advise on wild rabbit

lulu69 · #1 (**permalink**) 23-09-2007, 06:02 PM

My Partner found a baby wild rabbit in a car park by a wall, and it had runny eyes, it let us pick it up and we took it to out local wildlife hospital, it had no other obvious signs of ill health. Does anyone know what it could be, and what its chances are.

FlyAgaric · #2 (**permalink**) 23-09-2007, 06:14 PM

It has Myxomatosis. I found one today also, I had put it out of its misery. Its a nasty diseases and they slowly die. If I find a young baby rabbit with it, I will leave them and let it take its chances, because there is a chance it will recover if young enough, but the adult ones don't, and basically starve to death, if there brain swelling up doesn’t kill them first.

Its hard to put them to sleep yourself, its messed my day up, and upset me, but id be a lot more upset if I had left it knowing its still suffering.

You did a good thing taking it to a wildlife hospital, but there is little chance of survival, especially adult rabbits. Next time its best to knock it on its head

There is a vaccine for pet rabbits, but I don’t think there is a cure for those who have it, and the first time I found one I took it to the vet and they put it to sleep.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

The disease was introduced by our government to control the rabbit population, or they at least helped with its spread once here.

Myxomatosis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

hedgehog whisperer · #3 (**permalink**) 23-09-2007, 06:29 PM

At least by taking it to a wild life hospital you have ensured that it would have been put to sleep in a humane way and did not suffer in the wild on it’s own.

Wild-Woman · #4 (**permalink**) 23-09-2007, 06:34 PM

This is a ghastly disease and every time I see it, it upsets me. It has claimed several of my rabbits in the past and that's with a vaccine too. I have had 2 survivors but it takes a lot of nursing and deforms the rabbit in some way. They never seem so strong afterwards.
Vets have advised twice yearly vaccinations now. It was one when I lost mine.
I wish there was a way of eradicating this hideous virus.

FlyAgaric · #5 (**permalink**) 23-09-2007, 06:38 PM

Hi Hedgehog

The thing is hedgehog, if everyone who found a rabbit with this disease took it to a wildlife hospital, they would be overwhelmed and overrun, its the most common problem found with animal in nature. I see them all the time. I don’t want to sound cruel, but there is no other way else of putting it, hitting them on the head is about as humane as I can think of, they don’t feel a thing. By taking them to a wildlife hospital id say its worse, being your prolonging their agony and suffering, even if good intentioned. I don’t want to sound like a wimp either, but I cried the first few times I did it.

demicav · #6 (**permalink**) 23-09-2007, 06:43 PM

If I found a Rabbit in this condition I would either let nature take it's course or take it to a wildlife hospital. I certainly couldn't hit it over the head. Anyone who was hesitent could quite easily make a poor job of it and cause the animal further suffering.

The Woodman · #7 (**permalink**) 23-09-2007, 06:48 PM

Are there any other diseases of rabbits that runny eyes are a symptom of?
I've heard of Viral Haemorragic Disease but have never knowingly seen it despite the local populations crashing because of it (so it is said).

I've seen rabbits that have recovered from Myxomatosis, perhaps they should be left to develop a natural immunity.

FlyAgaric · #8 (**permalink**) 23-09-2007, 06:51 PM

Sorry, but letting nature take its course is less suffering that putting it out of its misery yourself? The ones I have left I sat and worried about all day wondering if they were suffering, which is why I now do the dirty deed.

I am open to people taking them to a wildlife hospital, but all the ones I have known have just put them to sleep anyway, the wild rabbits they do anyway.

hedgehog whisperer · #9 (**permalink**) 23-09-2007, 06:51 PM

You are a stronger person than I am. Probably many people and I could not do that. For a person finding a sick animal for the first time it is quite distressing, I was trying to be supportive to a new comer.

FlyAgaric · #10 (**permalink**) 23-09-2007, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Woodman

I've seen rabbits that have recovered from Myxomatosis, perhaps they should be left to develop a natural immunity.

I hope one day they do develop a natural immunity to it, but if that was to happen, I am sure the authorities would find another more ghastly control method, as rabbits are disliked by farmers. Some young ones can recover yes, or ones that have some immunity to it, but ones in an advanced stage have no chance, most are on deaths door from starvation anyway, and even the ones that do recover die soon after because they are not strong enough to survive in the wild.