VGBK vaccine for rabbits: types of vaccinations and instructions for use, doses

Until recently, a viral hemorrhagic disease could deprive a farmer of his livestock in an instant. Thanks to the efforts of scientists, people have learned to fight infection. The HBV vaccine for all breeds of rabbits protects fluffy beauties and increases resistance in case of infection with a deadly disease. There are a large number of live and inactivated drugs on the market today.

Why is the HBV vaccine made?

Viral hemorrhagic disease of rabbits is an extremely dangerous and insidious disease. For rabbits that have reached a weight of 3-3.5 kg, the disease almost always ends in death.But this is the most productive group of animals. Sick relatives, common feeders, drinkers or bedding can become a source of infection for a pet. There are cases when the infection was brought by the wind from a neighboring farmstead.

For owners and other pets, VGBK does not pose a danger. The development of the disease occurs instantly and is almost asymptomatic. The clinical picture of the disease can be seen closer to the final stage. In the morning, the animal cheerfully chose tasty tidbits from the feeder, and in the evening, a lifeless body lies on the bedding.

Before reaching the age of 2, rabbits cannot boast of strong immunity, so the first serious infection leads to death of the pet. The mass death of long-eared pets causes tremendous damage to the economy. Even treated skins of sick animals remain a source of infection for rabbits for a long time.

Regular vaccination of rabbits is the only way to protect your pets from a terrible scourge.Of course, not a single tool gives a 100% guarantee of safety, but still, the likelihood of pet infection will be significantly reduced. The vaccine will create immunity in the animal to the causative agent of the insidious disease. In case of infection, the vaccinated animal will easily and without negative consequences transfer the disease.

At what age do they do it?

Rabbits receive their first vaccination at the age of 5-6 weeks, immediately after the separation of the offspring from the mother. Up to this point, the rabbits have been reliably protecting the antibodies that they received during breastfeeding. At the time of the procedure, the rabbit must gain at least 0.5 kg - underweight animals are not vaccinated.

Vaccination must be repeated after 3 months. By this age, the stock of antibodies received from the parents is completely depleted in the animals, and the rabbit is in desperate need of additional protection.

How often?

All subsequent vaccinations for pets are done 2 times a year, every 6 months. Rabbits are vaccinated at any time, excluding the feeding period. The drug may not have the best effect on the quality of milk. It is advisable to vaccinate breeding animals a couple of weeks before the planned mating. Thus, the offspring will receive an additional "margin of safety".

After vaccination, immunity is not formed immediately, but within 2 weeks, so the rabbit is kept in quarantine for half a month, excluding contact with other animals.

Varieties of Hemorrhagic Vaccines

Animal farmers use different types of vaccines, guided by experience and their own ideas about the benefits. Manufacturers produce 3 types of drugs:

Monovaccine. A simple remedy that includes a strain of one type of pathogen.
Divalent drug. (Vaccination reliably protects against two diseases at once called VGBK and myxomatosis.)
Polyvalent vaccine. A miracle cure against 3-5 ailments at the same time.

All drugs are well tolerated by animals. Subject to the dosage and rules for vaccinating animals, the procedure does not entail severe adverse reactions.

Today, monovaccines are not very popular with farmers. Due to the fact that the drug contains a strain of only one virus, the pet will have to be executed several times. The monovaccine is cheaper than other drugs, but upon closer inspection, the difference in price is not so obvious. Often the drug is sold without a diluent. The solution must be purchased separately.

Any vaccines are divided into 2 groups:

Live. The drug contains a small amount of live, active pathogens. Animals tolerate vaccination harder, but resistance to infection is developed quickly.
Inactivated. The drug is completely safe, there are no longer living pathogens. The vaccine is surprisingly well tolerated, but immunity takes longer to develop. But the vaccine protects the pet for a long time.

Of the complex vaccines, divalent agents are more often used that can protect animals from myxomatosis and VGBK. For example, the Czech drug Pestorin Mormyx, which includes live and inactivated components, is widely used.

Some farmers prefer to use the inactivated Ukrainian vaccine Lapimun Gemix. Due to its good quality, a Dutch drug called Nobivak Muho-RHD is popular. It contains live pathogens.

From the category of monovaccines, a drug developed by the Research Institute of Veterinary Virology and Microbiology under the auspices of the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences is popular.The tissue inactivated vaccine is made in the form of a suspension. Due to the composition and quality of the drug, immunity in animals is formed on the 3rd day and lasts for a year.

Instructions for use and doses

The result of vaccination depends not only on the quality of the drug, but also on the readiness of the animals for the procedure. The responsible host conducts the following activities:

2 weeks before vaccination, pets are given an antihelminthic. If this is not done, the vaccination will be useless.
2-3 days before the appointed date, rabbits are taken under observation, paying attention to the appearance and behavior of pets. The reason for the cancellation of the procedure should be discharge from the nose, eyes, depression of the animal or diarrhea.
Rabbits are weighed. The weight of the pet must be 500 g or more. Lagging babies will have to be vaccinated later.
Before vaccination, fluffy beauties are measured temperature. In a he althy state, the temperature of the animal rises to 38.5-39 degrees.

Vaccination is desirable to entrust an experienced veterinarian, but not all pet owners have this opportunity. As a rule, farmers prefer to vaccinate themselves. Subject to the exact dosage of the drug, the procedure is not difficult even for beginners.

In preparation for vaccination, you need to stock up on an anti-allergic agent. It is not known how the pet's body will react to the active substances. The vaccine is purchased only from official representatives of pharmacological companies. The original drug is always accompanied by a certificate confirming the quality of the goods. When buying, be sure to check the integrity of the packaging with the vaccine.

After studying the instructions, they begin to prepare the finished mixture. To do this, the dry component is mixed with a solvent so that 0.5 ml of the active substance is obtained.

Use an insulin syringe to collect the required amount of the diluted vaccine.The needle and injection site are wiped with alcohol. An injection is made into the thigh (intramuscularly) or into the fold at the withers of the animal (subcutaneously). The medicine is smoothly injected into the pet's body and the injection site is wiped with alcohol. After each injection, the used syringe is changed.

Opened packaging with the drug can not be stored. The vaccine is suitable for consumption within 3 hours. Every minute the vaccine will lose its protective properties. After the procedure, the pet is isolated from relatives. The vaccinated animal is protected from insect bites and temperature extremes. At this time, the rabbit does not tolerate cold and heat.

To increase immunity, vitamin supplements are introduced into the pet's diet. A fluffy pet is given sprouted grain, fish oil, mountain ash and pumpkin. Within 3 weeks after the procedure, the rabbit should not be taken to exhibitions and moved over long distances. In addition, in the first days after vaccination, the animal must not be bathed and treated for parasites.

Possible side effects and contraindications

As a rule, rabbits tolerate the vaccine well. In rare cases, an animal may have an allergic reaction to a vaccine. Deterioration of he alth occurs 15-20 minutes after the injection of the drug. Signs of an allergic reaction:

The pet hardly reacts to external stimuli.
The mucous membranes of the animal turn red.
Rabbit breathing with difficulty.
The animal has increased salivation.
A rash is clearly visible on the pet's skin.

When 1-2 symptoms appear, the rabbit is given an intramuscular injection of "Dimedrol" or "Suprastin". A single dose is 0.3 ml. To restore normal heart function, a drug consisting of 0.3 ml of sulfocamphocaine and 20 ml of saline is injected subcutaneously.

When a rabbit reacts normally to a vaccine, there are no problems. In some cases, the pet's lymph nodes are slightly enlarged, but literally after 48 hours everything returns to normal.