If your rabbits could have been exposed to a sick animal and is appearing to be
very tired and may not be eating or drinking, follow these instructions:
- Separate
the rabbit from people and other animals immediately. (Lock it in a room or
put it in a cage or cardboard box well apart from others, such as in the
garage.)
- Wash
your hands well after contact with the rabbit and any object that may be
contaminated with virus.
- Inform
your Vet. that you think you have a rabbit that is sick before taking it to
the Vet.
- Do
not release your rabbit into the wild. If it is
infected, this could spread the illness to other animals and people. It is
very important that the illness be contained.
- Do
not leave your rabbit at a shelter. Again, this
could spread the illness.
not take your rabbit to a vet without calling first.
The vet must take precautions to receive your rabbit.
When
taking your rabbit to the vet you should:
- Call
your vet before you go and tell them you think your rabbit is sick. (this
way they can follow procedures to keep themselves and others from getting
sick.)
- Only
one person should travel with the rabbit, to keep exposure to the rabbit to
a minimum.
- If
possible, put the rabbit in a cage and place the cage in a cardboard box
with a few air holes.
- Separate
the rabbit from the driver as much as possible.
- Later,
clean any surfaces in the car that the animal, its secretions, or its cage,
may have come in contact with and wash your hands thoroughly.
After
taking your sick rabbit to the vet, you’ll need to clean the household areas
where it lived. Follow these instructions:
-
- Wash
any clothing or other fabric that may have come in contact with the sick rabbit
in hot water (hottest possible cycle) with detergent and then dry the items
in a dryer on the hot setting. You can use bleach in the wash cycle as an
extra precaution.
- Food
dishes, cages, and other items that may have had contact with the rabbit
should be washed in hot water with dishwashing detergent or bleach at a rate
of 1 cup per gallon of water.
- If
the animal’s bedding is not washable, call your local or state health
department to find out how to do this. Follow their instructions for
disposal of potentially contaminated materials.
- When
you are done, wash your hands thoroughly.
- Do
not throw any potentially contaminated materials away in the
trash or at a dump or landfill. This could spread the illness.
Rabbit Quarantine:
If your rabbit has potentially been exposed to other animals, but is not showing
symptoms of the illness, it still needs to be watched for signs of illness.
Exposure is defined as living in the same house with, or coming from the same
pet store or other facility as a rabbit show. Your rabbit
must be observed for 30 days to be certain it is not infected. This can be done
in the home. Follow these instructions:
- Put
your rabbit in a room with a closed door and keep it away from all other
animals and people for 30 days.
- Limit
time spent with the rabbit. Do not handle the rabbit. Ask your vet for
advice about protecting yourself when caring for your rabbit.
- After
feeding or otherwise caring for the animal, wash your hands thoroughly with
soap and hot water.
- If
the animal gets sick during the 30 days, contact your local or state health
department for instructions.
- During
this 30-day period, watch your own health and the health of family members
carefully for signs of illness. If you or someone you have been in close
contact with develops a fever, headache, backache, swollen lymph nodes, or a
rash, contact your health-care provider immediately.
-
If
you have a weakened immune system for any reason, do not care for or come
into contact with the potentially infected rabbit. (Cancer treatment, an
organ transplant, HIV infection, primary immune deficiency disorders, some
severe autoimmune disorders, and medications to treat autoimmune disorders
and other illnesses can weaken the immune system.)
If it
is too difficult to meet the requirements of home quarantine, contact your local
or state health department for advice on other options.
For
help in contacting your local or state health department, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention web site .
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