You’ll get your rabbit to bring joy into your life, but it’s important to remember that you’ll also have a responsibility to bring joy into his or her life too.
There are many ways to do this, including giving them a happy environment, feeding them well, and making sure that they get plenty of exercise. And then there’s the matter of rabbit vaccinations.
While your rabbit may not like getting the vaccination at the time, it’ll benefit them in the long-term since it’ll help to prevent them from picking up diseases that could seriously compromise their health.
The vaccinations your rabbit needs:
There are a number of vaccinations that your rabbit must have. The essential ones are vaccinations for Rabbit (Viral) Haemorrhagic Disease (including new variations) and myxomatosis.
These are diseases that aren’t just fatal for rabbits, but which can also cause deep suffering. As a responsible rabbit owner, it’s important that you’re taking the time to take your rabbit to the vet to their vaccinations -- and any boosters that are required further down the line.
There are different types of vaccines that your rabbit can get. There’s a combined vaccine for myxomatosis and R(V)HD. These are available for rabbits that are older than five weeks. There’s another vaccine that treats all diseases (myxomatosis and R(V)HD and the variations). This one can be given to rabbits older than ten weeks.
Getting the vaccine
You can protect your rabbit against these diseases by visiting your vet. They’ll be able to recommend the vaccines that your rabbit will need, as well as the right time to give them to them.
The good news is that there’s very little complicated about getting the vaccines. They can be given quickly and without any problems. And while you’re at the vet, they’ll be able to take an overall look at your rabbit, to ensure that they’re in full working condition.
Why it’s important
It’s super important that you get these vaccines for your rabbit for one simple reason: the diseases that they protect against will kill your rabbit. If your rabbit becomes infected with one of the diseases that we mentioned above, then there’s nothing you can do, since there’s no cure. There aren’t even any effective treatment options, so the rabbit could suffer too.
Common vaccine myths
There are some myths related to rabbit vaccinations that you should be aware of. The most dangerous myth is that once a rabbit has been vaccinated at birth, then they’ll be immune to all diseases for the rest of their life.
They’ll need a vaccine booster every year -- some experts even say that they should get one every six months. It’s also important that house rabbits are vaccinated, since even though they don’t go outside, the insects that carry the disease can come inside.
Don’t be alarmed if your rabbit is a little poorly after receiving the vaccine -- most rabbits feel just fine, but if yours doesn’t, then know that it’s normal and will pass within a couple of days.