Wild Rabbits and Guinea Pigs' grass time

Samhtm

Samhtm

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Hi all,

Something I thought of recently as obviously it's grass season to the piggies are going back on more often. We have alot of wild rabbits in our garden as we back on to a field.

Do wild rabbits pose a risk to guinea pigs in terms of disease etc?
 
I would say yes. They (likely) have the same illnesses that domestic rabbits would have. They can carry them and be unaffected but can be passed on to piggies. Are they on the grass same time as the rabbits? Is there no way you could block access for the rabbits?

I’ll tag @Piggies&buns who has great experience with rabbits and piggies
 
Siikibam said:
I would say yes. They (likely) have the same illnesses that domestic rabbits would have. They can carry them and be unaffected but can be passed on to piggies. Are they on the grass same time as the rabbits? Is there no way you could block access for the rabbits?

I’ll tag @Piggies&buns who has great experience with rabbits and piggies
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They are rarely on the grass at the same time and the piggies are in a secure run at all times so they wouldn't have contact, as for blocking access it's quite difficult as there is a large hedgerow between us and the field
 
If you're worried, you could put up some garden fencing (coated wire fencing sold by the roll for excluding bunnies from flower beds ... not sure if you call it something else in the UK). It could give you a buffer between the bunnies and your run.
 
Just to clarify as I should've been more clear in my initial post, my main concern is the piggies coming into contact with the rabbits waste etc rather than them coming into contact with the rabbits themselves. Would this be a notable risk?
 
I’m watching for an answer too. Wild bunnies dig underneath my fencing unless I bury it like for the poultry pens.
Ask me what happens when you are mowing an overgrown fenced vegetable garden. On second thought, don’t ask.
 
In the UK the most common diseases in wild rabbits cannot be passed to guinea pigs - myxomatosis and RVHD (but they can be passed to domestic rabbits hence the need for rabbits to be vaccinated annually.)

E Cuniculi (parasite) would be one which can pass from rabbits (wild and domestic) to piggies. Spores are shed in rabbit urine and can survive in the environment. It can come from wild rabbits - although I think Myxi and RVHD are more common than EC in wild rabbits
 
Piggies&buns said:
In the UK the most common diseases in wild rabbits cannot be passed to guinea pigs - myxomatosis and RVHD (but they can be passed to domestic rabbits hence the need for rabbits to be vaccinated annually.)

E Cuniculi (parasite) would be one which can pass from rabbits (wild and domestic) to piggies. Spores are shed in rabbit urine and can survive in the environment. It can come from wild rabbits - although I think Myxi and RVHD are more common than EC in wild rabbits
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Thank you :) Is EC treatable?
 
Yes and no. EC can be fatal for guinea pigs. While there is a treatment if caught quickly enough, (a months worth of panacur), it can then lay dormant and with the damage already done permanent. Its a nasty bug and not something you want to risk piggies coming into contact with.
(I have pet rabbits and do all I can to ensure my rabbits and piggies and their equipment do not come into contact with each other)
However, how prevalent EC is in the wild rabbit population, I don’t know for sure - according to some websites its rare (myxi and RVHD are the most common - can be spread through fleas, mosquitoes etc) but that doesn’t mean to say EC definitely isn’t an issue in wild populations.
 
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Piggies&buns said:
Yes and no. EC can be fatal for guinea pigs. While there is a treatment if caught quickly enough, (a months worth of panacur), it can then lay dormant and with the damage already done permanent. Its a nasty bug and not something you want to risk piggies coming into contact with.
(I have pet rabbits and do all I can to ensure my rabbits and piggies and their equipment do not come into contact with each other)
However, how prevalent EC is in the wild rabbit population, I don’t know for sure - according to some websites its rare (myxi and RVHD are the most common - can be spread through fleas, mosquitoes etc) but that doesn’t mean to say EC definitely isn’t an issue in wild populations.
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Okay thank you :) is there anything I can do to help reduce the risk of the piggies catching it?
 
Does washing the grass help? Mine dont go out as there are just too many predators around but we do have wild rabbits in the garden and more than likely they are all over the grass I pick for the guineas. I dont usually bother to wash it but maybe I should?!
 
Guinea Slave said:
Does washing the grass help? Mine dont go out as there are just too many predators around but we do have wild rabbits in the garden and more than likely they are all over the grass I pick for the guineas. I dont usually bother to wash it but maybe I should?!
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EC in wild rabbits is apparently rare and very few carry it, it is more of a pet rabbit problem
As I said, the only way to ensure there is no risk would be to keep piggies away but i really don’t think there is much of a risk anyway - I would not worry. Myxi and RVHD are the most common illnesses and they cannot be caught by piggies
 
Just to add- wild rabbits may carry Bordatella/ kennel cough bacteria which is asymptomatic in many rabbits but invariably causes lethal pneumonia in piggies. I was just researching this for a lecture I'm giving on respiratory illnesses of small furries both wild and captive.
This would be my main concern if wild rabbits came near piggies/browsed the same grass.
 
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