Springfield Rabbits

   There are two diseases that your rabbit should be vaccinated against: 

Myxomatosis

 This is caused by the myxoma virus and has been distributed to curtail the number of wild rabbits and try to reduce the damage done to farmers crops.  Over the years a number of strains of the disease have developed as the animals become ammune.  Vaccinating your rabbit will only cover some of the strains of myxomatosis, not cover them all.  So although it is advisable to vaccinate your rabbit it will not be a complete quarantee that your rabbit will not get the disease.

Myxomatosis is carried by fleas and mosquitos.  The disease is passed into the blood stream when the insect bites the rabbit.  Once bitten the rabbit will go through up to a week incubation period.  The first signs of the disease will be sore, puffy eyes and conjunctivitus.  

There are other precautions you can take in the general care of your rabbit.  Insects are attracted to dirty, smelly areas so you should ensure you keep the hutch clean and regularly scoop out the dirty corners.  If your hutch is in an area where there are a lot of insects such as near water, a fly screen on the front of the hutch is a good way of keeping the insects out.

Viral Heomorrhagic Disease (VHD)

This is another disease introduced by man to curtail the number of wild rabbits, it was first reported in the UK in 1992.  It is an incredibly nasty disease which causes liver damage and blood clotting. It is caused by a calcivirus and can cause death within 2 days.  The symptoms will be loss of appetite and bleeding from the nose. 

The virus is highly contagious and can be transmitted by direct contact with infected rabbits or through the atmosphere, it can survive for up to 100 days at room temperature.  It can also be spread on clothing and footwear so indoor rabbits are still at risk and should be vaccinated.

The vaccine for this is given by your vet about a week after the myxomatosis vaccination and  annual boosters are required.

Other common problems:

Fly Srike

This is a condition caused by the infestation of flies laying their eggs on a dirty rabbit.  Flies are attracted to dirt and smell and like to lay their eggs in damp warm places with a source of food.  A dirty bottom with soft sticky droppings is usually caused by eating too many greens or something that does not agree with them.

If a rabbit lives in a dirty conditions and has a dirty bottom the flies will lay their eggs on the rear end of the rabbit and once they hatch the larvea begin to eat the flesh around them.  This is an extremely painful and nasty death. 

Therefore it is very important to check your rabbit on a daily basis to make sure he/she is clean. You must also ensure the hutch is kept clean so the flies are not attracted there in the first place, especially in the summer.

Caecotrophy

Rabbits produce two kinds of faecal pellets, one is a hard round pellet seen lying around their hutch, the other is soft which you shouldn't see as it is usually produced at night and should be re-ingested by the rabbit.

When a rabbit eats its food it remains in the stomach for several hours before gradually being introduced into the small intestine. Particules that have not been broken down by enzymatic action pass into the caecum.  These enter the colon where the particules become surrounded by mucus and form a soft pellet known as 'caecotrophes'.

If you see adnormal amounts of these soft pellets in your rabbit's hutch it is a sign that your rabbit is either being over fed or has eaten something that does not agree with them.  It is important that a rabbit re-ingests these caecotrophes to maintain a balanced digestive system.

 Loss of Balance/Head Tilt

You may notice your rabbit holding its head at a tilted angle, being unable to stand properly and circling in one direction.

This may be associated with baceterial infections of the middle and inner ear or infections of the brain with the protozoal parasite 'Encephalitozoon cuniculi'.

Rabbits affected by this condition should be kept as quiet as possible with dimmed lighting to avoid self injuries occurring.  You should seek help from your vet as soon as possible.

There are many illnesses a rabbit can get but as long as you care for your pet and keep them healthy and happy you are doing the right thing.  Rabbits are good at hiding illnesses so it is wise to be quite vigilant. 

There are a number of books you can purchase with guidance on caring for rabbits.  One I highly recommend is the 'Rabbit Lopaedia - A complete Guide to Rabbit Care by Meg Brown and Virginia Richardson', which can be purchased from the Fur & Feather Magazine bookshop:  http://www.furandfeather.co.uk/shop.htm