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Syphilis and treatments
- Thread starter DaisyDewi
- Start date
Santa
Wise Old Thumper
There's lots of members here from around Surrey - it might be worth starting a thread in 'rabbit chat' to see if anyone can recommend someone nearby? Lots of vets are good with cats and dogs but not very confident with rabbits, so a recommendation may be helpful 
Penicillin isn't one of the first choice antibiotics for a lot of vets because it can sometimes cause dangerous gut problems but the risks are pretty low if it's given by injection, and in some instances it's necessary - as in your case, the syphillis will just continue to get worse otherwise. It has been well documented for many years that syphillis is treated with penicillin injections in rabbits, there are loads of people on this forum whose rabbits have been treated with penicillin at one time or another, myself included.
Good luck, I hope you manage to sort something, it must be a worry for you xxx
Penicillin isn't one of the first choice antibiotics for a lot of vets because it can sometimes cause dangerous gut problems but the risks are pretty low if it's given by injection, and in some instances it's necessary - as in your case, the syphillis will just continue to get worse otherwise. It has been well documented for many years that syphillis is treated with penicillin injections in rabbits, there are loads of people on this forum whose rabbits have been treated with penicillin at one time or another, myself included.
Good luck, I hope you manage to sort something, it must be a worry for you xxx
Your vet sounds about as useful as mine! :lol:
My vets first diagnosed Thistle with myxi and put him on Baytril, I asked for advice on here and posted a picture and it was the RU guys that said syphillis. I then went back to my vet and told them. They were insisting at first that it wasn't syphillis but I pointed out the Baytril wasn't having any effect on whatever he had anyway so asked if they could at least try it. They agreed a bit reluctantly (I guess they don't want to be proven wrong, it doesn't look great for them! :lol: Plus I'm not a vet so they might of thought I was talking out of my butt!) and the meds are really working very well. Jess has had a tiny bit of a runny bottom but other than that, there haven't been side effects although I understand penicillin can cause pretty major gut problems for less tollerant buns. I think the vets are quite pleased with Thistle's progress, the one I saw on thursday certainly looked quite surprised that it had worked! :roll:
I'd consider a different vet too. The one I use is a Pet Doctors vet and although the first diagnosis was totally wrong, they've been willing to accept that. I do wonder if your vet is being awkward as they are worried about being found to be wrong. Also my vet has only been charging me for the medication as I think she feels a bit bad about selling me £80 worth of Baytril and consultation fees that didn't work! I've been paying £15 for both of them! It should have been about £40 with consultation fees too. All in all, they've been really very good so far.
Let us know how you get on!
My vets first diagnosed Thistle with myxi and put him on Baytril, I asked for advice on here and posted a picture and it was the RU guys that said syphillis. I then went back to my vet and told them. They were insisting at first that it wasn't syphillis but I pointed out the Baytril wasn't having any effect on whatever he had anyway so asked if they could at least try it. They agreed a bit reluctantly (I guess they don't want to be proven wrong, it doesn't look great for them! :lol: Plus I'm not a vet so they might of thought I was talking out of my butt!) and the meds are really working very well. Jess has had a tiny bit of a runny bottom but other than that, there haven't been side effects although I understand penicillin can cause pretty major gut problems for less tollerant buns. I think the vets are quite pleased with Thistle's progress, the one I saw on thursday certainly looked quite surprised that it had worked! :roll:
I'd consider a different vet too. The one I use is a Pet Doctors vet and although the first diagnosis was totally wrong, they've been willing to accept that. I do wonder if your vet is being awkward as they are worried about being found to be wrong. Also my vet has only been charging me for the medication as I think she feels a bit bad about selling me £80 worth of Baytril and consultation fees that didn't work! I've been paying £15 for both of them! It should have been about £40 with consultation fees too. All in all, they've been really very good so far.
Let us know how you get on!
Awwh! That's good news! I saw an improvement in Thistle within three days so hopefully your buns will start to get better pretty rapidly now they're on penicillin.
Thistle and Jess are fine! Thankyou for asking. Thistle's all better, his scabs are completely gone and his nose is back to it's twitchy sniffy best again. It still looks a little pink where his fur is growing back but other than that, he's 110% better. Even his coat feels smoother and softer (not sure if that's connected to the meds or not! :lol: ). Jess has shown no sign of having syphillis at all, hopefully if she was carrying it, it got zapped too!
I still can't quite believe how quickly the meds kicked in... This is Thistle before his meds -
And a fortnight into treatment -
He looks like Mickey Mouse, makes me crease up every time! :lol:
Thistle and Jess are fine! Thankyou for asking.
Thistle's all better, his scabs are completely gone and his nose is back to it's twitchy sniffy best again. It still looks a little pink where his fur is growing back but other than that, he's 110% better. Even his coat feels smoother and softer (not sure if that's connected to the meds or not! :lol: ). Jess has shown no sign of having syphillis at all, hopefully if she was carrying it, it got zapped too! I still can't quite believe how quickly the meds kicked in... This is Thistle before his meds -
And a fortnight into treatment -
He looks like Mickey Mouse, makes me crease up every time! :lol:
Are they not eating at all or just eating a bit less than usual? If they're not eating at all, obviously that's not too good, but if it's just that they're eating a bit less I wouldn't be too worried. I know the penicillin can give buns tummy upsets so they might have achey tums and have lost their appetite a bit. Or they might just be sulking because you had the cheek to take them to that big scary vet! :lol:
My vet advised to only feed their usual food mix and lots of hay as fruit and veg might give them the runs, but she did say if they went off their food, to hide little cubes of carrot or broccolli tops in their food bowl to encourage them to eat it. I find burying a few yogurt drop treats in with their regular food always gets them munching too.
If they stop eating completely, it would probably be best to take them back to the vet.
My vet advised to only feed their usual food mix and lots of hay as fruit and veg might give them the runs, but she did say if they went off their food, to hide little cubes of carrot or broccolli tops in their food bowl to encourage them to eat it. I find burying a few yogurt drop treats in with their regular food always gets them munching too.
If they stop eating completely, it would probably be best to take them back to the vet.
DaisyDewi
New Kit
I think they've been nibbling little bits of their food but hardly anything at all, they havn't been out of their hutch for the last few days 'cos of the rain and snow so maybe they just havn't done anything to make them hungry but they got a good run today so I'll see in the morning if they've eaten. If they havn't then I'll probably call the vet and see what they say.
parkfieldstud
Warren Scout
well I'm rather embarrased to say I am treating a rabbit with syphilis too. She is only a baby and I brought her off a very well known breeder who also shows, i didn't check her out as i should of when i went to see her as said person had such a good rep. Anyway when i got her home i noticed she looked sore around her vent area I did think omg its syphilis so I asked the breeder who said it was probably hutch burn and if i kept cleaning it a few times a day it would clear up and that "I have a few that suffer from it" she said quite shocking really thinking now probably most of her rabbits carry it! so it did clear up a bit well alot actually and then it just fleared right back up again and spread to her nose/eye so off to the vets I go told them what i thought it was and that penicillin should be used (I have a great book by a rabbit vet Virginia Richardson i think it is its in there) I even too my book along at the time I think the vet thought i was just being cocky, the vet said no we don't use that on rabbits and could i wait in the waiting room while she sorted out some med, anyway turns out she comes back and agrees that penicillin should be used (my Dad thought this was funny said she probably went and read the text book) so i'm now giving injections every other day for four days I guess i'm lucky the vet showed me how to do it and let me take it home. Or I believe you can give a longer lasting one once every wk for three wks. Shes also getting probiotic and i'm keeping a very close eye on her but I shall never make that mistake again I'll never disclose who the breeder was but i'm horrified. I think alot of breeders have had it in there shed at some point espically as not all rabbits show symptoms but would never admit to it, to be honest i'm telling you but I would never shout about it to other breeders/exhibitors there is alot of back chat between them and it can be very clicky anyone thought to have had it is usually frouned apone I don't know why really if your responsible and get it treated surly there shouldn't be a prob.
Daisy and Dewi finished their course of Penicillin on Tuesday and Daisy's nose is already clear-the vet was very impressed and we've had no side effects yet!!
I hope Thistle and Jess are still doing ok.
Awwwhhh!! YEY!
That's really good news! And I bet you're relieved to have finally got it sorted.
The symptoms look so irritating for the poor buns, I bet Daisy and Dewi are feeling a million times better already. Thistle and Jess are also doing just fine. No relapses for Thistle an Jess never developed any visible symptoms at all! The vet advised me to wait a full month before being 100% sure it's gone - I'm waiting patiently to try and bond them to another pair of my rabbits. Doesn't the time go slowly when you're waiting?! :lol:
That breeder sounds daft as a brush! :roll: Did you tell them that your new bunny had it? They really need to get all their rabbits treated for it or they'll just keep selling the infected buns and spreading it furthur. :shock: TBH, if they're not going to get their rabbits treated, I think maybe you should let the other breeders know, and warn them not to buy rabbits from them. It's terribly irresponsible to keep breeding and selling bunnys that are known to be ill. Of course, if they are going to get ALL the buns treated then keep quiet about it. Like you said, it wouldn't be good to start an argument. :?
Awwh, poor Tinkerbell! I hope she recovered from it ok.
I guess, being from a pet shop, the staff there might have genuinely thought it was just a skin tag. It's a good job syphillis is relitively easy to treat really as it seems like just about everyone on this site has had experience of it! :shock: :lol:
