Keep Your Rabbit Healthy by Considering Vaccinations

Rabbits can be a good choice as a pet. Many consider them house pets and litter train them the same way you would a cat. Your pet rabbit can also be kept outside if it has the proper kind of enclosure and is sheltered from severe weather. Pet rabbits are quiet, entertaining and just plain cute, so of course you want to ensure the good health of your pet just as you would a dog or cat. Take responsibility for the health of your new pet by considering rabbit vaccinations. Securing the services of a veterinarian familiar with rabbit care and disease prevention should be your first step.

You will most likely have to do some research to find a veterinarian who handles small animals on a regular basis. Many specialize in dogs and cats or large animals, the pet Doc who specializes in rabbit disease is a rare find. Once you find someone you trust with your rabbit's health, you need to decide upon a rabbit vaccination schedule. You should to consider several things.

1) What are the common rabbit diseases in your area and how severe is the disease?
2) An important consideration is: can people catch the disease?
3) How likely is your pet rabbit to be exposed to these diseases? Indoor rabbits are less likely to come into contact with dangerous viruses.

There are three diseases that your pet rabbit is susceptible to and are preventable by vaccination.

1) Rabies
As most people are aware, rabies is a very nasty virus that attacks the nervous system and is almost 100% fatal. Indoor rabbits are unlikely to come in contact with this virus. However, a very important consideration is that rabies is transmissible to humans. If there is a chance that your rabbit might escape the house or is kept outdoors this vaccination is inexpensive and readily available.

2) RHD or Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease.
Common in Europe it was detected in the United States in 2000. RHD is a virus that can kill very quickly. The symptoms are internal bleeding, loss or appetite and sometimes agitation. This disease cannot be contracted by humans or other animals. The disease spreads rapidly through many routes: direct transmission between rabbits, contaminated objects like hutches, through contaminated food and can be transported by humans on clothes or hands. An example of how easily and rapidly this spreads is in a laboratory accident in 1995 in Australia the virus was released and killed 10 million rabbits in 8 weeks. Unfortunately, the vaccine is not always effective and it is not readily available in all countries.

3) Myxomatosis
This virus was used in Australia, Belgium and France as a way to control wild rabbit populations. This caused widespread disease. This virus is in the pox family and is carried in the skin and spread by mosquitoes and other blood sucking insects. The symptoms are fever, inflamed eyes and swellings under the skin especially around the eyes and ears. This disease has a high death rate for those infected and can also be spread through contaminated objects. Humans cannot catch it. There is a rabbit vaccination available in the UK but it is not available in the United States or Australia.

If you live in an area where the vaccines are not available, steps pet owners can take to increase the odds of healthy rabbits are:

Wash your hands frequently.

Wash clothing and shoes after coming into contact with other rabbits such as at a show.

Keep dishes, housing and bedding disinfected.

Control insects like mosquitoes and minimize your pet's exposure to them.

Keep your pet rabbit indoors.

Sources:
Pet Education.com
Pet Planet
Suite101.com