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Damson House Veterinary Clinic |
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Vaccination And
Annual Health Check For Rabbits |
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Rabbits need Vaccinations too! There are two serious
diseases that rabbits can get which we can prevent by vaccination. These are
Myxomatosis and Viral Haemorrhagic Disease. Because they are caused by
viruses, there are no effective treatments once the rabbit is infected.
Myxomatosis is very common in wild rabbits and is carried by rabbit fleas and
mosquitoes, so your rabbit can become infected without direct contact with
another rabbit. The first sign is puffy eyelids and purulent (pus-producing)
conjunctivitis followed by more swelling around the eyes, ears and genital
region. Infection is usually fatal. Animals over 6 weeks can be vaccinated
(except pregnant females). Viral Haemorrhagic Disease was noticed in China
many years ago but now is seen worldwide and increasingly in the UK. Animals
may die suddenly without signs. If there are signs, the rabbit may stop
eating and have a fever, there may be convulsions or coma, difficulty in
breathing, frothing at the mouth or a bloody nasal discharge. If animals
survive this phase they usually die a few weeks later of liver failure. Given
the horrendous death experienced by affected rabbits, we recommend annual
vaccination for all rabbits. |
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Damson House Veterinary Clinic 82 Damson Lane, Solihull, West Midlands. B92 9JP Tel.
0121 711 3775 |
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Services |
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Vaccinations |