RHVD2 in the US - what you need to know

[BonbonandJujubee]

Thanks!

 

[jlbunny]

There is a private Facebook group called North American RDHV 2 group. This group tracks the virus in North America , may be worth exploring. From what I understand veterinarians do not have access to the vaccine until the virus is actually in the state . Our state of Wisconsin has no cases yet,however,it is close in South Dakota 🥲

CORRECTION: the Facebook group's name is North Americans RHDV2 Group. The American-made vaccine by Medgene Labs has had its vaccine approved in 43 states and Washington, DC! Here is a link to their website: RHDV2 | Solutions | Medgene Labs

 

[lynne2809]

Has anybody had their rabbit(s) vaccinated with the Medgene RHDV vaccine? I am having my 2 lionheads vaccinated with their first dose of Medgene in 6 days and I am really, really worried about the possibility of severe side effects or death.

 

[TreasuredFriend]

Many of my acquaintances and friends have had their rabbits vax'd. You can check the House Rabbit, Elder Buns, DisabledBuns, and community groups on Facebook forums. No side effects to cause undue worrying or concerns. Our crew will be receiving their doses shortly.

Our DVM clinic has the Megene vax. Certain clinics in our area are unable to attain the Medgene vaccination.

I'm jumping in here late. lynne8832, How did your two lionheads do with their vaccinations?

 

[Tam O Ham]

looks like there have been some cases in Florida. I just got Fizz vaccinated today. $50 and apparently she has to be 'identified' so they took a 5$ picture of her as well. They say she took the shot well and she was pretty okay for the first few hours after, nibbled on her favorite greens and all, but now she's not interested in eating anymore, favorite treats included. I called the vet and talked to a tech who said that sometimes happens for the first day or two after and that I should give her some gut mover meds and syringe critical care feed her until she's eating on her own.

Has anyone else had this happen to their buns after being vaxxed? How long did it last for them?

 

[Tam O Ham]

okay, updating in case anyone else has this happen to their bun as well. The vet said that Fizz took her shot about noon without any problem and she was fine when we got home, nibbling on greens a bit. About two or three hours in though she started to get very lethargic and she stopped eating. I gave it a few hours in case but she didn't perk back up or start eating either. When I say lethargic I mean - she's hop two steps and have to lay down. And it wasn't the determined bun hops we're used to, these were very tentative. She wouldn't even touch her favorite papaya treats. I called the vet and they said this sometimes happened and to put her on meds and syringe feed her. So I started her on .25cc of Cisapride every twelve hours and 50cc of critical care every six to eight hours. It was pretty alarming how listless she was and she didn't even fight the syringe feeding which is completely unlike her. Her stomach was pretty quiet too instead of the usual gurgles. Her ears got cool a couple of times so I was pretty intent on keeping her warm, something she wasn't down with. It was a pretty rough night for me and I didn't get a lot of sleep. The next day she was a bit better, had a little more energy, still didn't fight her feeding but did hop off several times during it. Shortly after her 3pm feeding the second day she started to nibble on food on her own and pretty soon she was going to town on her greens and demanding treats again. By last night she'd gone through two bushels of parsley and was eating hay so I gave her a last dose of the Cisapride about 6 in the evening and didn't syringe feed her. She ate and dozed all night long and today she's back to her usual self, gurgly stomach, busybody energy, demands for treats and all.

Now there was some seriously gnarly poop at the beginning. The first one looked like about five smooth cecotropes all linked together and it smelled terrible even for cecotropes. We had at least two more magnificently sized piles of something similar before things started to get back to normal. She's pooping fine now; they're small in size but a lot more than usual so I figure its just her body settling down and getting back into the routine. I gave her some bene-bac just to be on the safe side.

And that's my vax story. I'd been warned that she might get a lump in the shot area for a few days (she didn't) but no one mentioned going off her feed until after they'd given her the shot and no one mentioned the lethargy at all. Things seem pretty much back to normal but I figured I'd add this in case anyone else had it throw their bun for a loop the way it did Fizz. For us it was about a two day recovery.

the bun in question

 

[TreasuredFriend]

Our crew of 15 were vax'd in early February. They are all indoor house buns. No ill effects.

 

[TreasuredFriend]

Our DVM set a timer and waited for 20 minutes to check their temps and gums for any signs of Medgene reaction. House call done for our crew with Vet and Vet Assist and wellness exams done at the same time for anyone who hadn't been seen in the previous 4 months.

Medgene vax given to all, and amount not dependent on their weight.

Tam O Ham, I can understand your concern about Fizz having side effects. Certainly concerning to us bun parents.

 

[SableSteel]

I recently gave the Medgene vaccine to 11 of my rabbits. There were no side effects except for some minor injection site swelling on a few of them, though I also gave the BunnyVac vaccine at the same time so that might have been the one to cause it.

 

[Blue eyes]

Updated link with updated maps of RHD in the US:

Maps - RHDV2.org

To continue providing relevant information, it is important for the RHD Awareness Team to understand who is using the information we provide and how this information is useful to stakeholders. Please complete the form at the bottom of this page when downloading any materials so that we can...

rhdv2.org

If you go to the link and watch the video that shows the disease progression month by month, you'll see how quickly it is spreading. Anyone who lives in a currently unaffected state should be prepared for it coming soon.

 

[NorthernNevadaHollandLops]

I recently gave the Medgene vaccine to 11 of my rabbits. There were no side effects except for some minor injection site swelling on a few of them, though I also gave the BunnyVac vaccine at the same time so that might have been the one to cause it.

Were you able to administer the vaccine yourself? If so, would you be able to share where you got it? The local vet here who will administer it also requires microchipping and I don't know how I feel about having to microchip them.

 

[TreasuredFriend]

Our crew of 15 received their 2nd dose of Medgene on March 2nd. No ill effects.

On a different medical forum the age concern came up.

Thank you for this map @Blue eyes .