Pasteurella treatment with Penicillin...

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Lady

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How long would I need to give the Penicillin? I can't find a length of treatment anywhere, I only find how much to give.
So, how often and for how long?
Thanks.
 
Treatment with antibiotics won't cure Pasteurellosis.....it will only knock down the symptoms. Here is an excellent article written by a rabbit-savvy veterinarian about P. Multocida....

View attachment Alfred Mina Pasteurella.docx

If you suspect P. multocida, please quarantine the rabbit IMMEDIATELY from the rest of your herd. It is highly contagious and easily spread by contact.
 
I agree with OAF. Everything I've ever read about pasturella and trying to "cure" it says that you can't. Most folks who have shared their experience with this have admitted that it would have been better to cull ASAP so that they didn't spend time and $$ to just have it spread through and infect the rest of the herd.

Some of these breeders ended up having to cull their entire herd and start over after either thoroughly disinfecting everything or moving to a new place.

Even though it is a hard thing to do, especially if you don't have many rabbits, it may save a lot of heartache in the long run to eliminate the suspected carrier. Sometimes I have heard of really cautious breeders wiping out the whole line since they want to only breed resistant stock.
 
caroline":1cujzj8k said:
Most folks who have shared their experience with this have admitted that it would have been better to cull ASAP so that they didn't spend time and $$ to just have it spread through and infect the rest of the herd.

Some of these breeders ended up having to cull their entire herd and start over after either thoroughly disinfecting everything or moving to a new place.

Yep, and I am one of those folks...I lost 24 rabbits over the course of three months. It was heartbreaking and I will NEVER do it again. One rabbit cost me my whole herd.
 
I know this is a really tricky subject. I know it cannot be cured and only goes dormant. Possibly able to have clean herds, but you'd need to work with rabbits based on creating a very strong immune system and testing it out with lots of swap and blood tests.
Many people believe this bacteria lives in all mammals and then others believe there are "virgin" animals and herds out there.
I already have the drug, so why not use it instead of letting it go to waste? Plus, our rabbits are just personal meat, nothing more.
It's actually more expensive and bothersome to be cleaning, culling and starting over.
:/



I really need to know how often and when to give the drugs.
I'm not 100% on what kind this is. But raspy lungs for 2 bucks and one of the bucks also has a scabby growth on his nose.
 
Lady":2l8o9h7m said:
I know this is a really tricky subject.
Many people believe this bacteria lives in all mammals and then others believe there are "virgin" animals and herds out there.
I already have the drug, so why not use it instead of letting it go to waste? Plus, our rabbits are just personal meat, nothing more.
It's actually more expensive and bothersome to be cleaning, culling and starting over.
:/

It is not necessarily that they ALL carry it but that most have been exposed to it and those with weaker immune systems can carry a latent infection that will erupt when the animal is stressed. The bacteria lives in their nasal and sinus cavities, where there is little blood flow, so the antibiotic does not reach it effectively. You will knock the symptoms down for a few weeks, then it will come back. Penicillin is not the drug of choice for treatment of P. Multocida, Baytril is what is typically used. Even with Baytril, you will be treating this rabbit LONG TERM...as in for the rest of it's life. Penicillin G is good for other issues, so it is always good to have on hand. Having been thru this myself, and having tried to treat for this, and knowing what the outcome is likely to be, I would strongly suggest that you simply cull this animal and disinfect anything that came in contact with him. Is one rabbit worth the rest of your herd?
 
Lady":34nz8via said:
I really need to know how often and when to give the drugs.
I'm not 100% on what kind this is. But raspy lungs for 2 bucks

That sounds like pneumonia and is likely secondary to pasteurellosis....I would cull them.

Lady":34nz8via said:
and one of the bucks also has a scabby growth on his nose.

That sounds like vent disease...have you checked his genitals? If it IS vent disease, then penicillin will work to treat it. Here is a link to a site that talks about vent disease and how to treat it.... http://www.threelittleladiesrabbitry.co ... -syphilis/ I would check all the rabbits and see who else may have it and treat them all.
 
Vent disease looks nothing like what he has, which is just on the tip of his nose. No weird balding or crusting anywhere, just a raised flap on his nose.
 
Lady":33fut8b0 said:
Vent disease looks nothing like what he has, which is just on the tip of his nose. No weird balding or crusting anywhere, just a raised flap on his nose.

Can you post a picture?
 
Lady":3lv94592 said:
Vent disease looks nothing like what he has, which is just on the tip of his nose. No weird balding or crusting anywhere, just a raised flap on his nose.

Two of my bucks got into a tiff, and one came away with a slice right on the end of his nose, which I glopped neosporin onto. It is almost healed now, but for the first few days, instead of "knitting together", the end bit lifted up and was hanging about like a hangnail, then finally peeled off. Any possibility yours got an injury?
 
I just lost three rabbits that all came from a show together, two are mine and the third was the new one. Even after the quarantine.
I culled another one too. She was not worth it.
 
You don't treat pasteurella unless you plan to send those rabbits to a pet home for lifetime treatment. You put them down and keep the ones that don't show symptoms. If you start treating it and breed those rabbits you'll only end up with a rabbitry on meds 365 days a year and no one will want to buy from you or allow you at shows.
 
raised flap on his nose, he probably has mites. Panacur will cure that. Raspy lungs...most likely a pneumonia...I'd be hesitant to use penicillin unless you are going to feed lots of hay to keep the gut moving.
 
Pics of his nose, best I could get.
bunnoseissue.jpg

bunnoseissue1.jpg
 
The rest of him is totally clean and clear, there is nothing on his genitals at all. No reddening, no hair loss, nothing.
I noticed his nose last week, week before his nose was fine.<br /><br />__________ Thu Nov 08, 2012 9:51 am __________<br /><br />So no one knows how long to give the Pen, eh? Strange..
 
Most of us, having seen pastuerella wipe out a whole rabbitry over a period of time, would immediately eliminate a (known) infected rabbit, and go into a a frenzy of trying to disinfect the entire rabbitry. So, we don't have much experience in trying to treat it.

If I were to try an antibiotic, I would probably choose "Combiotic" and give them an injection every day for 5 to 7 days.

Sorry that I can't be of more help.
 
That looks like VD...they don't always have places otherwise. Pen G long lasting type, 1 shot for 3 weeks should clear it up. Do not stop even if it clears up after the 1st dose. Rate is 1/10 cc per pound of body weight.

Now the other...same as every one else on subject. Plus if you plan on buying rabbits from others in the future, it could be a problem.
 

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