VD questions, treating kits

[promiseacres]

So.... I am thinking this all started back in September, August?? I really am not sure. But Winston is my 2 year old Velveteen lop. I bred him to my doe Alena back in April had a nice litter 0f 10. 8 survived. All was good. Then in August I got more bunnies, a doe Holly and her son Moon and a young buck Samson. After Moon was weaned I attempted to breed Holly and Winston. Holly was not into him and I suspected he was bitten as he was bleeding after he bred her. Things were not normal around his sheath, penis I treated him with a weeks worth of Penicillin and he seemed good. He had settled Alena for a 2nd time, and she had a litter of 6 in October. Started Hollly on a weekly breeding in November, not always using winston as he didn't seem to be in the mood. But used George also. At 8, 9 weeks one of the october born does looked "off" and determined she was a he, with a split penis. Looking at Winston again very closely, he had one, just not as bad.... (mad at myself for not catching prior) This was after he had successfully bred Holly 2 different weeks. So last week I decided I would rebreed Alena since I'd had no litters since October, despite attempting on Holly and 2 younger does. Well she had no interest, but used Sam (who is young) and her vulva area didn't look great... had a pimple and seemed "dirty" so decided to treat everyone in the barn (15 rabbits now) for Vent disease. Since last week I've been noticing that Winston has been "off" hunched over (thought he was cold) and this week he's barely eating and drinking. He seems to be pooping or was, maybe not today. No response to the penicillin and things are now red, pussy around his penis. I am seriously thinking I need to have him euthnized... Money for the vet isn't there.... I just don't know what to think...is vent disease a possiblity with only 2 rabbits showing some signs? Other than Holly who is 18 months has had 2 prior litters but refuses to breed...
The crazy thing is Winston seemed fine, after his first breeding... but with his sons (yes I've now determined all 3 boys from this litter have the SP to some degree) Luckily the first litter was sold as pets, except 1 buck and trying to get in touch with her) having the same problem I do think he had it then.
I just am trying to determine what is up with him, why is he so sick??? could the pain from the SP and attempted breedings cause him to stop eating and go into GI stasis? He reminds me ofa elderly bunny that's just given up. And could he have a communicable disease?? He's always been so healthy until I got Holly.... though I don't think that she had anything to really do with it. IF she did bite him, she didn't cause the split in his offspring so...
When I had bunnies years ago the only time they just hung on, depressed it was an age thing. If they were sick the first sympton was death....

Thanks for any thoughts and input.

 

[animalmom]

Wow, @promiseacres, while I've not encountered what you are going through with Winston's condition, I was wondering if his GI tract could use some probiotics -- what with the penicillin he's been getting. When I had to give one of my bucks penicillin the vet recommended giving him Florentero. It is a paste in a dial-up type tube. I got it at VetApprovedRx.com. This was a couple of years ago and at that time it cost $13.29/tube and that time you got free shipping with a $35.00 order.

Also, since he isn't eating well, have you tried to tempt him with rose leaves? Maybe put some white corn syrup in his water... just enough to make it sweet. If he isn't drinking he won't eat.

Good luck with this guy, poor thing, and please keep us posted on his progress.

 

[HoneyDreameMomma]

I don't have much bunny experience, but I'm hoping for the best with Winston! Please let us know how things go.

 

[alsea1]

It sounds like your bun is not feeling well at all.
Probiotics for sure. You may have to force feed him and force fluid into him.
I would make a slurry out of the pellets he gets. That way it is not strange to his system.
Make sure he has hay available to nibble if he wants it.
I have never heard of this SP thing. To be honest I have not really looked at my bucks parts very closely.
It does not take long for a rabbit to die once it quits eating and drinking. From my research once the system stops moving the wrong types of bacteria flourish and produce gasses.
I keep simethicone drops on hand for gas.
I hope you can coax him thru

 

[promiseacres]

He ate some pellets, has been eating hay all along. He seemed perkier this evening. Also put electrolytes in their water... no one has diarrhea at this point. Maybe he's over a hump.

 

[promiseacres]

He's much much better this morning, cleaned his bowel and drank 15 oz of water.

 

[animalmom]

Whew! I can finally stop holding my breath! Good to hear!!!!!

 

[alsea1]

Sounds like he will be fine. I would continue with the probiotics for a bit yet.
Lots of hay.

 

[Hens and Roos]

Glad to hear he is feeling better!

 

[Bunnylady]

Split penis isn't supposed to be a painful condition. It is disgustingly common in some of the smaller breeds; since some of them were used in the creation of the Velveteen Lop, it's annoying but not really surprising that the gene for such a common problem got into the population as well. A young buck with a really bad split can look like a doe at first; I suspect this condition may be what is behind a lot of the "visits from the sex change fairy." When checking a rabbit, if a young buck's penis seems to curl rather than standing up straight, look closer - that's often an indicator of the milder sort of split.

Vent disease, on the other hand, is painful. Rabbits with the condition often refuse to breed. It is quite contagious; rabbits can pick it up without actual contact with the infected rabbit (rabbits often get lesions on their noses and lips from this organism, too). Apparently, a rabbit can be infected and have no symptoms. If you had no signs of this disease in your breeding population prior to the introduction of some newer animals, I would definitely suspect that it came in with one or more of the new animals. You may find that it takes repeated treatments to wipe it out; culling symptomatic animals is of course an option, but you might still have carriers with no symptoms. Definitely do probiotics with any animals that you give antibiotics to.

I'm glad Winston is feeling better, but you still have a dilemma, don't you? I suppose you could cull your entire herd and start over after a certain period; if you were very selective of your animals, that would probably take care of the Vent Disease (seems a bit extreme, though). Whether you could avoid the split penis is hard to say - you could be choosy about the bucks you brought in, but the does could still carry the gene and you wouldn't know until it showed up in the kits. I wish there was a clear, simple answer, but if there is one, I don't know what it is.