not, can't you import it? In the past, Ihad Bicillin imported in my country (Greece) from New York, because in Europe Bicillin is not produced any more and I had no problem whatsoever. The drug was in my hands in 3 days from the time of order.

Marietta

 

[Hazel-Mom]

Marietta, the vaccine is illegal in Australia. Myxomatosis was introduced there on purpose, to control their rabbit population. Rabbits are not native to Australia you see, they were introduced by European settlers, and soon overran the continent.
So the government released Myxomatosis on purpose, and when rabbits started to become immune, or at least resistant to that, they also introduced the rabbit calicivirus.
It's still illegal to keep pet rabbits in parts of Australia, and people can get fined up to A$ 30,000 in Queensland! Though from what I understand other parts of Australia are not so strict.
Either way, there's not much chance anyone could import the vaccine into Australia.

 

[cheryl]

Yep,Queensland is the only state where you are not allowed pet rabbits,the $30.000 is a bit strict though.

It sucks that we are not allowed the vaccine,many people here have tried writing to the government and other important peopleand signing petitions but still no go.

I do worry about myxi,i just don't know what i would do if my bunnies ever contracted it...we are allowed the calici vaccine though.

Bunny mum,i'm so sorry to hear about your bunnies,i have always dreaded that awful disease,and it's just so unfair how we are not allowed the vaccine for myxi

Cheryl

 

[Marietta]

Couldn't people owning pet rabbits in Australia but also internationally sign an on-line petition as a means of pressure to the government? It's unbelievable that people are in risk of paying such a fine for keeping a bun as a pet, let alone not having access to a vaccine that would save the rabbits from an uneccessary and ugly death. I can't believe that owning a bunny would be still considered as a crime!!!


Marietta

 

[cheryl]

There is actually an online petition here...

http://members.iinet.net.au/~rabbit/pam.htm

You know it costs me just $25 to have my bunnies vaccinated against Calici,i'm sure getting our bunnies vaccinated against myxi would be around the same price,i know that even though getting the myxi vaccine does not protect the bunny 100% but at least it's something..you know ...it's sad....just very sad for the bunny and very sad for the owner to have to lose a bunny through this awful disease

I find the pictures on that web site very disturbing

Cheryl

 

[Marietta]

cheryl wrote:

There is actually an online petition here...

http://members.iinet.net.au/~rabbit/pam.htm

Cheryl, thank you very much for the information. I just signed the online petition myself. I don't know if it counts, since I don't live in Australia, but I did it anyway. I could barely take a brief look at the photos. How dreadful!

Marietta

 

[polly]

I am so sorry Bunny mum. it is not plesent to see a bun go through myxi and my heart goes out to you :hug:

I have signed the petition too despite being in the UK. that just makesme heart sore for all the bunny owners over there.

 

[Ivory]

If there's a vaccine introduced, there becomes the potential problem of spreading the virus or the virus mutating or something along those lines. I realize it's different than in the US- that in Aus. the virus is common and introduced on purpose.

Before we get up-in-arms about not having the vaccine, let's find out why it isn't allowed in the first place, work with their logic, and see if we can do something about it.

 

[polly]

Can you maybe wipe them over with Listerine (mouth wash) as flys and fleas and stuff don't like it. maybe an idea

 

[Marietta]

Ivory wrote:


Before we get up-in-arms about not having the vaccine, let's find out why it isn't allowed in the first place, work with their logic, and see if we can do something about it.
[/quote]



Ivory, your knowledge would be valuable, since this is your field of study. Please let us know if you find out something on the myxo vaccine ban.

Marietta

 

[Ivory]

I will ask around and/or dig around for information. I personally can't think of a great reason as to why, but there are a few to consider that may be worth it. (I can understand not allowing the vaccine in the US.)

 

[cheryl]

One of the reasons why we are not allowed the vaccine is because of this..

The Australian authorities have not allowed the Myxomatosis Vaccine to be made available to Australian pet owners because they fear that immunity from the live Myxoma vaccine (made from Shopes Fibroma Virus which cross protects against Myxomatosis) could somehow transfer from pet rabbits to the wild rabbits (which the authorities want to kill). Apparently the Australian authorities often release new Myxomatosis strains into the wild. Mosquitoes and rabbit fleas then carry the deadly Myxomatosis from wild rabbits to other wild rabbits as well as pet rabbits and other animals.



I can also send emails around to the important people to see if i can get a bit more info as well...but what is stated above is the main reason why we are not allowed the vaccine.

Cheryl

 

[slavetoabunny]

That really stinks! I don't see how the immunity could transfer from a domestic rabbit to a wild rabbit when they don't interact.

 

[gentle giants]

I think what they are afraid of is pet rabbits getting loose and breeding with wild ones. I remember reading that somewhere. I have made up an email I am going to forward to some friends asking them to sign this petition, which I have done also. Feel free to use itto send to your friends if you want to. ( If I got any facts mixed up in it, I apologise. I tried to stay true to what the website said abotu it.)



Myxamotosis is a horrible disease introduced intentionally in Australia to kill off the wild rabbit population. Rabbits die a slow and painful death, starting with blindness and ending with the lungs filling with fluid. Here is more informormation on the disease: http://members.iinet.net.au/~rabbit/intervet.htm

It is illegal to vaccinate domestic pet rabbits in Australia, so rabbit owners there have to keep their rabbits indoors at all times and pray they never get bitten by a flea or mosquito carrying myxamotosis. Once contracted, it is incurable, and the survival rate is usually 40% or less for a domestic rabbit getting good vet care.

Please sign and forward this petition to the Australian government demanding the vaccine for myxamotosis be legalised and made available in Australia. Pet rabbits in Australia will thank you for it. Thank you.



Sincerly,

Myra Kubicek

Hope For Hares Rabbit Rescue

 

[NZminilops]

Oh gosh, it's a horrible thing to wish on any animal, I don't think we have it in New Zealand thank goodness. But pet rabbits in any country should be able to be vaccinated, especially indoor de-sexed bunnies who wouldn't be likely to have any contact with wild rabbits to pass on immunity.

 

[Bunny Mum]

Thanks to everyone who replied to my post. I tried to reply sooner but my laptop was playing up.

Yes your reasons for not supplying a vaccination in Aust are correct. But is it because they are scared of vaccinated rabbits mating with wild or is it because of the transfer of antibodies by fleas and mosquito between the vaccinated and unvaccinated, this bit im unsure of.

My vet did explain it to me and reiterated that the risk was minute and a vaccine should be available for pet rabbits but unfortunately that was at the same time he was euthanising my other 3 sick bunnies so i wasnt really concentrating.

We have one remaining bunny Dory, we have lost the mum Flo Dad Thunder and brothers Mia (yeah i no a girls name??) and Bruce, all dwarf lops. My husband who adores our rabbits is beside himself. He has been obsessed over many months with making them this wizz bang cage with a pipe running from one cage to the next, ramps, levels, you name it.They are mainly indoor rabbits but go out frequently to their outdoor enclosure , the outdoor enclosure is covered with mosquito netting so we have been extremely unlucky. All rabbits hadbeen lovingly cared for and desexed all lived together in harmony.

I wonder how Dory feels the only remaining bunny do you think she misses her family? We will getmore rabbits in the future but our vet has indicated to us that this has been a very bad year for myxo in our area. He has put down many pet rabbits recently. So i think we will wait. Dory now lives only inside.:bigtears:

 

[Bunny Mum]

P.S I forgot to mention we have signed the petition and my husband has also emailed a letter to the powers to be giving our heartfelt thoughts on being able to immunise out pet family members.

:angelandbunny:

 

[cheryl]

Bunny Mum wrote:

I wonder how Dory feels the only remaining bunny do you think she misses her family?

Hey Bunny Mum,

Dory has just lost all her bunny family,i'm sure she's probably wondering where her family has gone to..just give her lots of extra comfort and attention which i'm sure you are already doing that anyway....poor little girl,my heart is breaking for her

Your family are in my thoughts,and again i'm so very sorry

Cheryl

 

[Bunny Mum]

Thanks Cheryl

This has truly been devastating for us as these rabbits interacted within our family and weren't actually "pets" but family members.

The pictures on the web dont depict half as bad as what the disease ends up blowing out to they looked like very early stage.

Our first rabbit to go "Flo" couldn't be convincingly diagnosedwith myxo so was sent home with liquid food and antibiotics but died 1 hour after vets visit.

The next 3 rabbits to become unwell had varying degrees of the illness a couple of them looked like they would pull through. Our vet told us that we would loose all of our rabbits as soon as i phoned him and told him another 3 were displaying the same symptoms, even now although Dory seems well and is getting very spoilt and not displaying any symptoms he doesnt hold much hope for her.

(NB our Vet is rabbit savvy and has his own family of rabbits)

I believehis reasoning for this is because the diseaseis so highly contagious and all our bunnies have always been enclosed together. We held hope for 10 days that our bunnies would show immunity to it just because they were well loved, but our Vet tells us he has never heard of a rabbit ever surviving myxo. Some websites do tell you differently so we held onto some hope until I could not bear to look at them anymore and convinced my husband to euthanise them.

Im going to finish up on this post as i am finding myself getting more and more depressing but if anyone has any queries on the signs and symptoms we noticed etc with this disease and advice we have been given for future rabbits, iam more than happy to discuss things.:bunny19