Persistant Syphilis (vent disease)

[honeybunnylovesthumper]

Thanks flashy, yes it was a bit of a manic day yesterday (my father also took ill and we had to call the doc out for him in the middle of the night due to stomach problems!!) Something strange in this household yesterday XD

I was reading about Infacol on the other posts last night, but had no idea what it was! I assume that I can just pick it up from the pharmacy if its for babies so I will get some in for thumper (typical gassy boy lol ). Im not sure what caused the episode last night, but the emergency vet said it may well be his teeth as he has also had to have them filed before (about a year ago) - but im wonderng if it was also the stress of honey being persistantly ill as he spends a lot of time looking after her when shes bad.

Tony - thanks I took your advice and used the cream on her mouth which seemed to help when I checked again this morning. I also checked with the vet just now, and he said it was a good idea to use it and it is harmless if injested.

Angie - i agree, we had thought that a secondary fence around the pen (about a metre+ away from the outside fence of the pen) would have been sufficient to keep him from really worrying them. We have already introducted them through the wire and honey, as usual, was inquisitive and giving kisses through the fence, Thumper just watched from a safe distance. However, since they are both ill/traumatized at the moment, we have decided to put off bringing the dog home until Saturday so it gives them 5 days to start feeling more perky. If they're still bad after that we will only let the dog into the garden supervised intially so we can ensure he stays away from that area.

 

[Flashy]

Is your dad ok?

Yes, definitely a bad day for you guys all round.

Yup, Infacol can be bought at a pharmacy. In the baby section. It's always worth having, I reckon.

Teeth could definitely do it and it is worth getting them checked out, but so could the stress of what Honey is going through, and if Thumper is a particularly sensitive bun then potentially he could pick up on your stress or the stress that everyone else in the house is feeling. Also, any dietary change or new addition to the diet might have done it (as muight if he maybe groomed some of the cream off Honey).

Don't forget that if you do have a problem then its ok to post about it, so don't feel that you do have to do it alone and not post. I know you posted this thread, but I say that because you didn't post about Thumper and I can definitely hear how scared you were about him yesterday.

 

[honeybunnylovesthumper]

My dad's much better today, thanks flash . strangely enough he had to have an injection to help his stomach work properly too (which thumper would have had if I'd have taken him into the vets). Im wondering if he was picking up on my dad's illness!?!? Psychic bunny...

No seriously, I think you're right & a combination of factors probably caused it - I didnt think of him licking that stuff off honey tho as this was likely (she had it on her nose, eyes and mouth last night to cover all the bases). Also, I ran out of their usual hay on Friday which is mixed with herbs so had to use another brand. I wonder if this contributed, although they were fed nothing different other than that.

I did think about posting last night, but to be honest I in a bit of a state and really tired as I had stayed up all night on saturday too for health reasons so literally hadnt slept in 34 hours. I couldnt really think straight enough to post! Plus I was running around pestering thumper or syringing him. I also didnt think anyone would be up to respond, lol ;D.

I found a lot of really useful stuff on the forums though - like the belly rubs, making him move around and the hot water bottle, which incedently he seemed to want to sit on so it must help soothe them a great deal. I think the movement really helped and if I hadnt read those posts I would have just let him scooch himself in a corner and not move at all (which I doubt would have been beneficial). So I think everyone posting on the forums, with any kind of advice, should know that there are people who havent posted that they have definitely helped. So thank you!

 

[Flashy]

I'm glad your dad is doing ok

Maybe Thumper was feeling left out and jumped on the ill bandwagon On a side note, a lot of vets use Metaclopromide as a gut stimulant in rabbits, but there is some debate on the forum as to whether it is useful in all cases. We have some here who won't touch it with a barge pole, others who use it with caution, etc. My concern with Thumper was that given you didn't know what caused it, had it been a blockage and he had it, it might have made things worse. I know that's a completely moot point but just thought I would say it anyway (I'm annoying like that )

I'm really glad that you were able to find some useful things on here

The great thing about this forum, for us UK folk, is that this is a US based forum, and the members are predominantly from the US, and that means they are 5-8 (I believe, although I got lost in the clock change) hours behind us. I posted on here at 3am one morning having a panic about one of my buns, and got some great responses, and of course, it will only evening for them, it wasn't like they were up at the ridiculous hour I was, so it can be really helpful

How are you doing? You doing ok?

My PM box is always open Also, feel free to add me on msn. I never appear online, but I'm invariably there.

 

[honeybunnylovesthumper]

Its strange you mentioned metoclopramide actually as Thumper has just been given that injection after all.

I took both buns to the vet at the same time and having noticed that although Thump was eating, I still hadnt seen many of his usually large pooos. She listened to his belly for a while and decided that it did sound sub-normal and he would need an injection. He has had this before the last time I took him to the emergency vet with diahorea. But I shall keep a big eye on him now you've mentioned this.

As far as honey goes, the vet took more samples from the crusts around her vent and will do tests on it if she can grow anything from it. She said she agreed with the other vet, but suggested that as there is little nasal discharge a deep sinus swab might not be necessary and a sample of the crusty bits should be sufficient. She said that under normal circumstances it would be unlikely to be a fungal infection as this normally doesnt respond to antibiotics, but as it has cleared up for a short time before, then returned she thinks perhaps it may be a strange hyrbid type strain of fungal infection. Which is why it would keep coming back. Anyway, she said that we would need to wait for the fugassy etc and she would call me in a week, if not before with the results.

She has given honey an antibiotic injection for the time being and I have managed to soak the crusts of her mouth legions to allow better cream application to the raw skin. She has given me an extra tube of fucithalmic cream to put on nose, mouth, vent and in eyes until the tests come back.

In the meantime I will just keep checking and worrying my rabbits to apply cream, feed mush, and keeping checking over for sores. They are not going to want to come near me for months after this! :cry2 poor mites.

I will PM you flash Im fine - stressed, tired and coping but I think I've gone past breaking point and now just see the ironic side of everything happening at once. I think sleep deprived endorphins are kicking in...
(especially since I just heard my Grans got sick now, she'll be ok tho) Seriously, I reckon there's a hidden camera somewhere h34r2 he he. Pure crazyness.

 

[Maureen Las]

Wow !!!!!!!

you really have had alot of things going on at your home.

Sorry about that.....
It sounds as if you have excellent vets and that theywill eventually get to the bottom of the reason for Honey's continuing sores.

And now with Thumper it sounds like ..one thing following another

I have nothing to add as Tracy (Flashy ) has been giving you excellent advice.

Ido think that it is a good idea to hold up on bringing the pup home for awhile
I know you will keep us up-dated

 

[tonyshuman]

Yeah, a lot happened while we were sleeping! These vets sound really good. It is great that they want to culture the stuff to figure out what it is and what antibiotics it may be susceptible to. I bet Thumper was upset because his girl wasn't feeling well, or because she went to the vet's. I also think you've gotten loads of good advice and are doing a great job with your guys. I hope your dad and Thumper continue to feel better, and the culture results come back soon.

 

[honeybunnylovesthumper]

Thanks guys - you all helped and gave me so much information to give ask the vets about (and it turns out you were right claire - probably not syph after all!). Go team bunny! Both buns are munching happily still and being cheeky and wriggly so its looking good

 

[honeybunnylovesthumper]

Its been a long while since this post, but I thought I would update incase anyone ever has the same wierd problem as me!

After all the questions over syphilis, a petri dish test was done and it was discovered that honey had a secondary fungal infection which was treated with imeverol baths (seperate thread!).

After a few months honey's nose started scabbing over again despite my constant efforts with the fucathalmic cream. The two vets I had been seeing threw their hands in the air (well not really) and sent me to speak to the specialist vet in the other branch. He decided the best thing was really to do a biopsy rather than continue pumping her with random meds.

I had just been made redundant so decided that the money I got was meant to be for honey, so i forked out £200 for the biopsy.

One week later, we got the results. It seems that it is neither syphilis, pasturella, skin cancer or anyother nasty thing (phewwwwwww), but its actually cause by an external irritant. Something in her (gigantic) pen has been irritating her skin which breaks open and allows in Staphylococcus. This bacterial infection then causes the crusting on the internal/external bits - mouth/nose/bits etc. The bacterial infection/staph is sensitive to all forms of anti-bacs so the vet has suggested aloe vera (which I happen to grow anyway) on the crusty bits she has.

In the meantime, rather than putting her on steriods which have their own side effects, Im am trying to systematically work out what could be an irritant in her pen. Luckily it doesnt seem to effect thumper. We think it is because honey is a naturally sneezy rabbit due to her face shape and problems with her tear duct, so she continutally wipes her face with her paws - passing the irritant to her nose. FOr this reason we dont think its something they are necessarily eating as we would expect to see more crusting round her mouth. She has been doing a lot of digging recently and she was fine before the digging started. Im thinking that there might be builders waste that has been coming to the surface. Our house is an end house in the development and the last to be built, so it is likely our ground was 'filled' in with junk then topped with soil.

Anyway, to try and protect her I have decided to pave the lot (20ft x 4ft!!!!) lol and whilst im disrupting them im getting them a new shed aswell.

So there you are kids! Thanks again those who helped, but Im glad I've come to the end of this Nancy Drew mystery

 

[tonyshuman]

Wow, that is interesting. I'm glad you got some really good vet care (sorry you lost your job, though. Is that what "made redundant" means?) that was able to determine the cause, although you have yet to identify the source.