My rabbit has myxomatosis. What can I do to help it survive?

Hello there! I'm sorry to hear that your rabbits have been ill. As you probably know, myxomatosis is a very deadly virus that is spread by blood-consuming insects, and sometimes from rabbit-to-rabbit. Up to 90 percent of rabbits that contract myxomatosis do not survive. If they were diagnosed on September 11, it sounds like they may be in the late acute stage of the disease, and if they truly are eating and improving at this point, they may very well recover, and this is lucky indeed. The next two weeks will be very important for them. Be sure to keep giving their medications as prescribed, as they will still be susceptible to secondary bacterial infection during the chronic stage of the disease (which can last for 30 days after they have recovered from the initial symptoms). During this time, they may develop myxomas (lump-like swellings) on the face, neck, or body. They may also become blind due to swelling and infection in the eyes, so be sure to keep in close contact with your vet during this time. Their chances of survival increase with each day that passes at this point, but that could change at any time. If any new symptoms develop (seizure, staggering) or if their breathing deteriorates, please get them back to the vet ASAP. Good luck, and I hope that your bunnies keep hopping down the path to recovery from this terrible disease!

If your Rabbit shows signs of Myxomatosis and she is not vaccinated it will unfortunately be fatal, meaning she won't be able to take care of her baby for much longer. in that case you will need to take care of the baby rabbit yourself by bottle feeding it (you can use kitten replacer milk).

Yes, it is likely to be myxomatosis, extremely common in wild rabbits in the UK. If you call the RSPCA they should be able to help you, there is a 24 hours helpline and the telephone number is 03001234999.

While the vaccine isn't 100% effective, the few vaccinated rabbits who do get myxomatosis will develop a milder form of the disease and have a greater chance of recovery. I would recommend getting this vaccine for Scruffy, as myxomatosis is a horrendous disease and it's best to try to prevent it as much as possible.

The quantity exposed to is not a significant factor about this disease, as far as i am aware there is no vaccine for it in the US although the vaccine exist in Europe, it has not been approved in the US. here is a link that can help find some good advise regarding protecting your rabbit from this disease: https://rabbit.org/myxo/

Poor Smokey. I am very concerned for him - rabbits rarely show signs of illness until their disease is very progressed as they are prey animals, so they can hide their symptoms. A few possibilities for his symptoms may be myxomatosis - a viral infection which is highly contagious and causes pus to form in the eyes, nose and genital area. Another illness is E.cuniculi - this is a parasite that can affect balance and can make it hard for your bunny to stand or move. This carries a more favorable outcome with treatment - but it relies on his body responding to the treatment and very careful nursing of him to ensure he is eating / drinking and passing pellets. If you can take him tonight, I would recommend to do so. It is possible that he may pass naturally. I'm sorry, I hope Smokey makes it.

I am sorry your rabbits are sick and passing away. I would try and locate an exotics vet somewhere around you. Even if you have to drive a little further. Unfortunately the picture and posture does not tell why they are sick. I get concerned about something contagious if you have had other rabbits die. I know it sounds sad but if a rabbit dies I would recommend taking it to the state lab for a necropsy (autopsy in people). This way they can take tissue samples and send it to the lab for hopefully a diagnosis. However we would prefer to keep the rabbits alive. Parasites like coccidia can cause death, infection, viruses, dental disease, toxins and maybe food source. The rabbits really need to have a fecal, blood work and maybe x-rays. You can try to force feed them at home with a product like critical care but they need to continue to eat or there intestines stop working which can cause fatality.