Rabbit syphilis: Can healthy bunnies get it? Is bonding safe?

It’s possibly but unlikely if you practice good hygiene. Keep Jo separated from the cats. Wash your hands after handling the cats. Wash you hands before handling Jo. Keep the Jo in an area where she cannot come in close contact with the faces of the cats and keep the cats away so they cannot rub their faces on the cage bars. If Jo does get an eye infection, have her seen by the veterinarian. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Pasteurellosis (snuffles) is a contagious disease transmitted by contact or by air. In fact, some rabbits will carry the pathogen without showing clinical signs. Accordingly, it is likely that, if this is Pasteurella then Flower and Nia have the same disease. Since Pasteurella can cause septicemia which may result in sudden death, it is important that you have Flower and Nia seen by your veterinarian. I am not sure what antibiotic you have on hand but treatment is often difficult and needs to continue for 6-8 weeks. Also, many antibiotics are ineffective against this disease because of an increase in resistant strains. Culture and sensitivity testing is therefore recommended to determine the best antibiotic to use. Keep in mind that there are other infectious diseases that can cause the same or similar clinical signs including some viral diseases. Your veterinarian will be able to examine Flower and Nia, diagnose what is going on and recommend appropriate treatment.

Snuffles in rabbits is caused by a bacteria called pasturella. The majority of pet rabbits carry this in their lungs and it is in times when the immune system is stressed that it tends to cause disease. Such as concurrent illness, surgery, age etc. For whatever reason the sick rabbit has developed snuggles, however, its friends likely already have the bacteria but are strong enough for it not to manifest as disease. I would avoid treating them uneccesarily as you could encourage resistance. Be vigilant with them though. To definitively know what infection your rabbit has it would have to be tested.

Hello, and thank you for your question. It looks like Pluffy has some sort of skin infection. One possibility is rabbit syphilis (treponema), which is a type of bacterial infection. Another possibility is a systemic infection (sepsis). I would highly recommend taking Pluffy to the vet within the next 24 hours. They can administer antibiotics and pain medication to heal the infection. In the meantime, encourage her to eat a more balanced diet which includes plenty of timothy hay, and limited pellets (no more than 1/4 cup a day). Keep her environment clean. I hope this helps, and that Pluffy is feeling better soon.

You should always quarantine new bunnies for at least 2 weeks so they aren't in contact with your group. If she doesn't have a snotty nose or sneezing, it may not be infectious. It'd be best to have a vet check her out and potentially put her on eye medication for the runny eyes.

So sorry to hear this happened :( E. cuniculi is a protozoan parasite. Encephalitozoon Cuniculi Facts: * E. cuniculi are shed only in the urine. * Infectious period lasts only a few days to a few weeks. * The infected animal is not contagious after the E. cuniculi leave the kidneys. * E. cuniculi are carried in the blood to other parts of the body, particularly nervous tissue. * Spores from infected urine can remain in the environment for a month. * The parasites can infect and be shed by many other animals but seldom cause clinical disease in other animals. * A high number of rabbits have been infected at some time during their life, but few come down with the clinical disease. * Animals who are compromised are more likely to manifest clinical disease. * Neurological damage can be evident long after the parasites leave the kidneys. * Necropsies (autopsy) seldom show active parasites in the kidneys but may show scarring where the parasites have been. * Testing positive to the parasite only means that the animal has been exposed and is putting forth an immune response. It does not mean that an otherwise healthy animal will show symptoms of the disease. * Serology tests recognize immune response but do not distinguish early infections from long term or chronic infections. So, as you can see it is a very complex disease. Likely all your rabbits have been exposed already so whether or not you use her cage is a moot point. My suggestion is that if you want to use her cage I would bleach it before using it for others just to be on the safe side. I would use a 1:32 dilution of bleach to water. Soak the whole cage and leave it sit for at least 10-15 minutes before rinsing thoroughly. Here is a good article about E. cuniculi: https://www.petcha.com/treatment-and-prevention-of-e-cuniculi-in-rabbits/ Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Only give it to the sick one for now, if the second one starts showing symptoms then treat him as well. a good alternative to baytril is Septrin (trimetoprim sulfa), this should be easy to find in human pharmacies (children suspension).