Myxomatosis is contracted by wild and domestic rabbits, particularly during the months between August and October. Wild rabbits have a higher survival rate than domestic rabbits. Spread by blood sucking insects such as rabbit fleas, ticks, mites, lice or mosquitoes, the disease can spread very quickly. Dogs cannot contract myxomatosis.
Symptoms
The disease is characteristic of swollen eyelids, head, face, lips, ears, genitalia and anus, and visible lumps. Severe swelling can result in blindness, distortion of the face and difficulty in eating and drinking. Listlessness, loss of appetite, fever and the suppression of the immune system can also accompany the other symptoms. Sometimes bacterial respiratory infections further complicate the disease, resulting in fatal pneumonia and inflammation of the lumps. The mortality rate is 25 to 90 percent in the United States, with death usually occurring within 13 days of exposure. There is a 100 percent mortality rate for European rabbits.
Myxomatosis is spread between rabbits by insects, direct or indirect contact, such as through handlers. The best defense is to avoid exposing the rabbit to large gatherings of other rabbits, such as rabbit shows, to disinfect any areas where an infected rabbit inhabited, to vaccinate for the disease and to use flea control products, such as Advantage, since there is no cure.
Vaccine
The vaccine given to prevent myxomatosis is a live one containing Shope's fibroma virus. Though this virus does not cause the disease, it is similar enough to induce a cross immunity for the myxoma virus. Immunity develops after two weeks and can be administered to rabbits more than six weeks old. Vaccinations need to occur annually unless the rabbit inhabits an area that is prone for the disease, in which case the vaccination would take place twice a year. The vaccine should not be given within two weeks of being given the vaccine for viral haemorrhagic disease.
Dogs Are Not Affected by Myxomatosis
Dogs are not affected by the disease, even if they come in close contact with an infected rabbit. It is best not to allow a dog to approach an infected rabbit, since the rabbit is already stressed and may be carrying another disease that can affect a dog. If a dog is bitten, scratched, is in direct or indirect contact with an infected rabbit, he will not contract myxomatosis; however, any other disease the rabbit may be carrying can affect him. This is especially true since fleas, ticks, mites and mosquitoes transmit the disease between rabbits. It is this process that can affect a dog by exposing him to another insect-carryied disease.
For hunting dogs, especially those used in hunting rabbits, special care must be taken to ensure that secondary diseases the rabbit may be carrying does not affect the dog. Hunting dogs should always be protected from insect-carried diseases with the use of insect repellants. This is especially true for dogs that may have to enter water in order to retrieve the rabbit or other animal. Some, but not all, insect repellants can be used on dogs that enter the water. In fact, some repellants may actually adversely affect the aquatic life in the water.