WHEN AND WHERE IS THE CLINIC? April 12th and May 3rd from 2:00 to about 3:00 at Southwest Veterinary Medical Center. Tickets are for specific time slots.
IS THE CLINIC FOR ANNUAL BOOSTERS OR FOR RABBITS WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN VACCINATED BEFORE? Both!
WHICH DATE DO I ATTEND IF MY RABBIT ONLY NEEDS A BOOSTER? – You choose! Since the booster is only one dose, you can select which date you’d prefer to attend.
WHEN DO I BRING MY RABBIT IF THEY HAVE NEVER RECEIVED THE VACCINE BEFORE? You need to attend BOTH dates because the vaccine requires two doses to be effective. If you do not attend the first date you will not be permitted to attend the second date. If you skip the second date, you will not receive a vaccine certificate because your rabbit will not be fully vaccinated.
DOES MY RABBIT NEED A BOOSTER WITH THIS VACCINE? Yes, your rabbit needs a one-dose booster annually after being fully vaccinated.
MY RABBIT RECEIVED THEIR LAST BOOSTER MORE/LESS THAN A YEAR AGO. IS IT SAFE TO HAVE THEM RECEIVE THEIR NEXT BOOSTER AT THIS CLINIC? – Rabbits getting a booster should have received their last dose at least 6 months before the clinic but no more than 14 months. If your rabbit has not received a booster in over 14 months since their last dose, they should be fully vaccinated again with two doses.
WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS? Rabbits must be at least 4 weeks old and not immunocompromised.
HOW MUCH WILL THE CLINIC COST? $40 per dose (so $40 for a booster and $80 for a currently-unvaccinated rabbit). All rabbits will also get a nail trim and a treat at no additional charge. A vaccination certificate will be provided.
To sign up for April 12th, click here.
To sign up for May 3rd, click here.
Note that the tickets are sold for specific time slots.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR TICKET HOLDERS
We assign a time slot because the parking lot is very small and we don’t want to impede traffic or the other businesses that share the lot. To help with space constraints, please do not arrive early. There are lots of other parking lots near SVMC for you to hang out in before your window if you need to kill some time.
Here are some important rules/pieces of info:
- Before you leave your house, make sure that your carrier(s) is/are labeled clearly with your rabbit’s name and your last name. For example, if your name is Joe Smith and your rabbits are named Thumper and Oreo, the carrier should say “Thumper & Oreo Smith.” Placing masking or duct tape on the carrier and writing on that with a sharpie works really well. DO NOT bring your rabbit in a cardboard box.
- Please review the image of the Southwest Veterinary Medical Center parking lot at the bottom of this post to see the traffic pattern. When you enter the parking lot, please turn right instead of going straight. You will check in with a volunteer at the green star who will verify that you are paid for the correct amount of rabbits and in your time frame.
- Then pull forward and stop (but do not park). Another volunteer will remove your carriers from your vehicle and bring them inside. You will stay in your vehicle. You may need to pull forward a little as the car in front of you leaves.
- Your rabbits will be vaccinated inside and then returned to your vehicle by the same volunteer. A vaccine certificate will be given on the same day for boosters and on the 2nd day for full vaccinations. Keep this certificate safe because NMHRS will require proof of vaccination for all future nail trims and bonding dates, and you will be given the only copy.
- Once your rabbits have been returned to you please leave immediately by pulling forward and then turning left. We highly recommend that you pull into a nearby parking lot for 15 minutes to observe your rabbit for a negative reaction. Unfortunately, the SVMC parking lot is not large enough to accomodate this but there are lots of other parking lots in the immediate area. Rabbits may develop a small swelling at the site of the injection, develop a slight temporary fever, or be lethargic for a day or two.
- The vaccine needs 14 days to become effective, so please continue your biosecurity after the clinic.
- The vaccine is the best way to protect your rabbit against RHDV2, but it is not a bad idea to continue practicing biosecurity as long as possible.
- Your rabbit will not shed the virus after being vaccinated, but it is still possible for the virus to live on the surface of the rabbit without a host the same way that it can live on your shoes. Because of this, we do not recommend vaccinated rabbits interacting with unvaccinated rabbits.
- This vaccine requires a booster shot every year to remain effective. The booster is only one dose instead of two.
Thank you so much for your support of our small (but mighty) nonprofit, and for protecting your rabbits against this deadly disease.
