VHD Outbreaks - warning..graphic

Myxi continues to rear its ugly head around the UK and I doubt it will ever go away. Reports come in daily from members.



VHD is the silent killer, but as our leaflet explains it is “Deadly, But Preventable “



In the last 4 weeks a confirmed report came in of a death from VHD in Burgess Hill West Sussex and from Burton On Trent and Warwick.. There is an unconfirmed report in the Nottingham area.



The virus can survive for up to 105 days in the environment, but this is at low temperatures , with a sliding scale of downward viral survival duration at higher temperatures. So this is the best time to have an outbreak. If your rabbits are not vaccinated, and want your bunnies to live a happy and healthy life, please have them vaccinated



RWA/F member and veterinary nurse Laura Slinger who works for the practice that admitted the VHD case told us . The VHD case was a 6 year old english butterfly, never vaccinated, found her Saturday morning collapsed and twitching - rushed in, bleeding from eyes, vulva and anus, abdomen full of blood - it really has hit home how many people continue to say 'ah vaccination its not necessary anymore' - it is the first VHD and I think the 4th domestic myxi case in my 12 year career so far, just terrible, really affected me! I'm not as tough as everyone says

The only reason there tends to be fewer outbreaks is because people are vaccinating. When they say there is no point, because outbreaks are rare, that is precistly the reason it comes back.

Hugs

Jo xx

Well said, Jo. None of us can afford to be complacent. Very often there are NO visible symptoms at all and the rabbit shows only vague flu-like symptoms one day but is found dead the next. Unless there is a necropsy the cause is never found, but should it be done, it's failry easy to identify, as apparently internal organs, notably the liver, will have signs of ruptured blood vessels. This, though, and the lack of vaccination, is how it spreads. People don't know it's around and don't vaccinate...and it just multiplies with devastating results.

We all want our pets to be healthy and while there are sometimes side effects from some vaccines, they are very mild compared to the infection they are seeking to prevent. There is NO treatment for VHD. An infected rabbit will die.

This is so sad. I wish people would get the vaccination message.

Thank you dear. We always keep our vaccinations up to date and despite him being a house bunny, botty checks too.

Our Mr Snuffles is eight and a half and for his age, remarkably healthy. However, we have lost quite a few of his partners before and the vet thinks he may be an E cuniculi carrier, which is why we haven;t had any more buns. He seems much happier on his own, but I would have like to have been able to afford a PM to know exactly what we are dealing with. When the awful day comes for him to leave us (I can't bear the thought of it) we will clean everything thoroughly before we get any more bunnies.

Jo xx

Has the vet taken a blood titre to check for antibodies to EC?

This is very interesting, though I realise very sad for you to have lost so many buns. I wonder whether, if he has immunity (has he shown no symptoms? And has a blood titre shown that he has been exposed and has antibodies?) a sample of his blood may offer clues as to how to fight the illness.

No he hasn;t tested Snuffie's blood dear and I think it is a very good idea. I would have to find out how much it was because I think it is quite expensive, as are ex-rays and pms. I will find out.
Jo xx

EC itself won't show up in a sample, but antibodies would, and they would indicate whether or not he had ever been exposed. If the count is high, that would indicate he's had to fight hard against it.

Did you lose your other buns to headtilt? Do you know that inner ear infection is at least as common a cause as EC? Blood titre is the only way to be certain that EC is to blame. There are often no other visible symptoms of inner ear infection, with no discharge and the headtilt symptoms are, of course, pretty much the same, nystagmus, torticollis and spinning/rolling with loss of equilibrium.

There's a lot of help and advice available for owners of headtilt rabbits from a Yahoo group On The Wonk http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/OnTheWonk/

Thank you so much for your kind advice love and yes, they were all unable to keep their balance and died in spasms. The vet actually told us that Snuffie may be a carrier but I think it would be a good idea to have his blood tested for the antibodies you speak of.

Thank you for posting the article above; I willl print it off and read it. You can never learn too much about little ones' health issues. There is alwys something new to learn.a

Hugs

JO xx

I have a pretty comprehensive document that might help too. Do you want to PM your email address to me, so I can send it to you?

Also see the On The Wonk website http://www.onthewonk.com/