Rabbits are becoming a popular pet in households across the UK and they do have some very specific needs as pets. It’s so important for potential owners and pet parents alike to be aware of the special diet and housing requirements rabbits have as well as potential health complications they can suffer from. Rabbit syphilis is a disease that can occur in domestic rabbits and is something to bear in mind if you have a pet bunny or are thinking about adopting one. It is thought to be relatively common and some animals will show no signs of having it until they undergo a period of stress, so it’s not always easy to spot. Knowing the signs to look out for can be so helpful and means you’ll be ready to seek vet care if needed, keeping your pet happier and more comfortable too. The good news is it is usually easily treated and can’t be passed on to humans, but it is infectious to other rabbits so it’s good to know how to reduce the spread.
What is rabbit syphilis and how is it transmitted?
Rabbit syphilis is caused by a spirochaete (spiral-shaped bacteria) called Treponema cuniculi or paraluiscuniculi. The disease is most commonly seen in young animals and it is spread by sexual contact between rabbits or at birth during passage through the birth canal. It is believed that male rabbits are often asymptomatic carriers (in other words, they carry the disease and spread it without showing any symptoms themselves), though the disease can occasionally be seen in rabbits who live alone too. This type of syphilis can be found in domestic pet rabbits as well as wild hares which often don’t show any signs of the disease either, and luckily is not transmittable to humans.
What are the symptoms of rabbit syphilis?
The most common symptoms of rabbit syphilis are skin lesions on mucocutaneous junctions (where skin and mucous membranes like the lips meet), such as around the nose, lips, genitals and eyelids. These skin lesions can appear as red areas that develop into ulcers and can linger for a long time, persisting for as long as several months. You may also notice hyper-salivation, blood in the urine or uncomfortable urination. It’s also worth noting that the fertility of infected rabbits can be affected by the disease too, with increased risk of metritis, abortion and neonatal death.
It’s possible for rabbits to carry the disease for a long time without displaying any symptoms before a period of stress such as a vet visit or surgery triggers a flare up, similar to cold sores in humans. Although, it is typically seen as a chronic, long-lasting illness. The incubation period (time between contracting the disease and showing symptoms) is fairly long, with skin lesions often not seen until three to eight weeks after exposure to the bacteria. So it’s important to remember that a rabbit can be carrying the bacteria but not necessarily showing any outward signs.
How can it be diagnosed and treated?
Your vet may be able to diagnose the illness based upon your rabbit’s history and symptoms alone or even by trialing the treatment and seeing a good response to it. However, skin biopsies of the sore lesions may be needed to confirm the diagnosis. There is also a blood test that can diagnose the disease but results can take a long time (up to twelve weeks) and will only show a positive result if it’s been present for at least eight to twelve weeks. The prognosis for rabbits receiving treatment is excellent and the symptoms usually resolve within a couple of weeks which is great news. Any rabbit thought to be exposed should be treated to avoid re-infection and this is especially important in households where there are multiple rabbits to avoid them re-infecting each other.
Treatment is relatively straightforward, with a three-week course of antibiotics usually being curative. Injectable penicillin is often used but your vet may use another suitable antibiotic. Penicillin antibiotics will need to be injected as rabbits can suffer from a serious disruption to the normal gastrointestinal bacteria when given penicillin by mouth. There are other options if penicillin isn’t suitable for any reason, though.
I’m worried about my rabbit getting syphilis, what can I do?
Unfortunately, there isn’t currently a vaccination to stop rabbits from getting syphilis. If you have multiple rabbits, separating them if one of them shows symptoms of syphilis can help avoid transmission by mating if the other rabbit isn’t already carrying the disease. Regular examinations with your vet can help to catch the disease in its early stages so treatment can be started promptly if they start showing symptoms. If your rabbit colony is free of the bacteria and there is no risk of exposure to wild rabbits, you should be good, but the difficulty is knowing whether an animal is a carrier or not. Sadly, this is hard to confirm without taking samples and running tests and they may not always be completely accurate.
Make sure you are providing sufficient space and appropriate housing for your rabbit as well as a good balanced diet, and preventing them from any unnecessary stress which can lead to flare-ups of the symptoms.
When purchasing a new bunny, make sure there are no visible sores on their mucous membranes or genitals. Although this doesn’t guarantee them not carrying the disease asymptomatically, it’s an easy way to make sure you’re not taking home an animal that already has a pre-existing illness.
Spirochaete bacteria don’t survive in the environment well, so thorough, regular cleaning of your rabbits housing is usually fine for removing any potential sources of re-infection there. And good housing hygiene is always essential when keeping pet rabbits.
What should I do if my rabbit is showing signs of syphilis?
If you notice skin lesions like the ones described above on your rabbit, you should take them to your vet for an appointment and try to keep the skin lesions as clean and dry as possible. Your vet will be able to carry out an in-depth examination from head to tail as well as checking their skin lesions. They will be able to carry out a few tests that may help with diagnosis as well as prescribing and administering the appropriate treatment for your pet. As you can probably see by now, this disease can be tricky to avoid or prevent altogether, but prompt treatment will reduce the risk of spread and keep your rabbit comfortable by resolving the symptoms speedily.
As always, if you have any other questions about rabbit syphilis your local vet practice should be able to discuss any concerns with you.
Rabbits can be such loving and rewarding animals to care for, but they do have plenty of extra needs compared with cats and dogs. Your vet or vet nurse will also be able to discuss these with you in more detail if you feel you need any extra help giving them the best life possible!
References
Treponema paraluiscuniculi* (Rabbit syphilis) Test – Labokin
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