I am officially closing my barn to the public! I will no longer allow people or other rabbits in my barn. None of my bucks are available for stud services so please do not ask. I am sorry I have to do this but I am fed up with people not taking responsibility for their own rabbits.
I am a responsible breeder. I give my rabbits that best care possible and it is sad that others are not doing the same. You are responsible as a breeder to medicate or cull your rabbits when sick and be sure that the rabbits you sale have a clean bill of health. If you let a friend use one of your bucks and it starts getting sick YOU are responsilbe to let the person know! A simple phone call or email will do. The breeders will be thankful not upset!
Please be careful who you buy from and whose bucks you use for breeding. It is ABSOULTLY rediculous that vents is going around! It is an easy and inexpensive thing to treat!
Please be responsible and treat your rabbits! Continuing the cycle of vents will catch up to you in the end. Don't be ashamed...tell the breeders and clients who might be infected!!!!!
If you would like more into on vents and the cure for it please contact me! I would be more than happy to help!
What is Vents Disease???
According to: http://www.rabbitweb.net/health-problems.asp#rabbit%20syphilis
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.
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According to: http://www.helium.com/items/1390994-rabbit-syphilis-symptoms-and-treatment
Syphilis in rabbits, sometimes referred to as Vent disease, is caused by the bacteria known as Treponema cuniculi. This serious disease is many times mistaken for simple hutch burn or vice versa. This form of syphilis is not the same that humans can contract but the bacterium that causes the disease in rabbits and humans are related.
Rabbit syphilis can be spread between rabbits by sexual contact or breeding. The more a rabbit is bred, the more chance it has at becoming infected with syphilis. Normal contact between rabbits can also spread the disease and does can pass syphilis onto their kits. Rabbit syphilis is not zoonotic and cannot be transmitted between humans and rabbits.
The symptoms of syphilis in rabbits are painfully obvious and can be found in both bucks and does. The genital area will develop sores that become crusty. This can spread to the face area including the nose, mouth, eyes, and chin when the rabbit grooms the genital region. The area will first appear reddened and then begin to swell. The lesions will form scabs with 15 percent of infected rabbits then having the syphilis spread to the face area. The genitals will be painful and the rabbit generally refuses to breed.
A rabbit that is suspected of having syphilis should be quarantined from other rabbits and be seen by an experienced rabbit veterinarian. The vet should do more than a simple external examination to rule out hutch burn. The bacterium that causes syphilis will need to be confirmed through a simple scraping taken from the area.
Rabbit syphilis is completely treatable with proper antibiotics. Topical ointments may relieve the pain and soreness but they will not kill the bacteria that caused the disease. Rabbit owners should become knowledgeable in what antibiotics are harmful to rabbits and which are safe. The most common antibiotic used for treating Vent disease is Penicillin G and Dual-cillin.
When a rabbit is on antibiotics, owners should watch their rabbit's eating, drinking, and bathroom habits. Allow plenty of fresh timothy hay to aid in digestion while the rabbit is on the medication. You will also want to give your rabbit a probiotic, either Benebac or even plain yogurt will do. Diarrhea is a common side effect in rabbits on antibiotic treatments which can lead to enteritis (inflammation or infection of the intestines). Notify the veterinarian immediately if the rabbit stops eating or develops diarrhea.
Preventative measures can be taken that can help avoid a rabbit from developing syphilis as well as many other diseases. Rabbits should be quarantined before introducing to other rabbits or into a breeding program. Always examine a rabbit thoroughly before breeding and do not breed rabbits that appear sick or show any signs of illness. A rabbitry that exercises good husbandry practices is less likely to have outbreaks of bacteria that cause disease.
References:
THE RABBIT HANDBOOK, by Dr. Karen Gendron, copyright 2000.
http://www.merckvetmanual.com /mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/17 1321.htm
http://www.radil.missouri.edu /info/dora/RABBPAGE/derm.html# XII.
What I did for treatment
PLEASE CONTACT YOUR VET BEFORE YOU START!!!!!!
I RECENTALLY TALKED TO MY VET ABOUT VENTS DISEASE AND HE INFORMED ME THAT YOU SHOULD DO THE SHOTS EVERY DAY NOT EVERY OTHER DAY BECAUSE PENICILLIN GOES THROUGH THE BODY QUICKLY SO BY SKIPPING A DAY IT JUST GIVES BACTERIA THE CHANCE TO GROW. WHAT I WAS TOLD WAS TO TREAT THE RABBIT EVERYDAY UNTIL ALL THE VISIBLE SIGNS HAD GONE AWAY AND THEN KEEP ADMINISTERING THE SHOTS FOR 2 WEEKS AFTER YOU DO NOT SEE SYMPTOMS. AS ALWAYS YOU WANT TO PUT YOUR RABBIT ON A PROBIOTIC LIKE BENEBAC OR ACIDOPHOLOUS. YOU CAN STILL USE THE 6 WEEK PROCESS BUT I NOW RECCOMEND THE PROCESS LISTED ABOVE BECAUSE THE SHORTER TIME A RABBIT IS ON ANTIBIOICS THE BETTER!
My rabbits always had hay infront of them, fresh cold water and I also sprinkled ground acidopholys over their food. Just like in humans, when you take antibiotics they kill all bacteria even the good bacteria that is needed for our bodies. Acidopholys adds the good bacteria back into the body.
What I noticed:
I noticed that my rabbits got to be skin and bones.
They were eating the pellets, hay and water but still loosing weight.
I also noticed that they would be more allert after the shots
I lost a few rabbits due to the Penicillin shots
Oh No my doe is Pregnant and has Vents!
Don't worry everything will be ok! I had a few does that I treated while pregnant. In my experiance they did loose their litter....one gave birth and then they died...the other had them early and they died.
If the symptoms are not bad then you can also wait till the doe gives birth and then treat the doe. The babies wican be treated through the mom's milk, but it would be a good idea to either cull the babies or hang on to them untill they are old enough to treat.
Please let me know if you are experiancing the same thing! I would be more than happy to help if I can.
