22/01/2026
An important warning for our rabbit owners.
๐จ ๐ ๐๐
๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ ๐๐น๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ต ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ ๐ข๐๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐จ
Our ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ต ๐ฐ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ข๐๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ are currently seeing a ๐ต๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐ป๐๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐บ๐๐
๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ถ๐๐. This increase indicates that myxomatosis is widely circulating in our community, posing a severe risk to pet rabbits.
Myxomatosis is a ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐ณ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ, spread primarily by ๐บ๐ผ๐๐พ๐๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ฒ๐, ๐ณ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ณ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐, but it can also be transmitted through direct contact with infected wild rabbits or contaminated items through bodily fluids. Sadly, once infected, many rabbits deteriorate rapidly.
โ ๏ธ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐น๐ ๐ป๐ผ ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐น๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐ฎ to protect rabbits against myxomatosis. Prevention relies heavily on environmental management and insect control.
๐ฐ ๐ฆ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ ๐๐
๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐๐ถ๐
Pet rabbits typically present with classical signs, including:
โช๏ธSwollen, thickened (oedematous) ear bases
โช๏ธSwelling around the eyes
โช๏ธSwollen ge****ls
โช๏ธLethargy and reduced appetite
Unfortunately, the chance of survival in pet rabbits once infected is extremely low (less than 0.1%). If your rabbit shows any signs of illness, please contact a veterinarian immediately.
๐ก๏ธ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ถ๐
Rabbit owners can reduce risk by taking the following precautions:
โ๏ธ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ผ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด
The safest way to protect rabbits is to house them indoors. Ensure doors and windows are fitted with secure fly and mosquito screens.
โ๏ธ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ฒ ๐ข๐๐๐ฑ๐ผ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ง๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ
If rabbits must spend time outdoors:
โช๏ธAvoid dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active
โช๏ธUse fine mosquito netting on hutches and runs
โช๏ธEnsure enclosures are fully secure from wild rabbits and insects
โ๏ธ ๐ค๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ถ๐๐
Quarantine any new rabbits for at least two weeks. Avoid rabbit shows, boarding, or mixing with other rabbits during this period of increased risk.
๐ฅ ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ผ๐น ๐จ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ
Due to the rise in myxomatosis cases, we have implemented additional biosecurity measures for rabbits presenting with ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐๐ฒ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐, ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐, ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น๐. Owners may be asked to ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น, while our team performs triage outside the clinic wearing PPE.
This is a precautionary measure designed to protect other vulnerable patients. Being asked to wait outside ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฒ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐บ๐๐
๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐๐ถ๐.
๐ ๐ช๐ฒโ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ
If youโre concerned about your rabbitโs health or need advice on housing, please get in touch with your local Perth clinic. Early advice can make a difference.
