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A Boost For Your Bunny

Rabbit ownership is booming.  Did you know that there are 1.6 million kept as pets throughout the UK?  It is alarming to consider therefore, that only one in every 12 owners ensures their pet is properly vaccinated against potentially fatal diseases like myxomatosis.  Any rabbit, whatever their lifestyle or breed, is at risk of contracting this nasty disease and that the majority of affected rabbits will die - will your pet rabbit be one of them?

Myxomatosis is particularly common between August and October, although rabbits can contract the disease at any time of year.  Spread typically by blood sucking insects like the rabbit flea, the disease attacks domestic and wild rabbits alike.  In addition to the characteristic bulging of the eye lids, key symptoms include localised swellings around the head, face, ears, lips, anus and genitalia.  Severe swelling can lead to blindness and distortion of the face, often resulting in difficulty with drinking and feeding.  In many cases, bacterial respiratory infection complicates the disease, encouraging the onset of a fatal pneumonia.

With no specific treatment, it is crucial that you put controls in place to manage it; namely controlling parasites and ensuring vaccination.  Frequent pet checks for signs of fleas, along with regular use of insecticidal treatment will facilitate a high degree of flea control, lessening the likelihood of bites.  In terms of vaccination, it is recommended that a single dose of myxomatosis vaccine be given to all healthy, non-pregnant rabbits over the age of six weeks.  Ideally, this will occur in early spring so that the rabbits have the optimum protection during the period of the year when they are most at risk.  However, as myxomatosis can strike at any time of the year, boosters are recommended once or twice a year, depending on your pet’s likely exposure to myxomatosis.

As owners, you have the power to ensure that your pet is adequately protected and not likely to fall victim to myxomatosis and other such diseases.  To help, we’ve joined forces with Intervet UK and Burgess Supafeeds to provide owners with a free rabbit booster pack, helping to encourage a healthier pet rabbit population.  In a bid to educate about the importance of vaccination, along with providing valuable information about health and nutrition, every owner whose rabbit is vaccinated at our practice, will receive the pack, which contains an informative leaflet highlighting the importance of vaccination, details on rabbit insurance, nutritional advice and a sample of Supa Rabbit Excel® provided by Burgess Supafeeds.

To find out more about the new rabbit booster pack, please contact us on 01507 522236 or 523365.