How myxomatosis affects rabbits, why it causes severe welfare suffering, and how vaccination and management can protect pet rabbits from this devastating disease.
Myxomatosis is one of the most welfare-severe diseases that can affect pet rabbits, causing a prolonged, distressing illness that begins with discomfort and progresses through increasing disability to death or necessary euthanasia. The suffering of an affected rabbit — progressive blindness, swelling that interferes with eating and breathing, and vulnerability to secondary infections — is significant and extends over days to weeks. Given that vaccination is safe, effective, and available, the preventable nature of this suffering makes failure to vaccinate a serious welfare concern. In endemic areas, unvaccinated rabbits are at genuine and ongoing risk. The emotional impact on owners who watch their rabbit die from myxomatosis is also substantial. Annual or biannual vaccination, combined with insect bite prevention, is straightforward and highly effective.