2 wild rabbits dying of mixy in my garden

[traceybath]

and they're huddled together under a hedge.

all a bit nature tooth and claw for my liking and my 4 year old is torn between macabre interest and sadness that they'll die.

anyone know how long it'll take? noticed suddenly that all the rabbits round here have vanished (and we had loads) and clearly saw the two with mixy a couple of days ago.

[NotAnOtter]

dp says take them to your vet who will put them to sleep (freee)

hth

[CarGirl]

or go and finsih them off yourself it's so sad, horrible for them to do in that way.

[RedHead81]

oh your poor LO!
Can you move them so that your LO can't see them? It will prob take a while - Mixy is not nice - can you get someone who might put them out of their misery for you - without LO seeing of course!

[traceybath]

well i may tell our farmer landlord and hope he can do something.

its really sad as when we moved in during march garden was over run with baby bunnies and i'd wash up watching them come out of their burrow and now they're all dead.

[ThatBigGermanPrison]

Awww cut their poor heads off with a cleaver, and bury them.

[cadelaide]

If you think you can bear it, cover them with a sheet or something (they won't budge if they're that ill) and really wack them with a spade, several times. Do not hesitate once you have made the decision, just bash like fuck.

[cadelaide]

The sheet is more for you than them. Mixy's a ghastly slow death, they'll be past caring.

[traceybath]

oooh i'm such a big girl i just can't do it myself but will grab farmer first thing tomorrow and let him deal with them.

i haven't seen any mixy rabbits in years - i didn't realise it was still around so much.

[cadelaide]

Yes it's always about, it goes in cycles.

The local rabbit population increases, mixy steps in and wipes them out, then the numbers gradually rise again.

[weeonion]

it can be a long and slow death for them. maybe call the rspca and see what they suggest?

if there has been a drop in bunny numbers around you - has someone released a new batch of mixy lately?? havent heard of it in ages..

[Loshad]

notanotter is right, vet will put down wild animals for free (took in hedgehog once with broken leg, and she refused to bill me even though it was out of hours)

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[LynetteScavo]

I was just wondering, how do recognise the rabbit is ill, and how long does it suffer?

Can it be passed to domestic rabbits?

[traceybath]

it can be passed to domestic rabbits.

i noticed firstly on saturday as went to hang washing out and rabbit stayed by my line - they normally bolt.

when i got closer could see round its eyes were all black and lumpy and it was clearly blind.

have just been doing more reading and it can take up to 14 days for them to die and some people who want to control the rabbit population put a mixy one deliberately down a burrow/in a highly populated area.

our farmer landlord is lovely and very soft so am hoping he will kill them humanely.

[CarGirl]

Ring the local vet now?

[IAteDavinaForDinner]

It is a horrible, horrible death from myxo. Absolutely nothing wrong with despatching them yourself if you can - even just holding them by the back legs and whacking their heads against the corner of a wall or something (awful, I know, but really kinder than the alternative as long as you do it with convistion). Probably less stressful for a wild animal then being carted off in a car.

Domestic rabbits are susceptible but you can vaccinate them against it.

[IAteDavinaForDinner]

conviction

[cadelaide]

oops, it's what farmers do,in one way or another. It's kinder, put them out of their misery asap.

A wild creature would be terrified to be bundled up and taken on a journey with a needle at the end of it, a spade (or whatever) is quicker. What do you think a farmer, gamekeeper would do?

[MondayNightFabio]

oh gosh, how horrible. agree you have to do something. poor little bastards.

[cadelaide]

traceybath, your landlord is the person you need then, he will know what he's doing.

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[IAteDavinaForDinner]

oops, I am a vet and IME wild animals do not cope with the stress of handling well at all. Obviously a nice swift injection is more palatable for laypeople but to the rabbit I suspect blunt head trauma would be sweet relief right now.

[cadelaide]

Absolutely IADFD.

I perhaps painted rather a brutal image, but if you're going to do it it really must be quick, that's what I was trying to get across.

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