BonbonandJujubee
Active Member
Thanks!
RHVD2 in the US - what you need to know (includes map, pg 3)
- Thread starter Blue eyes
- Start date
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CORRECTION: the Facebook group's name is North Americans RHDV2 Group. The American-made vaccine by Medgene Labs has had its vaccine approved in 43 states and Washington, DC! Here is a link to their website: RHDV2 | Solutions | Medgene LabsThere is a private Facebook group called North American RDHV 2 group. This group tracks the virus in North America , may be worth exploring. From what I understand veterinarians do not have access to the vaccine until the virus is actually in the state . Our state of Wisconsin has no cases yet,however,it is close in South Dakota
lynne2809
Well-Known Member
Has anybody had their rabbit(s) vaccinated with the Medgene RHDV vaccine? I am having my 2 lionheads vaccinated with their first dose of Medgene in 6 days and I am really, really worried about the possibility of severe side effects or death.
TreasuredFriend
Well-Known Member
Many of my acquaintances and friends have had their rabbits vax'd. You can check the House Rabbit, Elder Buns, DisabledBuns, and community groups on Facebook forums. No side effects to cause undue worrying or concerns. Our crew will be receiving their doses shortly.
Our DVM clinic has the Megene vax. Certain clinics in our area are unable to attain the Medgene vaccination.
I'm jumping in here late. lynne8832, How did your two lionheads do with their vaccinations?
Our DVM clinic has the Megene vax. Certain clinics in our area are unable to attain the Medgene vaccination.
I'm jumping in here late. lynne8832, How did your two lionheads do with their vaccinations?
Tam O Ham
Well-Known Member
looks like there have been some cases in Florida. I just got Fizz vaccinated today. $50 and apparently she has to be 'identified' so they took a 5$ picture of her as well. They say she took the shot well and she was pretty okay for the first few hours after, nibbled on her favorite greens and all, but now she's not interested in eating anymore, favorite treats included. I called the vet and talked to a tech who said that sometimes happens for the first day or two after and that I should give her some gut mover meds and syringe critical care feed her until she's eating on her own.
Has anyone else had this happen to their buns after being vaxxed? How long did it last for them?
Has anyone else had this happen to their buns after being vaxxed? How long did it last for them?
Tam O Ham
Well-Known Member
okay, updating in case anyone else has this happen to their bun as well. The vet said that Fizz took her shot about noon without any problem and she was fine when we got home, nibbling on greens a bit. About two or three hours in though she started to get very lethargic and she stopped eating. I gave it a few hours in case but she didn't perk back up or start eating either. When I say lethargic I mean - she's hop two steps and have to lay down. And it wasn't the determined bun hops we're used to, these were very tentative. She wouldn't even touch her favorite papaya treats. I called the vet and they said this sometimes happened and to put her on meds and syringe feed her. So I started her on .25cc of Cisapride every twelve hours and 50cc of critical care every six to eight hours. It was pretty alarming how listless she was and she didn't even fight the syringe feeding which is completely unlike her. Her stomach was pretty quiet too instead of the usual gurgles. Her ears got cool a couple of times so I was pretty intent on keeping her warm, something she wasn't down with. It was a pretty rough night for me and I didn't get a lot of sleep. The next day she was a bit better, had a little more energy, still didn't fight her feeding but did hop off several times during it. Shortly after her 3pm feeding the second day she started to nibble on food on her own and pretty soon she was going to town on her greens and demanding treats again. By last night she'd gone through two bushels of parsley and was eating hay so I gave her a last dose of the Cisapride about 6 in the evening and didn't syringe feed her. She ate and dozed all night long and today she's back to her usual self, gurgly stomach, busybody energy, demands for treats and all.
Now there was some seriously gnarly poop at the beginning. The first one looked like about five smooth cecotropes all linked together and it smelled terrible even for cecotropes. We had at least two more magnificently sized piles of something similar before things started to get back to normal. She's pooping fine now; they're small in size but a lot more than usual so I figure its just her body settling down and getting back into the routine. I gave her some bene-bac just to be on the safe side.
And that's my vax story. I'd been warned that she might get a lump in the shot area for a few days (she didn't) but no one mentioned going off her feed until after they'd given her the shot and no one mentioned the lethargy at all. Things seem pretty much back to normal but I figured I'd add this in case anyone else had it throw their bun for a loop the way it did Fizz. For us it was about a two day recovery.
the bun in question
Now there was some seriously gnarly poop at the beginning. The first one looked like about five smooth cecotropes all linked together and it smelled terrible even for cecotropes. We had at least two more magnificently sized piles of something similar before things started to get back to normal. She's pooping fine now; they're small in size but a lot more than usual so I figure its just her body settling down and getting back into the routine. I gave her some bene-bac just to be on the safe side.
And that's my vax story. I'd been warned that she might get a lump in the shot area for a few days (she didn't) but no one mentioned going off her feed until after they'd given her the shot and no one mentioned the lethargy at all. Things seem pretty much back to normal but I figured I'd add this in case anyone else had it throw their bun for a loop the way it did Fizz. For us it was about a two day recovery.
the bun in question
Attachments
TreasuredFriend
Well-Known Member
Our crew of 15 were vax'd in early February. They are all indoor house buns. No ill effects.
TreasuredFriend
Well-Known Member
Our DVM set a timer and waited for 20 minutes to check their temps and gums for any signs of Medgene reaction. House call done for our crew with Vet and Vet Assist and wellness exams done at the same time for anyone who hadn't been seen in the previous 4 months.
Medgene vax given to all, and amount not dependent on their weight.
Tam O Ham, I can understand your concern about Fizz having side effects. Certainly concerning to us bun parents.
Medgene vax given to all, and amount not dependent on their weight.
Tam O Ham, I can understand your concern about Fizz having side effects. Certainly concerning to us bun parents.
SableSteel
Well-Known Member
I recently gave the Medgene vaccine to 11 of my rabbits. There were no side effects except for some minor injection site swelling on a few of them, though I also gave the BunnyVac vaccine at the same time so that might have been the one to cause it.
Updated link with updated maps of RHD in the US:
https://rhdv2.org/maps/
If you go to the link and watch the video that shows the disease progression month by month, you'll see how quickly it is spreading. Anyone who lives in a currently unaffected state should be prepared for it coming soon.
Note that the map below is by state. If you go to the link, there is also a county by county map that more accurately shows where in each state that cases have been found.
https://rhdv2.org/maps/
If you go to the link and watch the video that shows the disease progression month by month, you'll see how quickly it is spreading. Anyone who lives in a currently unaffected state should be prepared for it coming soon.
Note that the map below is by state. If you go to the link, there is also a county by county map that more accurately shows where in each state that cases have been found.
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NorthernNevadaHollandLops
Well-Known Member
Were you able to administer the vaccine yourself? If so, would you be able to share where you got it? The local vet here who will administer it also requires microchipping and I don't know how I feel about having to microchip them.
TreasuredFriend
Well-Known Member
Our crew of 15 received their 2nd dose of Medgene on March 2nd. No ill effects.
On a different medical forum the age concern came up.
Thank you for this map @Blue eyes .
On a different medical forum the age concern came up.
Thank you for this map @Blue eyes .
MooseMouse
Active Member
Hey all,
I was wondering a little bit about your experiences with the vaccine. I live in Canada and we have had a handful of cases of pet bunnies getting the virus. Most of the time the connection is that the owners purchased bales of hay from unknown sources. Other cases they have not been able to connect.
My bunnies are currently strictly indoor rabbits but I would like to let them play in my fenced yard. I do have a dog that goes on strolls and shares a space with the rabbits. I am worried if I dont get the vaccine I would basically have to put the buns in lockdown mode because there would be so many risks of catching it but if i have to vaccine all of them every year wooo its expensive.
I would love to get them vaccinated but I have 4 of them and the quotes I got from the vets range from $260-$320 per bunny.
Can this vaccine be a once in a lifetime shot? or does it have to be annual? Different vets seem to have different answers.
I guess I am trying to look for some general advise on the importance of the vaccine while I figure out the budget
I was wondering a little bit about your experiences with the vaccine. I live in Canada and we have had a handful of cases of pet bunnies getting the virus. Most of the time the connection is that the owners purchased bales of hay from unknown sources. Other cases they have not been able to connect.
My bunnies are currently strictly indoor rabbits but I would like to let them play in my fenced yard. I do have a dog that goes on strolls and shares a space with the rabbits. I am worried if I dont get the vaccine I would basically have to put the buns in lockdown mode because there would be so many risks of catching it but if i have to vaccine all of them every year wooo its expensive.
I would love to get them vaccinated but I have 4 of them and the quotes I got from the vets range from $260-$320 per bunny.
Can this vaccine be a once in a lifetime shot? or does it have to be annual? Different vets seem to have different answers.
I guess I am trying to look for some general advise on the importance of the vaccine while I figure out the budget
I'm not sure about regulations in Canada, but in the states, each state veterinarian decides the rules about by whom and how it is to be given. So, for instance, in Georgia 30 minutes from me, microchipping and an exam is required, but in TN where I am it is not. Some states allow owners to give it themselves, others require a licensed vet to give it. So check with your state veterinarian's office. My 3 got their shots for $50 per bunny. No unusual side effects — vet didn't even ask us to wait around to make sure they were ok.
The vet (not our usual vet) said they would have to get boosters, but no one is sure yet whether that will be annually or once every 3-5 years or longer, since the vaccine is so new and longer-term studies won't be complete for a while.
By the way, my bunnies' ages were 6 months, 8 years and 10 years.
The vet (not our usual vet) said they would have to get boosters, but no one is sure yet whether that will be annually or once every 3-5 years or longer, since the vaccine is so new and longer-term studies won't be complete for a while.
By the way, my bunnies' ages were 6 months, 8 years and 10 years.
The Medgene vaccine was awarded Emergency Use Authorization based on 2 shots given 21 days apart; one shot annually. Jane, North Americans RHDV2 Group
I don't think we have to do all those rules, not saying you are wrong @Blue eyes, but we still should follow some of those ways to be safe to our rabbits.
My vet didn’t recommend the vaccine. I took my bunnies (both 6 months old) to the vet last week for their first checkup. I told the vet that I’d like to have them vaccinated. My bunnies are indoor bunnies, but we have a beautiful grassy area that I’d love to take them out to play in. I haven’t brought them outside yet as they’re unvaccinated and we have a large wild bunny population (that grassy area is covered in wild bunny poop). We live in Southern California (so the virus is here). The vet said she would vaccinate them if I really wanted her to, but that her recommendation would be not to vaccinate them and not to take them outside. She said she has had some cases of vaccinated outdoor pet bunnies dying from the virus, but that she hasn’t had any cases yet of any indoor bunnies dying from the virus (that technically there is some risk that we could track the virus in to them from outside, but that risk was minimal). She said even if I have them vaccinated that I shouldn’t bring them outside to play in my grassy area since we have so many wild rabbits on our property and the vaccine isn’t 100% protective. She said if I had them vaccinated that they might have side effects and that they’d also have to come back in 3 weeks for a booster and that the vaccine is only protective for a year. All of that said, she leaned against it and so my bunnies didn’t get vaccinated….
Has anyone else’s vet leaned against the vaccine for indoor bunnies?
Has anyone else’s vet leaned against the vaccine for indoor bunnies?
What are you talking about?-- Is it the very first post on this thread that lists recommendations from the House Rabbit Society on how to mitigate risks of spreading RHVD2? These are not "rules" but bio-safety measures suggested for those who would like to minimize the risk of their rabbit contracting this virus. Whether anyone decides to do all of them, some of them, or none of them is totally their choice.
Yeah, I did not really mean to say rules, I am pretty sure I was in a rush to do something. Agreed...
