I was out with the dog yesterday for a walk along with my dad and his dogs when dads dog caught a rabbit he brought it back and dad let it go but my dog ran after it and caught it and brought it to me on closer inspection this time the young 3/4 grew rabbit had a bad dose of Maxi, I'd know it's around but as I don't like my dogs on rabbits I don't go near them if can help it, I hit the rabbit on the head with my fishin priest that was in my bag, I got a closer look then to see that the poor rabbit was in such a bad shape (before i hit it) it's eyes were almost closed with a lot of gooey stuff runnin out of them and one eye was all swollen out, it's a cruel disease for sure, I took my dog to the vet at lunch time to have him checked over as his tongue was bleedin from grass cuts 10 minutes after that rabbit was disposed of there was no damage to the rabbit by my dog but I was afraid of germs of the maxi still in or around his mouth,the vet gave him the all clear and flee'd & wormed him all for the bloody expensive price of £32 so it was an expensive walk yesterday but I it was honestly worth the £32 for the peace of mind as I wouldn't want to loose another dog,the vet reckons the maxi comes when's there's a large number of rabbits buildin up in one area and it kind of culls them back again.Has anyone else came across this terrible disease near you ? Nige
Maxi Rabbits
- Thread starter Nigel
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GlenPresley
Well-known member
Nige, Unless there is a new name for it or an 'Irish One'!!! /wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-laugh.gif/wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-laugh.gifI think you mean Myxomatosis???/wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-laugh.gif/wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-laugh.gifWe call it Myxi for short!It is spread with other bunnies coming into contact with one which already has the disease and is also spread by flea bites and mosquitos that have previously fed on the blood of an infected rabbit!Is a nasty one, basically the rabbit just wastes away until hunger or a predator picks it off!We have not seen it severly near me for a few years but it pops up every now and again!Interestingly enough the Rabbit is becoming more and more immune to it so maybe this is why we don't see the severity of it as much as years gone by. There is a vaccine available for your pet rabbit if you have one! /wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-laugh.gif/wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-laugh.gif/wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-laugh.gif/wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-laugh.gif Glen.
Outlaw
Well-known member
I have been told there is no problem with humans eating Myxi rabbits nor is there a problem with dogs coming into contact with them but I for one wouldnt want to risk my dog nor my Mrs by feeding them a Myxi bunny
Myxomatosis = maxi as we call it here not (mixi) forgive me it's been a tough week /wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-yell.gif there are a fair few rabbits about my area but there aren't so many with maxi but then how often do we get to them to actually find out unless we shoot them or like with me the dog caught one -- all I can say it's a sad nasty lookin disease that I think cheats should get
Nige
Around here it's a given that you're going to run into myxi rabbits every summer. It used to be much worse in the late 70's and early 80's so it does appear certain colonies have managed to build up a resistance but that doesn't mean they won't catch it at all. I can vouch for their edibility by the way/wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-wink.gif, I used to read Brian Plummer books all the time and it was he who said they were harmless to humans. Back in the day a slight bit of myxi wouldn't have stopped me eating them and to this when you skin one (not the emaciated variety) it looks no different to any other.
jeez Hammy there are bound to be enough good non maxi (just for Glen that's our Norn Iron way of sayin Myxi /wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-wink.gif) around for not to chance eatin on with it's eye's hanin out /wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-yell.gif Nige
Yes Nige but remember we're talking about when we were kids. Back then if I managed to kill (more like poach on Canterbury Uni campus at night/wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-surprised.gif/wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-wink.gif) a rabbit with an ancient air gun I would be having multiple orgasms/wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-laugh.gif/wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-laugh.gif. It's also partly to do with a refusal to dump edible animals unless absolutely necessary.
i was able to jump out of my car on our lane the other week and lift a bunny that was so badly dosed with myxi it was bumping into the hedge blind as a bat. i put it out of its misery. i hate the disease, i love rabbit shooting over ferrets, but sadly that is almost a thing of the past over here now. there is large part of the country over here that havent had a rabbit on them in years, and these same places used to be alive with them 10 years ago. my theory is it was a bad dose of myxi coupled with the other disease rhd, and it just totally wiped them out in alot of areas
GlenPresley
Well-known member
Did you eat it Micky?! Sod that I would never eat one with Mixi! The disease runs down a rabbits total imune system so it could have other nasty things!!! There are plenty of foxes that would love the easy meal!Luckily there aren't to many about round my area with Mixix lately but plenty of foxes. Plent of Hares around though I was amazed!!!There is nothing better than out lamping with my Dad with the .17 and there is always a chance of a fox, struck gold with one last time I was back and there were three in the same field! Which may I add the hunt regularly patrol!!! Glen.
