Myxi vaccs/warning - please read

Guys, there's Myxi rampaging through the country, affecting not just unvaccinated buns, but some vaccinated buns - I know of 4 that have had to be PTS in the last week, and others that have been over the last few weeks, including Dixie

Please make sure your buns myxi vaccs are up to date. If your vet hasn't got the message yet, these must be every 6 months.

If your bun is in less than good health, generally or sporadically, talk to your vet about it, because compromised immune may reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine.

The vaccine is not a guarantee that your bun won't get Myxi. It may, however, prevent full blown Myxi, and your bun may contract the 'Nodular type' which is sometimes recovarable.

Ensure that your vet gives 10% of the vaccination intradermally (between two layers of skin) , this is usually around the base of the neck or ears. If you aren't confident questioning your vet, you could ask something like... "can you explain why some of it has to go in between the skin?
Sometimes vets will give 90% in one place, then fully remove the needle and give the remainider in a different place. Sometimes they will give 90%, then partially retract the needle and give the rest in the same insertion, but a different place. If you are at all unsure that this has happened, don't be afraid to ask for conformation.

House buns are not immune from Myxi

Take time each day to inspect your buns at the mo. Looking for any gunkiness, crustations or raised bumps (nodules) around the eyes, genitals, face and ears.

If your rabbit seems off colour, thoroughly inspect.

If you see something and you are at all unsure, contact your vet and quarantine your rabbit from others.

Please read our health guide on Myxi, https://happyhoppers.forumotion.co.uk/t33-myxomatosis-the-importance-of-vaccination and make sure you're prepared and on alert. This is always a bad time of year for this.

Be vigilant, your buns life may depend on it.

Thanks Jay.

This is so scary. Have you been given any indication why the vaccine is failing in some buns?

Thumper2001 wrote:Thanks Jay.

This is so scary. Have you been given any indication why the vaccine is failing in some buns?

No, not yet, but the vaccine is not derived (like the VHD vacc is) from live virus. AFAK, the vaccine is not always as effective against new strains of the virus, and has never been 100% guaranteed. There have been more vaccinated buns die this year than I've ever known. I'm sure there will be answers at some point, and will keep you updated.

I'd never heard of a vaccinated bun dying of myxomatosis until Charlotte spoke about Dixie.

It makes me so mad that this is a man made disease

Unlike many vaccinations the Myxomatosis one is not made from the myxomatosis virus, instead it is derived from the shope fibroma virus which produces a cross-immunisation. It's effectiveness has always been subject to questioning due to this, one of the reasons it needs repeating so regularly.

Unfortunately it is all we've got, and far better than nothing.

Completely agree Sooz it is definitely far better than nothing.

It's all very scary, I will probably be on paranoia watch. Thanks for this post Jay!

Thank you for the warning Jay love, it just so happens that Snuffie is going to the vet for his jab this Wednesday.

Hugs

Jo xx

It's certainly a big worry we live with fields at the back and in front of us and we saw wildies last year with Myxomatosis it was heartbreaking and also very worrying

Flora has just been and had hers done cant believe weve had her so long as when we first got her 6 months ago it was first thing i done

She had a full health check and was as good as gold

Hope everyone's buns are safe. xx

Hoping that all of your buns are safe. It is really scary to have a myxi outbreak - we had one last summer. I think my buns suffered - my paranoia meant they were very rarely allowed outside - but they survived.

Sending vibes to all of you and yours

I have never ever known so many bunnies with Myxi as there is at the moment it's very very worrying indeed

My gosh, they are dropping like flies, every day I keep reading about more vacc'd buns getting it, horrible

Paul said last night that we should keep the bear indoors for the next 3 weeks, I know housebuns are not immune, but I'm guessing that there's less chance of him getting it in here, but I don't know - anyone any ideas?

Jay wrote:My gosh, they are dropping like flies, every day I keep reading about more vacc'd buns getting it, horrible

Paul said last night that we should keep the bear indoors for the next 3 weeks, I know housebuns are not immune, but I'm guessing that there's less chance of him getting it in here, but I don't know - anyone any ideas?

I'm working on that theory too Jay, but don't know for sure. I have mesh over all open windows in summer to keep flies out but my vigilance has always been about flystrike - until this last couple of weeks I've never really worried greatly about myxi.... I am very worried now. I didn't even know what mosquitos looked like until I googled last week and now I'm really paranoid because I have a huge pond in the back garden. It's very scary so many vaccinated bunnies being affected. Artie was deemed well enough to be vaccinated thank goodness, I would have been even more worried if I had any unvaccinated bunnies to care for.

It's flies & fleas you need to worry about so indoors is going to be safer than out, but of course it can never be 100% because such small insects can easily sneak in without you noticing.

Does anyone know if there have been reports of vaccinated buns dying in Scotland?

Thumper2001 wrote:Does anyone know if there have been reports of vaccinated buns dying in Scotland?

I've read of one case in Galshiels

Big Ears wrote: I didn't even know what mosquitos looked like until I googled last week and now I'm really paranoid because I have a huge pond in the back garden. It's very scary so many vaccinated bunnies being affected. Artie was deemed well enough to be vaccinated thank goodness, I would have been even more worried if I had any unvaccinated bunnies to care for.

Yeah I can see why, but what can you do? We have a stream at the back of the flats that brimming with life at the mo, it is a worry.

I was speaking to Anne last night about it, and she said that there has been a huge influx of insects comeing up from the continent with the hot weather a couple of weeks ago. She thinks it possible that some of them have brought a new variant strain with them, just a theory, but one that makes sense.

It is terifying and so scary that vaccinated buns are atill contracting the full blown disease. And to think it is man made.

God this is terrifying. I will be keeping the little guy inside and checking for lumps and bumps. So awful.

Jay wrote:

Thumper2001 wrote:Does anyone know if there have been reports of vaccinated buns dying in Scotland?

I've read of one case in Galshiels

Thanks for info Jay.

This is really scary.

Re: indoor buns being safer, we are told that having indoor buns and keeping the doors closed / not letting them outside is one of the best ways to avoid it.

Sometimes they can sneak through fly wire. Normal fly wire in Australia keeps out mozzies as well as flies, not sure if that is the case in the UK, but sometimes they can still get through if you're constantly opening and closing the fly wire, or if it has gaps.

I sometimes use indoor fly and mozzie zappers, they are things you can plug into the wall that send electric zaps to kill the insects. I occasionally place then well out of the bunnies' reach which I think may help kill any that get inside

When I was at the vet yesterday, there was a big sign up for bunny owners saying that they had seen "a number" of myxomatosis cases at their Tilehurst branch. That's the other side of Reading to me, but it really shook me up.

So anyone in Reading/Berkshire be aware.

Bumping this as it is soooo important right now!

VACCINATE PEOPLE!

Booking in tomorow, vet didnt advice me that this was important(not had any out breaks in our area is only thing i can think) but will make sure its dealt with this week.

dizzylynn wrote:Booking in tomorow, vet didnt advice me that this was important(not had any out breaks in our area is only thing i can think) but will make sure its dealt with this week.

Its really naughty of your vets really as you are such a fab bunny mum, its there job to let you know!