RHDV-2 INFORMATION FOR COLORADO RABBIT OWNERS
RMHRR highly recommends vaccinating your pet rabbits for RHDV.
In North America in 2020, an outbreak of the deadly Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus 2 (RHDV2) began and is now an endemic disease in many parts of the U.S. The vaccine is currently available at the following locations:
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Broomfield Veterinary Hospital
Colorado Exotic Animal Hospital
Greenwood Village Veterinary Clinic
Homestead Avian and Exotic Animal Hospital
RHDV DETAILS
The vaccine must be administered annually, after an initial two-dose series.
Rabbit owners should practice good biosecurity, especially if your rabbits are not vaccinated. These practices include not wearing shoes in the house, housing rabbits indoors (which we recommend anyway for many reasons), not allowing outdoor playtime, washing hands before and after handling rabbits, not feeding foraged foods, and quarantining any new pet rabbits among other precautions.
Visit this webpage which contains more information on RHDV2.
Symptoms may include:
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Loss of appetite
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Lethargy
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High fever
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Seizures
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Jaundice
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Bleeding from nose, mouth, or rectum
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Difficulty breathing
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Sudden death
RHDV is often a very swift and sudden killer, giving little warning. Rabbits may die without showing any symptoms at all. Any sudden rabbit death is suspicious and should be reported to your veterinarian as a possible case of RHDV.