My name is Melanie and I am also known online as NellyThumper. I lost my two bunnies on the 7th April 2008 because of the dreadful Myxomatosis virus.
This is part of our experience with Myxomatosis.
I was very upset to loose my girls to such a cruel disease, but I was heartbroken over watching the disbeleif and confusion in my daughter as she struggled to understand what had happened to our bunnies. More importantly, she wanted to know why her Mum and the nice Vet hadnt fixed our bunnies and made them all better. Isn't that what Mums do?
Nelly was the first to show clinical symptoms of the disease. Once diagnosed with Myxi, I took Nelly home and nursed her intesively with homeopathic drops and ointment from my Vets. I fed her almost forcibly, and gave her water through a dropper held to her little mouth. She already had puffy, swollen eye lids that ran with white discharge continually. Her bottom was messy with diahrea and there were lumps in and on her skin. Soon her chest was rattling and her nostrils closed up due to more swelling in her beautiful and sad face. Each breath she took was hard for her and even harder for me to watch and listen to. Nelly stopped eating, hid in her box and looked so pityful it hurt to look at her, she was so visibly suffering.
When I next checked on Thumper-who had been fighting fit her whole life and was seperated from Nelly for the first time in their six years on the planet, I saw the signs right away. Her eyes were swelling and the disease had already taken hold.
I cried so hard, I knew they were both better off dead and that hurt so much. There was nothing I could do for them now except do the kindest thing for them and the very worst thing for me. I took them both to my wonderful and caring Vet to be put to sleep.
I was so upset I couldnt even say goodbye to them I am ashamed to say.
So not only did I loose our bunnies to a preventable disease, I watched my daughter suffer and I know it still effects me everytime I think about it. I was hurt so much I decided I wanted to stop crying and DO SOMETHING to stop this from happening to other people-to other parents and pet owners alike.But especially to prevent children from seeing this disease and what it does to their pet, and of course so their pet doesnt die or need to be put to sleep. Needlessly loosing lives to a preventable and purpose spread disease is maddness.
Especially when this diseases main function is to kill wild rabbits-not pet ones.
My young daughter couldnt understand why we took our bunnies to the Vet alive, but we left with them cold and still and oh so very quiet. The look on her face, in her eyes I will never forget. I think I heard my heart actually break inside my chest. My daughter still askes me if we can go and pick our bunnies up from our Vet-"They must be fixed by NOW Mum", she tell me.
I am gathing support for the legalisation of the Vaccine for Myxomatosis because we as responsible pet owners deserve access to it, as tax payers, voters and members of the community we have a right to this Vaccine, and I want to spare myself and others from the awful experience of Myxomatosis.
Prevention is the ONLY CURE!
I truly hope that my bunny girls somehow know I miss them so much and that I am doing what I can to help other bunnies-to make them safe and help them stay healthy.
PLEASE SUPPORT THE PETITION AND HELP STOP THE SUFFERING!