This past March marked National Vaccination Month where UK rabbit owners were offered a free dose of vaccine to protect their rabbits against the deadly disease myxomatosis.  Vaccinations for myxomatosis should be administered every six months to provide continued immunity, so Intervet / Schering-Plough Animal Health are offering those pet owners who took part in the campaign in March to receive a second free dose this month.

Myxomatosis is a painful condition that is largely untreatable. For more information, visit:

• My House Rabbit’s Myxomatosis Vaccination Article
• Intervet / Schering-Plough Animal Health Press Release, Sept. 29, 2008

Melanie Lapich, from New South Wales, Australia, recently lost her two pet bunnies to Myxomatosis. When the vet had initially diagnosed the rabbits, Melanie did her best to treat their symptoms. But soon, the lumps on the skin, swollen, oozing eyelids, labored breathing, and lack of appetite became too severe, and the rabbits had to be put to sleep.

So Melanie is on a quest to legalize the vaccine for Myxomatosis in Australia. Currently, the vaccine is in use in the UK. (See My House Rabbit Myxomatosis vaccination article here.) Since Australia has a major ecological issue with wild European rabbits destroying native plantlife and crowding out native wildlife, the Australian government has so far refused to legalize the vaccine for domestic rabbits in fear that resistance to the disease may eventually spread to wild rabbit populations.

But for pet owners like Melanie, it means there is little hope for prevention of this incurable disease for their pets. If you would like to sign the petition to legalize the vaccine, go here: www.gopetition.com.au/petitions/make-myxomatosis-vaccine-legal.html

For more information: www.myxomatosis-vaccine.com

We’ve just added two new articles to My House Rabbit concerning rabbit diseases. They were written by two practicing vets from the UK who also run an online pet meds site called Vetstoria.co.uk. The articles include both photos and videos to highlight symptoms of the diseases and demonstrate treatment procedures.

While some of the footage is a little unpleasant to watch, it is important to be aware of these diseases so you can ensure your own bunny’s clean bill of health.

You can read the articles here:

Conjunctivitis in Young Rabbits
Myxomatosis: Vaccination (for UK bunny owners- vaccine not readily available in the US)