Bunny has myxomatosis - I need your help

[Otybun]

Hi everybody,

This is my first post and, as you can see by the title, a very sad reason brings me to this forum...

So my giant French lop has myxomatosis... Five days ago I went out to his cage and saw that his eyes were really red and swollen. I took him the vet and he had a full health check-up. The vet initially believed it was severe conjunctivitis, because he noted that Otis was otherwise a very healthy rabbit - excellent gut, teeth, ears, weight. We returned home with eye drops.
48 hours later and Otis's eyes were worse (red, swollen, creamy discharge weeping from them) and further symptoms had developed. He had a creamy pus weeping from his nose and swollen genitals. We went back to the vet and he had another full check-up... the diagnosis was myxomatosis.

I would love to hear from any bun owners who have experience with this often fatal disease, and if you can offer any tips to nurse my rabbit back to health. I know most rabbits - 95% + - die from this awful disease. But I am hopeful for Otis and I don't think it's necessarily misplaced hope. (To quote the vet: based on his excellent health and fully developed immune system, he has a fighting chance.)

A bit of information for you all: Otis is eating like a horse. He is eating and drinking tons, as normal. He is a very greedy rabbit, but is an ideal weight according to his vet report. Otis is a very, very large rabbit - the largest our vet has ever seen, apparently. (small dogs have nothing on him!) He is gobbling down pellets, greens, banana, carrot, anything we give him. And he's drinking normally. I'm feeding him every 1/2 by hand to try to battle this. He is also running around as normal. He just's just a sorry sight, sadly.

I'm bathing his eyes (and genitals, which apart from the swelling, are OK... no discharge) every couple of hours. He is taking Metacam daily (1.5ml) and twice daily takes Ranitidine, in addition to his eye drops.

Any thoughts? Advice? Stories of survival!? All tips are very welcome! Thanks in advance.

 

[JBun]

Being in the US, myxo is a less common thing here, so no first hand knowledge, but I have read of other firsthand accounts of owners rabbits coming through the illness successfully. So there is hope, especially for a bun that continues to want to eat well.

One thing you didn't mention is if your vet put your bun on an antibiotic. From my reading, this is an essential med for buns to have as it is the secondary respiratory infection they can develop that is such a great risk for them. So if your bun isn't on an antibiotic like baytril, as well, I would request this immediately from the vet.
https://www.harcourt-brown.co.uk/ar...matosis/treatment-of-rabbits-with-myxomatosis

 

[Popsicles]

I agree, main supportive care would be antibiotics, pain meds and fluids to prevent dehydration. As he is drinking well this shouldn’t be necessary, but definitely would want some antibiotics. Very promising that he is eating and drinking well and still bright though! Keep doing what you are doing, I’ve known rabbits get through this

 

[Otybun]

Hello. Thanks for your help, everyone. Unfortunately our bunny died. What a horrible disease, please get your bun vaccinated if you haven't already.

 

[Popsicles]

I’m so sorry to hear that