By Vet Ruth Simmons
There is a new strain of a deadly virus that rabbit owners need to be aware of.
Rabbit Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (RVHD) has been around for some time now but there is a new “highly virulent strain” of RVHD2 which has been found in mainland Europe.
We can’t be sure of its presence in the UK yet, due to lack of surveillance data, however the concern is if it isn’t here yet, it will be soon.
This is a horrendous disease which causes sudden death in the majority of unvaccinated rabbits. There are often very few signs of illness, rabbits can go off their food but often they appear fine and then are tragically found dead. It is also highly contagious so once there is an outbreak in an area it can rapidly cause death in large numbers of rabbits.
The lack of signs of the virus means it can be difficult to spot before it is too late. The virus can be spread in many different ways; on hay, by insects or migrating birds, or from people’s contaminated clothes or shoes.
This is why vaccinations are key to protect your rabbit. Obtaining the new vaccine against this strain has been challenging in the UK, but thankfully it is now more readily available.
Vaccinating your rabbits is the most important measure you can take to protect them. Rabbits should be routinely vaccinated against myxomotosis (another viral disease) and two strains of Rabbit Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (RVHD 1 and RVHD 2).
They can be vaccinated from five weeks old and they’ll need boosters every year. Vaccination is very effective. In light of the new ‘highly virulent strain’ of RVHD2, the vaccination advice has been updated, and all rabbits now need two vaccinations a year.
These vaccines can be given 2 weeks or more apart. If your rabbit has not had the new vaccine we encourage you to get this done as soon as possible. Do this and you’re doing your bit to keep your rabbits at their best.
Vaccinations are also a great time for your rabbit to have a thorough veterinary health check, including checking their teeth, weight and discussing the best way to care for your rabbit.
At Paragon Vets we are keen to see more rabbits vaccinated in Cumbria and we are offering 10% off vaccinations during the national Rabbit Awareness Week which runs from 23rd - 29th of June.