can rabbit syphilis be dormant? - Doe Died - organ pics

[Wheels]

This morning my best doe had a crusty blistered nose. At the time I wasn't sure what was going on and had to go to work - so I separated her from the the rabbitry. After looking at photos it resembles rabbits with syphilis. :evil:

The thing is I've owned this rabbit for 2 maybe 3 years AND she has only been mated with two bucks that entire time - one is her son and the other is my New Zealand that I bought along with her. Both of them are fine and dandy.

She's moulting like crazy right now - looks like a rabbit exploded in her cage - all I can think is perhaps it was dormant and with the stress of this serious moulting and her older age (she is either 4 or 5) it was able to bloom? Would anything else cause crusty bloody sores with hair loss?

Also - I have a few of her offspring - if she didn't have visible signs of vent disease when she birthed them would they be carriers? How about my bucks - I'm guessing they are fine but ... just UGH!

 

[Dood]

Apparently it can be dormant for years

Incubation time for the disease is long, 3 to 16 weeks. Treponema cuniculi can be dormant for a long period of time. A rabbit can thus remain asymptomatic during several years. A stressful event or suppression of the immune system can trigger the onset of the bacterial disease.

From - http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_disea ... h_gen.html

Sarcoptic mange can also cause similar marks but usually infects between the toes first then the eyes and nose area.

 

[Wheels]

Pretty sure it is NOT Mange - I've dealt with it enough on puppies and kittens before to know it. I checked her over last night her vent is affected as well but it isn't as bad as her face. I took a photo for you all - just to see if anyone thinks differently.

I went to get some Combi‑Pen‑48 from the feed store but they were closed early (?) hopefully they'll be open today and I can get some.
Not sure if I should treat my bucks or her offspring - I'm not a vet but I don't think antibiotics work on dormant issues? what a pain.



-- Mon Jun 16, 2014 9:07 am --

This morning I found this doe dead - I had treated her with the Combi‑Pen and her scabs cleared up and she was regrowing fur - Saturday I noticed the sores again and this time she had a weepy eye, I gave her another sub-q injection of the Combi‑Pen. Sunday she was mopey and spent most of the day in her hidey-hole and that's where I found her today.

I opened her up and found quite a bit of fat around her kidneys, guts looked normal. Lungs looked ? I'm not sure - I was hoping someone could give me an opinion. I did a terrible job with the autopsy - it wasn't easy.

 

[Sagebrush]

Was she on her side when you found her? Was she limp or starting to go rigid? I ask because the lungs and liver look a little bruised, but that can happen with blood pooling at the lowest parts of the organs and tissues after death.

 

[Wheels]

she was on her right side and rigid so she was dead a least a few hours.

 

[Sagebrush]

Ok so what you are seeing in those pictures is blood pool, maybe some damage from the syphilis but a lot of blood pool. It could have been that her heart gave out from working to hard to try and push the thicker blood through. I am so very sorry you lost her. I would keep and eye on your other rabbits and see what happens or if anyone shows any signs of it.

 

[Wheels]

Thanks- that was the only oddity and then I was feeling like it was Normal for the situation. It's kind of weird- I'm not sure if I should be thankful that on the inside she looked fairly healthy or worried. Part of me was looking for a distinct and definitive answer for her death, I'd almost be happy to find a cancer or puss or sick lungs - that way I'd know exactly why she died (other than complications due to vent disease :? ) and could make more of a game plan concerning the rest of my rabbits.

 

[Sagebrush]

Sorry I cannot help more Wheels.

 

[Wheels]

Sorry I cannot help more Wheels.

you were very helpful, I just wish rabbits rabbits had a diagnostic plug like a car! I'm sure that would make all of our rabbit keeping lives a little easier

But - she was a really nice doe all around - I'm glad I had her for a long as I did.