Should we get rabbits jabbed?

Q

We have a pair of 10-week-old rabbits and have been advised to get them vaccinated against a rabbit disease that causes bleeding. But as we live in

London – and the rabbits live mostly indoors – we wonder whether the vaccines are really necessary?

A

The rabbit disease you mention is Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease (RHD, or RHD1).

It was first described in China in 1984 and since then has spread to most parts of the world, including here in the UK. In recent years a new variant has appeared: RHD2.

RHD1 is a very serious disease in rabbits with a high mortality rate (almost 100 per cent).

Most affected rabbits are simply found dead, with signs of bleeding from the nose and other body orifices. Some rabbits do survive but suffer fever, internal bleeding, severe depression and refuse to eat.

The variant RHD2 is not quite so pathogenic but still causes severe symptoms, lasting up to two weeks with a fatality rate between 70 and 100 per cent.

Both variants last a long time in the environment, and can be found wherever wild rabbits graze, contaminating foodstuffs, and are easily brought into the home on footwear.

Wild birds can also transmit the virus on their feet.

RHD2 cases have been seen in

London and I strongly recommend vaccination now.

Vaccines are available for both viruses and give solid protection.

RHD1 is given along with myxomatosis, but it doesn’t provide good protection against RHD2, for which a separate vaccine is necessary a few weeks later.

Q

My 15-year-old neutered male cat feels a bit lighter when I pick him up and has started to drink a lot more water too. He is fed on pouches and is eating reasonably well though. Does he need to see the vet?

A

It’s not easy to reliably weigh cats but yours feeling lighter is probably significant and worth a trip to the vet.

There are several possible problems that can occur at your cat’s age.

Kidney disease is very common in older cats, with several surveys estimating that between 20 and 50 per cent of cats older than 15 years have chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Diabetes also tends to occur in older cats and an overactive thyroid gland will cause weight loss. There are other causes of this though and tests your vet might want to do will depend on the findings of a full physical examination.

For the relatively common diseases that I have mentioned, blood tests and a urine examination usually enable an accurate diagnosis, especially for diabetes and thyroid disease.

Blood tests for CKD are not quite so straightforward as the kidney damage has to be fairly advanced before seeing positive test results, due to increased creatinine and urea in the blood.

The kidneys of cats can function with few signs of illness until two-thirds to three-quarters of the kidney is damaged, and this is when creatinine and urea levels go up. A newer blood test helps identify milder early cases.

Treatment is available for the above diseases and many cats live longer as a result with a good quality of life.

David Grant MBE has been a vet for more than 50 years. Email questions to him at pamperedpets@people.co.uk