about vaccination (Greece)

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zweistein

zweistein

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2010
Messages
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Location
Athens, , Greece
Hello!

So my vet said at the end of the month or next month I should come with my Cookie for a vaccination.
He said vaccination for bloody diarrhoea (or at least thats the exact translation of what he called it).


My questions are;
What are the necessary vaccinations needed for a healthy bunny?
What are the most comon after-effects?
What is the appropriate age for vaccinations?
Is it ok to go do the vaccination my vet said?







I'm sorry if this is already discussed before.. I din't find any info about vaccinations in general in the library and i didn't find any into by searching..










PS:

dunno how needed these info are for my question but here it goes.

IMMEDIATE INFORMATION:


Location
In cage in the sitting room, or free in the house.

Description (Breed, color, weight)
so far not 100% sure. its a dwarf bunny, half lionhead half sth else.. (maybe half hotot)
white mostly with grey ears & eyes.
more to see here: http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=55228&forum_id=26

Age
next week - 6 months

Sex
male

Concise Summary of the Rabbit's Condition:
so far nice healthy, happy and clean.



 
I'm not familiar with all of the vaccinations because in America we don't vaccinate bunnies (and that's probably why you didn't find anything in the library). I know it's often required to vaccinate in other countries, so hopefully someone from Europe can come along and help you out.
 
It sounds like it could be VHD Viral Haemorrhagic Disease. It's very contagious, has no treatment and generally kills within 24/48 hrs. I would be guided by what your local vet recommends and it is more active in some countries/areas than others.

In the UK we vaccinate against VHD annually and also against myxomatosis every 6-12 months. Where as in the US I don't think they vaccinate at all?

There is information here: http://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/content/info-sheets/VHD_UK.htm from the Rabbit Welfare Organisation (UK) with a bit more detail.
 
Tamsin, you're correct that we don't vaccinate in the US. I guess we just don't have the diseases that are deadly to bunnines in other places.
 
I see... So myxomatosis and VHD are for sure both deseases a bunny must be vaccinated against in EU (or especially in EU)...
tamsin, do you have any info about their cost? I guess here in Gr it can't be too different from UK.
The vaccination my vet talked about costed about 30.00 EUR.

I'll ask him about myxomatosis and VHD for sure, they sound very dangerous...
 
Here in the UK it is highly recommended that we vaccinate our rabbits against VHD and Myxi. These are incredibly dangerous illnesses for a rabbit. Myxi has a slightly higher survival rate, but they are still both incredibly low. Prevention is the key to these!

VHD can have two vaccinations- Cylap, or Lapinject, here in England. Recently it has been found that Cylap can often give quite nasty side-effects, so people now opt for Lapinject, which seems to be the much more safe option.
VHD is vaccinated against once a year.

Myxi has only one vaccination here. You can either vaccinate against Myxi once a year, or twice a year, depending on whether you are in a high risk area. Where I live the risk seems to go up and down, so I just vaccinate twice a year to be positive.

I go to probably one of the most expensive vets around, because one of the vets, Ben, is just so rabbit savvy, and I feel so comfortable with him treating my rabbits. I trust every word he says- he is absolutely brilliant. I go to him specifically every time for his knowledge and brilliance with rabbits.

The Myxi vaccination for me costs 25pounds a pop, and the Lapinject costs about 22pounds each time. So in total I am spending about 150pounds a year on vaccinations, which really isn't a lot. I would pay double, triple, 10 times that if I really had to, though. I would find a way.

In greece I have absolutely no idea the risk factors of Myxi and VHD- you may find that the risk is minimal! I am not entirely sure how the risks change over the continents, but I know that many people in America opt for no vaccinating their rabbits, which seemed utterly horrifying to me, however then I realised that perhaps the risks just aren't as big over there.

:)
 
Ah- I have just been doing some research, and I think I may have an answer to why people in America don't need to vaccinate (against VHD anyway).

VHD can only be carried and transmitted by either domestic rabbits, or the European rabbit which is obviously wild in Europe. Therefore in Europe the virus is very easily spread all around.
However, in America (and other places), the wild rabbit is the Cottontail, which isn't affected by and cannot carry the virus- (IS THIS REALLY TRUE??), so there's barely any wild rabbits that can actually transmit the virus.

This is information from the 'Rabbit Welfare Association', so I am assuming it is true?
How very interesting.....you learn something new every day!
:p
 
Jen, that is what I understood was the reason we don't have to vaccinate. There are some cases of Myxi that show up occasionally in California, but I don't know why. Maybe there's a larger feral domestic rabbit population there. The viruses only affect the European wild rabbit, which is only found in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. These areas all have to worry about Myxi and VHD, but in the US we don't have to. The availability of vaccines for the viruses changes depending on where you are. Because rabbits are a "pest" species in Australia and NZ, the vaccines are unavailable or rare.
 
Ah- finally my question is answered! It's been bugging me for...years really!!

Yes, I read that there are a few feral domestic rabbit populations in America, so occasionally a few cases break out, but other than that it's pretty rare.

The vaccinations are prohibited in Australia :/. I've read a lot of articles from people begging to have the vaccinations for their pet rabbits. I really can see both sides of it......but the idea of knowing your rabbit has a chance of catching such an awful thing......I'm not sure I would be able to sleep at night.
 
Then i guess the price difference is very small.
Can't say it's expencive but not cheap (considering that im an unemployed student trying to finish university atm).

from wikipedia:
VHD-> VHD (aka RHD or RCD) is a highly infectious and often fatal disease that affects rabbits of the species Oryctolagus cuniculus

link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit_haemorrhagic_disease#Symptoms


Oryctolagus cuniculus-> The European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is a species of rabbit native to south west Europe (Spain and Portugal). It has been widely introduced elsewhere often with devastating effects on local biodiversity. However, its decline in its native range (caused by the diseases myxomatosis and rabbit calicivirus as well as over-hunting and habitat loss) has caused the decline of its highly dependent predators, the Iberian Lynx and the Spanish Imperial Eagle. It is known as an invasive species for the fact it has been introduced to countries on all continents with the exception of Antarctica and Sub-saharan Africa, and caused many problems within the environment and ecosystems as well. Australia has the most problems with European Rabbits, since there is lack of predators to these animals there.

link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oryctolagus_cuniculus



About myxomatosis, i really have no idea weather my country is within the high risk zone. All i know so far is that this desease also affects rabbits of the species Oryctolagus cuniculus. (In wikipedia it also says that "It was deliberately introduced into Australia in 1950 in an attempt to control rabbit infestation and population there" that's really sad.. :( :( :( )

wikipedia link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myxomatosis


Greece has many wild rabbids, but not as many as in other countries (ex UK, NL, Fn). But VHD and Myxomatosis are very serious deseases... Even the thought of the symptoms bring nightmares to me.. Maybe in my country it's not that dangerous but I'll ask fr vaccinations.

1 question though.
As far as i understood Myxomatosis vaccination is not a life-time protection (meaning that it needs vaccinations of 1 or more times a year)

What about VHD? is 1 time enough for a life-time or is it also necessary for every year?
 
I am in university as well, so I can totally relate to money issues!! :p

If you read up a tad, it's been said that Myxi can be given either once or twice a year, due to how high the risk is in your area, and VHD given once a year. ;)

Jen
 
yes, at the moment im 100% positif for going for the VHD (aka RHD or RCD)!
I'll soon make some phone calls and ask info for the myxomatosis vaccination.
At the end of the month I'll get payed from my part time job and I'll go do the vaccinations :)
 
Ok so i did some research calling vets all around Athens.

Everywhere i asked, sadly their replies where that noone has specified vaccinations about VHD and myxomatosis.
They all answered that in Greece there is a vaccination that's generally about "bleeding diseases"..

So my guess is... bleeding diseases?
Yeah, sounds like its related to VHD and myxomatosis. maybe it's good. But what company makes it? How can i find out if it's the right one? What abou side effetcs?
I love cookie too much to just ignore any details about having a vaccination.
Whenever i asked about "what's the vaccines name you have?" they either didn't remember at that time or the person who knows wasnt there.

:/

Shall i go for it?
 
Bleeding diseases sounds a lot like VHD. Can you get the name of the manufacturer, or maybe they can provide the package insert? The package insert is a piece of paper that usually has prescribing information, including dosage, safety studies, adverse reactions, what species it's been tested in, etc. Sometimes you can find that info on the drug's manufacturer's website, too. I would want to do that just to make sure it's for the right disease and they dose it correctly.
 
That is very bizarre. I haven't of (and can't find any information about) vaccinations other than for Myxi, or VHD.

I honestly don't know how reputable vets are in places like Greece- do they seem like they know what they are doing etc.

I think you should definately find out what the name of the vaccination is.
Perhaps it is some kind of combined vaccination for both (although I am not sure how because they have to be given 2 weeks apart), that helps to prevent these diseases?

The vaccinations used in britain are called Nobivac Myxo (for Myxomatosis) and either Cylap or Lapinject for VHD, but Lapinject is mostly used now because cylap tends to cause nasty side-effects.

I can't find any information about other vaccinations in other countries apart from this:

The myxomatosis vaccine in Britain (Nobi-vac Myxo) is made from a harmless virus called Shope Fibroma. Antibodies made in response to Shope Fibroma Virus also protect against myxomatosis - this is called cross immunity. Different vaccines (including live attenuated myxomatosis virus) are used elsewhere in Europe, but tend to have more side effects and there are concerns that they are not safe enough for use in pet rabbits.

http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/content/info-sheets/understanding_myxo_feb06.htm

And nothing about VHD...


So I am not entirely sure that any of us knowing the name of the vaccination will be able to help anyway, because it's probably one we have never heard of, but as is highlighted up the top, the side effects can possibly be quite nasty :?. But definatley find it out anyway- perhaps some vets here or in the US might know something about them.

I guess it depends how much of a risk your bunny is at. If she isn't at much risk, then maybe not risk this vaccination for 'bleeding diseases' when the side effects could be bad. If where you live is pretty high-risk, then maybe the advantages of vaccinating will outweigh the disadvantages, even with the side-effects.


Sorry I can't be much help
Jen
 
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