Small pustule on young buck's sheath

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MamaSheepdog

MamaSheepdog

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When I was weighing, re-sexing, and generally evaluating my stock yesterday, I discovered what looks like a 'white-head' or zit on the sheath of a young buck.
IMG_3323.JPG

I didn't do anything with it since I had other rabbits to handle, and didn't want to spread infection. It looks like a pretty benign lesion to me, but thought I would leave it to the bunny-pros to evaluate further. He isn't showing any symptoms- eats well, active, happy... should I worry?
 
I'd isolate him, just to be safe.

It may be nothing, but there is a disease known as rabbit syphilis. I don't know at lot about it except that it is not something that can be transmitted to humans and it is treatable.

I'm inclined to think, if the rabbit is a youngster bred at your place and you have not other rabbits with odd lesions on their genitals or faces, that it is not rabbit syphilis... but you cannot afford to take chances. Find out all you can about it, so you can rule it out.
 
Ack! I'll do the research, Maggie. He hasn't been exposed to any other rabbits, but if it is possible to get it in utero he very well could have it. I haven't seen any lesions on the other rabbits.

How far away should I isolate him until I learn more?
 
It's a venereal disease, so I would think as long as he in a cage a few feet away, that would be suitable. You would want to avoid any direct contact, even nose rubbing etc. I really think it is unlikely that he has rabbit syphilis, so don't panic... but you must treat him as though he does until you can rule it out. Be sure to give his parents a thorough check for anything suspicious.
 
Ok, I'll check my breeding animals. He is a youngster so hasn't been used yet, thankfully. I'll isolate him as best I can tomorrow and check the status of the lesion. He is on the lower tier with the other bucks so at least he wont be trying to breed does through the wire.

Thank Heavens I didn't succumb to temptation and "squish the zit" when I found it... I could have spread it everywhere... whatever it is.

Thanks for the heads-up re: VD in rabbits- I guess I should know by now that "if it breeds it can get VD"... people get it, dogs, cows, and goats get it... I wouldn't be surprised if amoebas get it. Thankfully most of those infections are breed specific!
 
It could simply be a zit too. I hope others with firsthand experience chime in on this. My bit of information comes from a thread on another forum where sores on the face were the presenting symptom. Probably because I have a closed herd (I've only brought in three new rabbits since I started with them in 2005) I see very little illness in my rabbits.
 
Rabbit Syphilis: A venereal disease that produces blisters, lesions, and/or scabs on the genitals and anus on a rabbit. Often, legions can spread to mouth, lips, nose, eyelids, ears, and feet, spread when a rabbit washes his or her hindquarters. The disease is contagious and can be passed between mating animals and between a doe and her offspring. Also called vent disease or spirochetosis.

Vent Infection: An infection on the "vent" region of the genitals. Generally, the infection takes the form of small pustules, which can burst and scab over. It is thought that vent infection is caused by dirt on the vent region on a rabbit or by urine dribbles that are not cleaned off. The infection can be passed between mating rabbits. While similar in appearance to rabbit syphilis, vent infection is not a venereal disease. Also called hutch burn.

Hope that helps
 
I'm hoping it's a zit! I'll keep a close eye on it though. Should I burst it? My fingers are itching to, gross as that sounds.

Methinks I need to google rabbit VD images.
 
Bramble Hedge, hope you don't mind that I edited your post slightly. Just the format, not the words themselves. I found it a bit confusing and wanted to clarify that the two problems are quite separate and have different causes.
 
It is all good Maggie, I love RabbitTalk and view us all as a bunch of bunny friends sitting around our kitchen tables just chatting about ... well anything I guess, but mostly bunnies, it just a bit of a reach with the coffee pot for a refill. :)<br /><br />__________ 18 Dec 2011, 06:21 __________<br /><br />Oh and congrates on the new star
 
What kind of floor is the rabbit on?
Cause at fair every year someones rabbit get a zit like that and its from sittin and rubbing on the solid wood floor of the fair cages..it could be just that. Everytime it happened we just popped it and put some ointment on it. It could be something else but if its on a solid wood floor it might be just a zit.
 
He's in a wire cage but has a hanging pot to lounge in. It doesn't match the descriptions of rabbit syphilis that I read when I googled it, thankfully. It looks like a zit- so... if it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it's a duck.

At least I hope so.

I guess I'll pop it and see if it comes back. Thanks, LilFish.
 

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