Battylady Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 Hello! I was wondering if anyone here has much experience of myxi in vaccinated rabbits? My two buns are vaccinated every six months, but both are now ill. One (my little girl) has contracted nodular myxi - she has a horrendous lump on her nose and a few other lumps on her body, but otherwise she is fine - I've been through this with a previous bunny, who recovered and survived. I'm more worried about my little boy bunny, he seemed to get an eye infection in one eye at the same time his partner came down with nodular myxi, but the vet said it was unlikely to be related, and prescribed some anti biotic cream. However, a week has gone by and his eye seems worse rather than better, the anti biotic cream doesn't seem to be helping much, and now his other eye is looking dodgy, plus his nose looks very pink and he keeps rubbing it. Could this be myxi?? The vet (five days ago) thought not. Obviously he will be going back to the vet very soon, but I just wondered what other people's experience of myxi in vaccinated rabbits was? Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lillybettybabs Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 Definitely get him check again for myxi (second opion) as it can affect eyes. If it isn't myxi then i would be inclined to get him referred to an Optometrist to check for uveitis and other eye problems. When where they last wormed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Battylady Posted October 10, 2011 Author Share Posted October 10, 2011 Definitely get him check again for myxi (second opion) as it can affect eyes.If it isn't myxi then i would be inclined to get him referred to an Optometrist to check for uveitis and other eye problems. When where they last wormed? Thanks for your reply! I'll be going to the vet again tomorrow. ... I've never wormed my bunnies, it's not something the vet has ever mentioned to me... could this cause a problem?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lillybettybabs Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 Yes e cuniculi can be fatal ( i lost a rescue bunny to it) and can cause all sorts of problems if not controlled as it can be passed on bunny to bunny through urine. I have a rabbit who is blind because of it (she caught it off the rescue bunny) you should worm at least 3 times a year but every 3 months is preferable. It might be worth doing a 28 day course on your buns if they have never been wormed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolaLayla Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 Yes e cuniculi can be fatal ( i lost a rescue bunny to it) and can cause all sorts of problems if not controlled as it can be passed on bunny to bunny through urine. I have a rabbit who is blind because of it (she caught it off the rescue bunny) you should worm at least 3 times a year but every 3 months is preferable. It might be worth doing a 28 day course on your buns if they have never been wormed. Thanks for highlighting this. Spoke to my vet today about worming as I had not heard about it before so I thought I would share what she told me. Firstly she said it was not done routinely for various reasons. She said it was difficult to administer as it was by mouth for 28 days. Also it is very common and a lot of rabbits have the parasite but have no symptoms. If you only have a couple of rabbits who have lived together for years there should be no need to medicate. If rabbits are not on an area where wild rabbits are they should be ok. She said it is mainly for those rabbits who have new ones introduced as in your case from the rescue bun. My two are mum and son so she did not recommend worming in my case but every case will be different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lillybettybabs Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 There are trigger factors that can cause a rabbit that carries EC(dormant) react and become active (heat,thirst,stress). n Short . A protozoal parasite that can cause severe illness in rabbits. Symptoms of e. cuniculi can include wry neck (tilting of the head to one side), darting eyes (nystagmus), walking in circles, loss of balance, rolling on the ground, incontinence, seizures, and paralysis of the hind quarters. Often, e. cuniculi results in death. It is thought that e. cuniculi is transmitted through spores in urine that are inhaled, ingested, or passed from mother to offspring at birth. Often, e. cuniculi can be present in a rabbit's body, without the rabbit displaying noticeable symptoms. I have had first hand experience and also Ruby is under one of the top rabbit vets in he country. Who advises routine worming, In the long run 9 days worming for routine three time a year could save a lot of heart ache, you do 28day when EC is suspected. Sadly most vets only know basic rabbit care and don't choose to advance their knowledge (bit like chickens). My advise to anyone with a poorly rabbit and not happy with vets diagnoses is to get referred to a rabbit savy vets. Fingers crossed it's not myxi! I Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Battylady Posted October 11, 2011 Author Share Posted October 11, 2011 Well, I took Skipper back to the vet today and sadly she has confirmed that it is myxi I have also found a nodule under his chin, so there isn't much doubt. This vet (different one to the one we saw last week) unfortunately doesn't seem to think he stands much of a chance. I've got antibiotics and painkiller for him, but she did make it quite clear that we are just doing what we can, and probably to prepare for the worse. He's always had his six monthly vaccinations, so I think he just got unlucky. His partner still seems OK, horrible nodules but well in herself. It's a horrible disease, so unfair Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolaLayla Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 So sorry Battylady. It is terrible that you followed what was recommended and they still got this dreadful disease. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jos Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 Hi, i had 2 house rabbits, both vaccinated against myxi and both got it. My little netherland had it really badly and we battled against it for 4 weeks but sadly I had to have him out to sleep in the end. My lop got it more mildly and although she still has a chest infection she will be fine. Good luck, I understand what you are going through and will keep everything crossed that all turns out well. J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lillybettybabs Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 I'm so sorry, It might be that the virus is becoming stronger and the drug company need to look into another vaccine. I only had to vaccinate once a year 10 years ago as i had house rabbits, I now have to do it every 6 mnths. I get paranoid about mosquito's as they carry it too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Battylady Posted October 27, 2011 Author Share Posted October 27, 2011 Sad to say that Skipper wasn't able to fight the myxi and he was put to sleep this afternoon, with many tears shed. After three weeks it was clear he wasn't going to make it through and I didn't want him to suffer. I honestly used to think that the myxi vaccine was a guarantee of survival, but sadly not. The only consolation is that his partner has done well - she came down with nodular myxi at the exactly the same time, but her nodules have now dried up and fallen off. They always had exactly the same vaccinations at the same time, so it looks as though it was just bad luck it didn't work for Skipper. Bless him, he will be sadly missed. xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolaLayla Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 So sorry to read your news. Thinking about you. You did everything you could. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedusA Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 What a sad post. My sympathies are with you. I get my bunny vaccinated every 6 months and had assumed that would make him immune. I'll certainly be watchcing more closely from now on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
