Creating better tomorrows for all pet rabbits
It’s key for owners to vaccinate pet rabbits
It’s important your bunnies live a happy, healthy life. So vaccinate them every year against Myxomatosis and two strains of Rabbit Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (RVHD). Do this and you’re doing your bit to keep your rabbits at their best.
Vaccinating your rabbits is the most important measure you can take to protect them. They can be injected from five weeks old and they’ll need boosters every year with the new triple combination vaccine.
It doesn’t guarantee absolute protection from Myxomatosis. But the disease will be milder in vaccinated rabbits, appearing as a single skin lesion, or a short, fairly minor illness. If you think your rabbit has Myxomatosis take it to a rabbit friendly vet who’ll report the infection to the vaccine manufacturers. Vaccinated rabbits with Myxomatosis usually survive, unfortunately unvaccinated rabbits tend not to.
You’ll need to protect your rabbits against two strains of RVHD, known as RVHD1 and RVHD2.
Vaccination is very effective. Your rabbits can be injected from five weeks old. They’ll need a booster with the triple combination vaccine every 12 months. If your rabbit has never had a stand-alone RVHD2 vaccine, then it should be given as a one-off the first time you vaccinate. See above for more information.
What vaccines do my rabbits need?
It’s important your rabbits live a happy, healthy life. So vaccinate them every year against Myxomatosis and two strains of Rabbit Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (RVHD 1 and RVHD 2). Do this and you’re doing your bit to keep your rabbits at their best.
Here at the RWA&F, we’ve held meetings with the vaccine manufacturers and updated our advice. Detailed information, including drug names, which we are only legally allowed to give to veterinary professionals, is published in the Vets section. If your vet has any queries, please ask them to check out the vet-only pages.
In light of the new ‘highly virulent strain’ of RVHD2, we have updated our vaccination advice, and all rabbits now need two vaccinations a year:
- ‘Triple’ vaccine to cover Myxi, RVHD1 and RVHD2
- New vaccine to cover RVHD2 highly virulent strain
These vaccines can be given 2 weeks or more apart.
Your vet should know about the vaccination options. If they would like further information, please let them know that they can visit our website. Unless there are any currently unforeseen issues they should be able to order the new vaccine from their wholesaler from 9th December 2024. Initially, only the multi-dose vials are available in December, and the individual doses are from January 2025. Speak to your vet; they may offer vaccination sessions so that the multi-dose vials can be shared between rabbit owners so that you don’t have to cover the cost of the whole vial. However, it is vitally important to maintain separation and biosecurity of rabbits in this situation. Or speak to local rabbit-owning friends and see if you can all arrange appointments on the same day. The vial needs to be used within 10 hours of being opened.
Vaccination is the best way to protect your rabbits against all forms of RVHD and Myxomatosis.
If you have any sudden deaths in vaccinated rabbits which you suspect to be due to RVHD, please report them here.
This is to give us all the most accurate understanding of how to offer the best protection to rabbits.
If there are any outbreaks suspicious for RVHD in your collection, please report with as much detail as you can, as early on as possible, to the Facebook group set up to track the new strain.
Further advice for control of the disease, and if you are attending a rabbit vaccination session at your vets.
No vaccine is or can be 100% effective, and some animals cannot be vaccinated. It is, therefore, very important to reduce the spread of the virus as much as possible.
RVHD is a calicivirus, like one of the viruses often known as “cat flu” and can be carried on both live animals and inanimate objects, where it can persist for a very long time. Its main method of spread is via clothes, shoes, etc,
If you are planning on attending any rabbit event or visiting a place with rabbits, particularly lots of them, and especially if their vaccine status is unknown or they are known to be unvaccinated, then it is very likely that you will return home with the virus on you. For anyone who is concerned about bringing this strain into their home, especially until their rabbits are fully vaccinated, we suggest the following safety and biosecurity measures.
- When leaving your house, change into clean clothes and shoes which have not come into contact with rabbits. We would suggest wearing clothes that are fresh on from being washed, and either shoes that are never worn anywhere near your rabbits, or disinfecting them using a suitable product. The good news is that many disinfectants are effective against the virus, and we would suggest buying a pet-safe one from a pet shop or online or asking your vet for advice. Look for one that claims to kill cat flu, as this is a related virus. I have put some references to types of disinfectants below, but they are quite long and detailed and refer to products, not all of which are available in the UK. If in doubt, use a 1:10 solution of household bleach on the soles of your shoes, but note that this may discolour clothing.
https://catcare.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Infection-Control-Principles-presentation-280319.pdf
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/rhdv-cleaning-guidance.pdf
https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/epas-registered-antimicrobial-products-effective-against-norovirus-feline - Wash your hands just before leaving the house. Alcohol-based hand sanitiser is better than nothing, but washing properly for 2 minutes in warm/hot, soapy water is ideal.
- If you shake hands, etc, washing your hands in warm, soapy water or using alcohol-based hand sanitiser for at least 1 minute is advised.
- On returning to your home, I would change back into indoor clothes, wash those you have been wearing, disinfect your shoes and wash your hands thoroughly.
- Any shopping you have bought for your rabbits should be quarantined for 2 weeks for inorganic materials like plastic wrap or 3 months for any cloth material, bedding, etc. Or, if necessary, wash anything like fleece beds on at least 60C or 90C if it will take it!
Richard Saunders (he/him) BSc (Hons) BVSc FRSB CBiol DZooMed (Mammalian) DipECZM (ZHM) FHEA FRCVS
Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund Veterinary Advisor
How to report a vaccine failure
Vaccine failure can have serious consequences. Discover how to protect your rabbits from RVHD2 and report potential failures.
Vaccination FAQs
Yes. We’d still recommend vaccination:
- It’s impossible to predict when and where diseases will strike.
- If you wait for a local outbreak your rabbit might be the first to suffer.
- Many boarding places and insurance policies need rabbits to have up-to-date vaccinations.
Usually vaccines should only be given to healthy animals, whose immune system can respond properly. However, if your rabbit’s condition is stable, it may be ok to vaccinate. Talk this over with your vet.
Vaccinations are recommended as soon as possible after five weeks old. So don’t wait until the same time as neutering. It leaves a window of risk when the rabbit isn’t protected. Carrying out vaccinations at the same time as neutering also carries risks, to the rabbit’s health and to the effectiveness of the vaccine.
Like all drugs, vaccines can have side effects, although problems in rabbits are very unusual. Skin reactions are sometimes reported at the site of injection, especially with some brands of older RVHD vaccine. Some rabbits are quiet for a day or two afterwards. Although it’s not great, it’s better than losing your rabbit to a preventable disease.
If your rabbit’s had Myxomatosis in the year leading up to vaccination this can affect how vaccines work, so consult your vet to see what’s best.
You’ll find more up to date advice on vaccinating against both strains of RVHD on our RVHD page.