View Full Version : VERY Important Rabbit owners please read
It has come to our attention in the Caithness Rabbit Fanciers' Association that there is a confirmed outbreak of Viral Haemorrhagic Disease in Edinburgh.
As a club we have decided that we must make the public aware of this disease and advise people to seriously think of vaccinating their pets. This vaccination is very effective.
This disease is easily spread on clothing, footwear in birds droppings etc so please take precautionary measure with basic hygiene.
We certainly do not want to panic people at all but want people to be informed of the facts of this disease.
This strain is not showing typical symptoms your rabbit may seem absolutely blooming with health and just be laying dead a few hours later, if this happens we would suggest post mortem so that people can be informed of an outbreak if it happens locally.
Please read this link to find all the facts
http://www.houserabbit.co.uk/resources/content/info-sheets/VHD_UK.htm
If you have had a sudden unexplained death of 1 or more rabbits please can you pm me so that we can monitor the situation.
Cheers unicorn.Thats very useful to know...My rabbits have been inside all over winter so i can only hope that if things get heated up with VHD then mine might miss it..Lets hope it has died its death before the spring...
Sounds a real nasty thing for rabbit to go through...Lets hope all rabbit owners do their best to keep this out of caithness.
We are all hoping that we manage to keep clear of the dredded VHD, but as Unicorn has said we need to monitor the situation. So please don't hesitate to p.m either of us if you have an unexplained death of a rabbit.
Lets hope we manage to keep clear of this terrible disease.
Phoenix200416
23-Jan-08, 20:03
Thanks for the heads up unicorn. I will definately let you know if anything like that happens. I, like Justine, have my rabbits inside at the moment so hopefully they will miss it, I will be sure to wash my hands, e.t.c throughly in future before handling them and afterwards as usual.
It is just better to be prepared, but we hopefully and god willing will not see it up here.
Phoenix200416
23-Jan-08, 20:22
It is just better to be prepared, but we hopefully and god willing will not see it up here.
Yes I agree. I hope too that it doesn't travel up here. Fingers crossed!
Wing Commander Herbert Humberfloob has been vaccinated and is luxuriating in his indoor winter residence at the moment, but I really appreciate the heads-up, Unicorn.
Well done weeburd, vaccination is the best path to take.
Well done weeburd, vaccination is the best path to take.
I should add as well, I was plesantly surprised at the vaccination prices locally - I anticipated £30 a whip for each one, but's it's only about £12 per injection. All the more incentive for anyone who's been wary of getting them covered.
As for Herbs, he's not due his boosters for a few months yet, however he is heading back to the very in a couple of weeks time - to cure his rather "amorous" tendancies towards him Mamma! [lol]
ach but it's good to be loved :lol: That is a good price, and so little to pay for peace of mind.
pirateeye
24-Jan-08, 19:35
just a couple questions...if you had an unexplained death of a rabbit, or a few, recently but did not get a post mortem not thinking a lot of it, maybe if they were old or something, would there be any clues to say if it were this disease? (don't panic, i'm only asking!) can birds die of it? (my bird died in december, unexplained, but that was a few weeks ago, it wouldn't be this)how long would it take to get up here?
it's a shame there is so many different diseases like this for our pets to catch but at least if we have warnings we can be aware.
There are absolutely no symptoms with this strain at the moment they can literally be eating and dead 10 minutes later.
Realistically if you had a death like this and most certainly if you had more than one a post mortem would most definately be advisable.
Only rabbits are affected but as it is such a virulent disease it is very easily transmitted.
VHD is ever present in the wild population so it is hard to keep tabs on, but any symptomless death should be checked out as VHD can live in the environment for around 3 months so if a rabbit dies and you go out and buy another and put in same hutch you are obviously going to transmit this to your new rabbit.
right I have more news, I was informed of this article yesterday on the bbc http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7215656.stm
I called the vet practice involved and they have said there has been a confirmed case in Forres. We are trying to get more information and I will keep you all informed.
came across this and thought i would put it on.As a new rabbit owner i had never heard of VHD and knew no symptons.I found this one, easy to understand for any othe rabbit novices.
Hope you dont mind unicorn, just thought it might help some out if they read this...
What Is VHD?
Rabbit Viral Hemorrhagic Disease (VHD) is a highly contagious disease caused by a calicivirus that affects only rabbits of the Oryctolagus cuniculus species. This includes wild and domesticated European rabbits, from which our own domesticated rabbits are descended. It has not been known to affect any North American native rabbits or hares, such as cottontails, snowshoe hares and jackrabbits. VHD is also known by several other acronyms: RHD (Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease), RCV (Rabbit Calicivirus), and RCD (Rabbit Calicivirus Disease). VHD was first seen in China in 1984, and has since spread to Mexico, Continental Europe, Israel, the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
Symptoms may include:
Loss of appetite
Lethargy
High Fever
Spasms
Sudden deathVHD, however, is often a very swift and sudden killer, giving little warning. Rabbits may die without showing any symptoms at all. Some bleeding from the nose, mouth and rectum is sometimes seen. Any sudden rabbit death is suspicious and should be reported to your veterinarian or the State Veterinarian as a possible case of VHD
The incubation period of this disease is very short, and rabbits may die within 48 hours of exposure to the virus that causes VHD.
The death rate of rabbits exposed to this virus is very high, between 50 and 100%, with the latter number probably being closer to actual mortality rates. Rabbits who survive this disease are carriers and shed the virus for at least 42 days, perhaps longer.
Rabbit calicivirus is a very hardy virus, remaining viable in the environment for 105 days at 68F (i.e. remains stable for 105 days at room temperature) and for 225 days at 39F. It resists freezing.
There is no known cure for VHD. Vaccinations are available in countries where the disease in endemic, but there is no vaccine currently available in the US.How VHD is spread
As was mentioned, VHD is highly contagious. It can be spread by:
Contact of a rabbit with inanimate objects contaminated by the virus (i.e. via fomites). Such object would include clothing, shoes, and car and truck tires.
Direct contact of a rabbit with an infected rabbit or the feces of an infected rabbit.
Contact with rabbit products such as fur, meat or wool from infected rabbits.
Insects, birds, and animals such as rodents are known to spread the virus by acting as indirect hosts. They can transport the disease, for example, from an infected rabbit to an unaffected rabbit.
Humans can spread the virus to their rabbits if they have been in contact with infected rabbits or in contact with objects contaminated by the virus, including feces from an infected rabbit.
How to Protect Your Rabbits
House your rabbits indoors. We strongly suggest that they be kept indoors, or in enclosed environments. Rabbits who live or exercise outdoors are more at risk for contracting this disease.
Wash your hands thoroughly before handling your rabbits, particularly when you come home from places where other rabbits may have been, or where people who have been in contact with rabbits may have been. This would include places such as feed stores, pet stores, fair grounds, humane societies, etc.
Change your clothes and wash your hands after handling or coming in contact with rabbits. Wash these clothes twice in hot water before you wear them around your rabbit.
If you volunteer at a shelter, then have some special clothes and shoes that you wear only at the shelter. You may want to wear plastic bags over your shoes, secured with a rubber band. When you leave the shelter, remove the bags and dispose of them before you get into your car, making sure not to touch the outside of the bag. Follow clothes laundering instructions above, and shoe disinfecting instructions below. This protects the shelter rabbits as well as your own. The same considerations apply to anyone who sees rabbits at work and also has rabbits at home.
Adopt a "no shoes in the house" policy, or keep your bunnies from running in high traffic areas of your home. To disinfect shoes that may have been contaminated, you need to place the shoes in a foot bath that contains one of the following: 10% bleach solution, 2% 1-Stroke Disinfectant, Parvosol, or parvoviricide disinfectant. You may wish to speak with your veterinarian about how to obtain these. The shoes must be in contact with the disinfectant for at least ten minutes. The foot bath is recommended as it is important that during the ten minute disinfection time that the disinfectant remains wet. Merely spraying shoes with disinfectant and leaving them to dry is not effective.
Know your sources of hay and feed and if they are near areas of any outbreaks.
Minimize insects in your home by installing window and door screens. Eliminate mosquitoes and flies from your home.
Quarantine any new rabbit for 5 days. Always handle quarantined rabbits last, and keep all supplies for them separate from your other rabbit’s supplies.
To disinfect objects, use one of the disinfectants above, remembering that it must stay in contact with the item and remain wet for at least ten minutes.
Thanks for that Justine.
an update on the situation is that the outbreak was Nairn and is in the wild population.
Thanks for that Justine.
an update on the situation is that the outbreak was Nairn and is in the wild population.
so it would be reccommended that all rabbits be brought in from outside and away from any chances of coming into contact with any wild rabbits...
I noticed that in the bit i put in mentions about how long it can last in the area, will this effect when i can put my rabbits out fort he summer as they have all been inside since befroe the winter kicked in
"Rabbit calicivirus is a very hardy virus, remaining viable in the environment for 105 days at 68F (i.e. remains stable for 105 days at room temperature) and for 225 days at 39F. It resists freezing."
we may be lucky and it may not reach here, the best option at the moment though would be vaccination I think. It is the only sure way to prevent it. The article you posted is actually an american article which is why it says no vaccine is available. Even indoors it doesn't mean your rabbits are safe, it can carry on clothing, it can travel in the wind, you can pick it up in birds dirt.
we may be lucky and it may not reach here, the best option at the moment though would be vaccination I think. It is the only sure way to prevent it. The article you posted is actually an american article which is why it says no vaccine is available. Even indoors it doesn't mean your rabbits are safe, it can carry on clothing, it can travel in the wind, you can pick it up in birds dirt.
I know it was an U>S site, but it was for the info about what to look for,how to prevent and so on....
The vaccine is available in the uk, do you know if the vets up here do this...
The vets in Thurso certainly do, so I'd imagine Wick do to. I'm surprised they never mentioned it to you when you got the mixi vaccine's done - I knew there were two vaccine's required as I'd done some research, but the vet was super, and actually told me about both of them (without me leading him to talk about the VHD one).:confused
Yes the local vets have all the necessary info on the vaccines and have them available. There is a lot of good info in that article Justine, it gives all that is necessary but just wanted to point out that vaccine is available in the Uk as it says no vaccine available.
mandy&baz
31-Jan-08, 23:34
My rabbit died very suddenly in December, he wasnt even 2 :( but i doubt its because of this disease as i had another rabbit in the cage with him and she is fine....:~(
Yes the local vets have all the necessary info on the vaccines and have them available. There is a lot of good info in that article Justine, it gives all that is necessary but just wanted to point out that vaccine is available in the Uk as it says no vaccine available.
am glad that you noticed about the no vaccine,i did not even think about it when i read it.i was not having a go hun.how are you.
I'm getting there slowly. Quick update again :confused It seems this case is actually in Nairn, the vet has now said there were 20 cases and when asked about it being in the wild population he said it is but it seems these cases (slight speculation here ok ) as they are not giving us massive info, are possibly in one owners care. It is not a BRC breeder or a rescue as there are none in the area.
so hopefully it will stay down there and leave us alone...I hope that the person who they may be gets them sorted for their own health..Am still glad that my buns are inside though.I would not know what to do if they all got ill...
I just don't see that many pet owners taking Buns in for pm's after sudden death so realistically it makes it one case but I could be wrong. There used to be a petshop breeder in Nairn but I don't know if that is still the case. So at the moment it really is just speculation. The only thing we know for sure is it is confirmed VHD in Nairn.
All local British rabbit council members have discussed the issue and decided that we are going to vaccinate our entire stock.
We would urge all pet owners to do the same.
It is better to be safe than sorry.
The vets need 3 days notice to order the vaccination so please give them prior warning.
If you only have 1 or 2 rabbits it is a small price for peace of mind.
Being inside does not in any way guarantee your rabbits to be safe as this disease can carry on clothing and hands it is resistant to temperatures of -60 and to get your clothes free of it they need to be washed at a minimum of 60 degrees. It is also known to be passed in bird droppings so you could stand in it and carry it into your home. It can travel in the wind so is easily spread.
As yet we are still clear here. This link is the best information I have found
http://goldenbunnies.org.uk/index.php?showtopic=3868
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