My poor little bun.....possible rabbit syphils

So my rabbit Hitley was castrated last Thurs; all was fine with the wound healing well and thats all good. However on Saturday he escaped and got in a fight with our other bun which is male non-castrated; i checked his wound and it was good but he wouldnt sit properly on his bottom sunday or monday so we gave him some metacam and Tuesday he had his post-op check which was good but the vet nurse found he had a very sore bottom which we thought was a bite wound from the fight.

Today we took him back to see the vet, she was very good and said straight away that she thought it could be syphilis and that she thought he may have a lesion on his lip aswell; however she has started him on Baytril to see if it clears up, we have to go back next Tues to see her and am guessing if its still sore he will have to have penicillin; although she mentioned it can cause fatal diarrhoea in rabbits; im guessing because it kills normal rabbit gut flora. So we are giving him metacam and baytril, he seems somewhat unhappy has a reduced appetite ie not eating his pellets but eating plenty of hay/greens but other than that pretty much his normal self.

im guessing he caught it at birth which make me wonder if i should be getting my other bun 'Bun' treates as a prophylaxis as they are from the same litter.

Does anyone else have any experience/advice with this?

Thank You

If it is Treponematosis (Rabbit Syphilis) then it is likely that your other Rabbit will require treatment too. I would discuss this with your Vet.

I have had numerous Rabbits who have been safely treated with Penicillin Injections for various bacterial infections

I don't have any experience with syphilis, but I hope the drugs do the trick. Sending lots of vibes for Hitley xx

my bun, eric, was treated for syphilis with antibiotic injections. i can't remember the name i'm afraid but i don't think that baytril is strong enough to shift it.


hope he makes a swift recovery

Baytril doesn't cure syphillis if I remember rightly???

We had buns in for adoption who had syphillis and the treatment was very effective.

yes - the vet said that the baytril wont cure syphilis but i think as they are not 100% sure they are going to see if it improves it. However tbh i kindof think why didnt they they just start him on the penicillin. Anyway im keeping an eye on him i just wish he would stop licking the area its driving him crazy!

is there a good reason that she doesn't thnk its a bite would? (or two bite wounds).

Is it scabby or just swollen and pink??

My bunnies have been treated for syphillis 3 times now. They were treated with penicillin, and at that time had bio lapis to protect their tums. They never got runny poos.

I'm not sure tbh; it doesnt look like an infected wound; no pus or odour but its very swollen/sore looking and its around his anus area; its not scabby or anything. I think she is most likely right but i'm not on the ball with animal wounds only human ones!

DDD said:

My bunnies have been treated for syphillis 3 times now. They were treated with penicillin, and at that time had bio lapis to protect their tums. They never got runny poos.

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Thanks, i will ask the vet about bio lapis!

does he have no scabs on his boy bits or his face either?

i havent seen any scabs on his face; i didnt see any scabs on his botton either but i couldnt really get a proper look as after i had wiped up around the area he got peeved and i put him down!i think he had a scab though when i oiginally saw it on Tuesday.

Is it the case that his private parts AND a part of his lip or swollen and pink?

If so - can I ask whether he has been vaccinated against myxomatosis? and whether your vet mentioned this?

parsnipbun said:

Is it the case that his private parts AND a part of his lip or swollen and pink?

If so - can I ask whether he has been vaccinated against myxomatosis? and whether your vet mentioned this?

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this was going to be my next question too.

i cant actually see the lesion on his lip, i can only see that it looks sore around his anus and no he hasnt been vaccinated but the rabbit mentioned getting him vaccinated at his castration which was going to be my next step but now he is unwell

Is it at all possible for you to take a photo and post it here????

Is it the anus that is swollen or the area around the penis?

It looks like its more around his anus and it looks very red maybe even a bit bloody. i would take a photo but cant get my boyfriend to catch him at the moment to get one

TBH some blood would probably be a good sign . . as myxi does not cause bleeding.

try for a photo tomorrow and post it here . .

I wiped blood from the area yesterday; poor bun. I will get a picture when i give him meds tomorrow but hes already had his meds for today so i'm not gonna bother him anymore as he seems pretty bothered anyway haha

Jack's-Jane said:

If it is Treponematosis (Rabbit Syphilis) then it is likely that your other Rabbit will require treatment too. I would discuss this with your Vet.

I have had numerous Rabbits who have been safely treated with Penicillin Injections for various bacterial infections

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Ditto this. in 2008 all of my rabbits contracted it from a new adoptee and I passed it around unwittingly by kissing each of them on the noses. So you need to be careful about how you handle your rabbits in case you do pass anything on. In my rabbits the syphilis was apparent by the presence of little white bumps or spots on the vulva and genital areas. Luckily I caught it before it spread but in extreme cases rabbits can develop sores on their noses and ears as they groom their bottoms and then their faces thus spreading the disease.

Pictures would be really good and I hope your wee man will be feeling better soon.