Info on rabbit syphalis please

[bristolbunny]

Hello, one of my rabbits is being treated with a penecillin based antibiotic for rabbit syphalis, i just wanted some further information on it,
some people are saying its only passed through mating but the vets saying it can be through contact, urine, poop etc, would like people opinions on that? she hasnt been bred from for about 9 months

and does the penecillin completely erradicate the illness from the system, the vet said it does and i could use her to breed from after but i want to make 100% sure ofcourse before i did that (im a small hobbiest breeder and ehibitor)

shes been given a course of 2 injections with an option of a third if shes not looking perfect, should i take the 3rd just incase, i have been advised to do so by a couple of breeders??

and any other info you have for me would br great! (she lived in an open plan shed with 4 other girls so i am very wrorried about them, although no symptoms in any of my other buns)

p.s i have been to a couple of vets as they werent sure what it ws, it hasnt been confirmed by blood test but the exotics vet definatly thought it was syphalis (discharge swollen and inflamed labia but no leisions, also fine in herself, eating drinking weeing pooping and active)

any questions welcome

thankyou

 

[Tamsin]

We're mostly made up of pet owners rather than breeders so I'm not sure how much advice we'll be able to give. Certainly go for the third injection. The trouble is it can go dormant for awhile and show no symptoms, so appear cured, but then flare up again. I'm sure there is at least one user of here who's had a rabbit with a second bought. I would say that because of that it wouldn't be advised to breed from her just in case as you risk infecting the buck which could pass it on to other females, and any resulting offspring.

It's spread by mating and from mother to offspring generally, but as the lesions can be spread from the gentiles to the nose/lips/ears by grooming, I imagine it can also spread between rabbits living together who may groom each other. I think the advice is generally to treat all the rabbits that are living in contact otherwise one could be carrying it without displaying symptoms and reinfect the treated rabbit.

If you search our old posts you'll find some cases that might give more info.

 

[Jack's-Jane]

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...page&q=treponematosis in breeding doe&f=false

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/171321.htm

http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00dis/Bacterial/Treponema_Inf_Rabbits.htm

 

[bristolbunny]

thankyou both yes they will all be given the antibiotics and il ask for the third dose, just need to find the culprit now! x

 

[hawkylops]

ur best option is to take her out from the other does, and neuter her, sadly i had a buck given years ago and vet told me best option was to neuter and treat him with anti biotics, it is mainly passed of via breeding, and once it clears up it is still dominant and can acure again at any time, it can also be passed to any kits she has which in my opinion adds to the problem, and if it is the case any babies cannot be shown. x

 

[elis-mum]

hi, :wave:

when i got my girls, though seperate breeds i got them together at 8 weeks old. they were bonded with my male Buddy and just after they were spayed my nethie girl Lula got what looked like a sore nose.
at the time we had a locum vet who gave me cream for her nose and baytril for the 'possible cold'. lula's nose got worse and eventually thanks to google i walked into my vet who had just returned and told her i thought lula had syphilis.

i was right and she was treated with 3 penecillin shots a week apart. i was told just to keep and eye on Buddy and Blousy but they never showed any sign of it.
the syph cleared very quickly because it was treated quickly (no thanks to the locum) and Lula has been clear for over a year now.

i was told by the vet it was likely she picked it up from her mother/siblings in the nest and it just sat dormant. stress can sometimes bring it out which could possibly have been when she was spayed but i was also told once treated it was very rare for it to re appear.

hope your girl is ok soon. x

 

[bristolbunny]

She is being treated and I've been assured that it's 100% curable, they have all been seperated and are having blood tests so anyone affected will be treated if it is syphilis which were still not 100% as she was put on meds before we could get a blood test, hopefully we will find out which bunny has brought it in with the blood tests, so it's just wait and see at the moment results come back Sunday!