Staphylococcus aureus

[TheBuns]

Hello everyone, my bun that had a head tilt got a culture sensitivity test of his right ear and it should that he has a moderate growth of Staphylococcus aureus. They prescribed him Chloramphenicol 100mg every 12hrs. My question is how curable is this and is it contagious to humans?

 

[JBun]

I don't really know much about it as there's limited info on it with rabbits, and even more limited with chloramphenicol treatment. But I know it can be a more common bacteria in rabbits with mastitis, and is easily passed to newborn kits, having a high rate of mortality (for the newborn kits).

www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Bacterial/Staph/young.htm

Here are a few articles I came across that mentioned staph, and one lengthy one talking about ear infections. Worth a read.

https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/files/342918894/In_Practice_Review_Article_Accepted_in_press.pdf

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/phar.../phenicols-use-in-animals#Absorption_v3336195

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1090023306001274#

Management of Otitis in Rabbits​

2017, Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1557506316301732
Citation Excerpt :
Azithromycin has a broad spectrum of action against Gram positive and Gram negetive bacteria and both aerobic and anaerobic organisms. Azithromycin may, therefore, be efficacious over a wide range of infections in rabbits because it has been shown to be effecitive in treating Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus spp., Haemophilus spp., Pasteurella spp., Clostridium spp., Bacteroides spp., Mycoplasma spp., Toxoplasma spp., and other common pathogens.

And one just generally about abscesses.

www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Bacterial/Abscess/skin_abscess.htm

I'm presuming your vet shared with you the precautions needed when using chloramphenicol, and handling it safely?

 

[TheBuns]

I don't really know much about it as there's limited info on it with rabbits, and even more limited with chloramphenicol treatment. But I know it can be a more common bacteria in rabbits with mastitis, and is easily passed to newborn kits, having a high rate of mortality (for the newborn kits).

www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Bacterial/Staph/young.htm

Here are a few articles I came across that mentioned staph, and one lengthy one talking about ear infections. Worth a read.

https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/files/342918894/In_Practice_Review_Article_Accepted_in_press.pdf

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/phar.../phenicols-use-in-animals#Absorption_v3336195

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1090023306001274#

Management of Otitis in Rabbits​

2017, Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1557506316301732
Citation Excerpt :
Azithromycin has a broad spectrum of action against Gram positive and Gram negetive bacteria and both aerobic and anaerobic organisms. Azithromycin may, therefore, be efficacious over a wide range of infections in rabbits because it has been shown to be effecitive in treating Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus spp., Haemophilus spp., Pasteurella spp., Clostridium spp., Bacteroides spp., Mycoplasma spp., Toxoplasma spp., and other common pathogens.

And one just generally about abscesses.

www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Bacterial/Abscess/skin_abscess.htm

I'm presuming your vet shared with you the precautions needed when using chloramphenicol, and handling it safely?

Thank you for the articles I’ll be reading them. I read the first article so it can be contagious to other bunnies I think I’m going to separate my buns but my other bun she hasn’t been affected she shows no symptoms. My male that’s been sick his eye and chin are balding with discharge. His eye look like it shrank while still having the tilted head. For the medication my vet did not share any precautions, but I did some research it said that it is toxic for humans so I’ve been very careful and wearing gloves when handling it. They sort of just gave me the medication and rushed me out. So far the medication does not really seem to be doing much :/ he’s not getting any better or worse.

 

[JBun]

If you aren't seeing any improvement with the chloramphenicol after a week or two, maybe ask your vet about trying the azithromycin, if this bacteria is sensitive to it. Though do make sure you understand the possible negative effects that can happen with some rabbits.

If you do try it, I believe it may cause less upset when given between meals, on an empty stomach. I forget the exact timing of when, but one member on here, her rabbit was getting an upset stomach with it and it was due to having food in the stomach when she gave the med. When she made sure it was given on an empty stomach, her rabbit was fine. So just something to be aware of if you end up trying it.