PET owners are being warned all rabbits must receive a vaccine every six months to maintain their protection.

After a confirmed outbreak of myxomatosis in the town, a potentially fatal disease, Vets4Pets on Studley Road is encouraging people to drop in.

The early signs of infection are puffiness around the eyes and face, often with a dirty discharge from the eyes, along with puffy swelling around the anus and genitals.

These swellings rapidly progress to the point that they can cause blindness and make eating and drinking so difficult that death usually follows within 12 days.

A Vets4Pets spokesman said: "The virus is transmitted via blood sucking insects which thrive in a warm and humid environment. When an insect bites an infected rabbit it sucks blood containing the virus and can then move on to bite other rabbits and pass the virus on.

"Pet rabbits don't have to come into contact directly with wild rabbits to become infected, so all pet rabbits, whether kept indoors or outside, are at risk."

Anyone concerned about their rabbit should call 520607.