Bonny very sick!! help!!

we came home last night from work to find bonny quite chesty and not interested in her food. we thought maybe she was in pain with some tummy problem or a serious cold etc. So we gave her metacam, and syringe fed her through the night with her food and some water.

We took her to the vets first thing and were told that she appeared to have a bad nasal infection. she was given a jab of some marbocyl and we had some to take home.

However this evening her breathing seemed to appear better but she was finding it hard to get about. despite us telling the vet she hadn't wee'd all night, and now nothing today we are suspecting EC. I phoned a very good rabbit savvy vet and she suspected the same too. so i've spent the last hour in search of some panacur and my vet said if not that, then one with some fenbendazole in as the active ingredient.

I found some bob martins stuff with it in and i've given her the dose according to her weight. I'm so mad really the rabbit savvy vet i know is in the process of setting up her own practice so can only give me advice. so i have to go to another which really didn't mention EC at all this morning. (despite the fact she was told she hasn't weed etc) as well as saying that her bladder was empty!

to be quite honest my vets practice is ****! i know if i got on the phone they would look at her but thats about it. Where can i find a vet who will understand exactly how much i care about her. I wouldn't care if it costed thousands. All i can do is pray, I'm not a church goer or really a believer, but it's all i have left!!!!!

Hiya. I'm sorry i'm no help i'm a tangent post. I'm from pembokeshire and have two buns booked in for a spay in two weeks. Can you please share ant good/bad vet stories?

Good luck with your bun.

I do hope your bun feels better soon -sue:wave:

hi Lynne18
'Hiya. I'm sorry i'm no help i'm a tangent post. I'm from pembokeshire and have two buns booked in for a spay in two weeks. Can you please share ant good/bad vet stories?'

well about the best vets around, unfortunately to say is fentons at the mo, in hwest. Don't bother with milford haven one (kingston). I'm aware they've done some stupid things to buns which could have killed them.

If your with fentons then always try and see Lance, however he's only there on a tuesday and friday, and my bunnies are never ill when he's in. So if i'm lucky i can keep them going with the knowledge i have untill he's in.

But the person i'd 100% recommend and who is Billa. She owns and run's west wales willows (timothy hay) and is hoping to set up a practice in milford haven if she can get the planning through!

she know's everything there is to know and even knows the little stuff which can really help when you have a sick bun.

i hope this helps you, i know i've lost bunns because i just automatically trusted that vets were all as good as eachother.

sorry but I don't know what EC satnds for. What is it?

sorry but I don't know what EC satnds for. What is it?

Click to expand...

It called E cuniculi, basically it's a parasite, which i'm told can lie dormant and then when the immune system is low cause issues. you can look it up there's loads of info about.

Bonny is struggling to get about, its like her back legs are wworking against each other. Just now she tried to wash her face and then toppled over because she hasn't got the balance she needs. I feel so helpless

I don't know much about EC, but hope that Bonny starts to improve soon and you can see a rabbit savvy vet.

She will need anti-inflammatories aswell as Fenbendazole. It is inflammation caused by the EC spores that gives the clinical symptoms. Any in-contact Rabbits also need treating with Fenbendazole as the EC spores are excreted in the urine.

A 10% bleach solution should be used for daily cleaning of accomodation as bleach is about the only thing that kills EC spores. The spores can remain viable outside of the host (the Bun) for up to 4 weeks.

She will need help keeping herself clean if she has hindleg weakness and if she's an outdoor Bun she'd be better off indoors. Rabbits with hind leg weakness can be at high risk from flystrike.

I hope she gets help from the Rabbit savvy Vet

Hope the wee bun gets better soon...my kermit was severly effected by EC, he still has head tilt from it, and a few anxiety issues, but apart from that he is back to normal. (well as normal as a psycho bun can be)

Youll need to treat your bun for 6weeks with panacur or lapizole, and also follow Jack's Janes great advice.....she is great and she really helped me out when my bun got ill! (aliong with a fair few others on here )

she managed the night through, she actually joined us about 3am this morning of her own accord. She lives upstairs with us and has a child safety gate on the door. I didn't shut it cos i thought she was too poorly to even think about moving. She sat down next to the bed and let me stroke her. I think she enjoyed the comfort.

I'm about to go to the vets now, i haven't got an appt, i'm just gonna try and get i asap, as its definately an emergency. If i have to pay for the vet to come in extra i will.

Wish me luck

gem

I saw the vet and she agreed with the diagnosis, she keeping her in to try and get a blood sample. when the vet felt her bladder she wee'd all over the table. that's her first wee in 36hrs

the vet is also going to try and get some more fluids in etc while she hospitalised. it doesn't look good though. Bonny's temp is now 105 so i'm hoping they'll be able to get it down soon. The vet wanted me to leave her untill tomorrow so that she could see lance first thing. Thing is though i can't leave her over night knowing that how weak she is. she may not make it.

I'll do whatever is needed. I stayed up most the night last night so if i have to do it again i will.

i feel really low now, i can't help but feel like it's my fault, like i missed something etc.

Even if she recovers i don't know what mobility she'll be left with. i'd like to think that she'll make a full recovery but as i have never dealt with this illness before i don't know what's around the next corner.

Can anyone give me some advice or let me know if they've dealt with a similar situation.

any advice would be appreciated.

gem

Don't really have any advice, just wanted to say I am thinking of you and Bonny.

Im sorry I dont have any advice.Sending loads of healing vibes Bonnys way

i've just spoke to the vets and i'm going to collect bonny after 2 today. they managed to get some bloods for testing which is good.

mind you if it's all too late then, whats the point in getting the results anyway! I wished this had been picked up sooner but what can i do?

Once damage has been done by EC it is often permanent, although some degree of improvement is possible.
In my experience a Bun is not febrile with 'just' active EC :? There must be a significant bacterial infection going on too. Hopefully antibiotics will get the infection under control and an antipyretic should bring her temperature down.

In the acute phase of EC intensive nursing care is needed and this may include supportive feeding and hydration aswell as medication.

Even if the Bun is left somewhat disabled by EC many of them can cope and although they may need special care on a day-to-day basis they can still have a good quality of life.

bonny update

Bonny made it through the night and so we managed to get her to see lance.
because she was so weak and quiet he managed to do an concious xray which appeared to be normal apart from he heart being slightly inlarged. However Lance was overly concerned about this because he felt that this could be down to the infection or what ever.

Later on though some of her blood tests came back and revealed that she had suffered some kidney damage, to what extent we don't know. So he recommended that she stay in on a drip tonight to ensure her system is flushed through adequately.

I was so torn as to what to do, i really don't know what the best decision would be for bonny. Her temperature has come right down and it's now classed as normal which is good. I decided to do what lance recommended and leave her in tonight.

I spoke to the nurse and if needed i can collect her later on this evening, however i was told that it's is more beneficial for her to stay on the drip for at least 12hrs.

I know they'll do their best but obviously there isn't someone there 24/7. so although they'll do whats needed i feel that she'll be lonely. i don't want her to slip away without someone there. If she's gonna go i want her in my arms or for her to feel safe at home.

I know she's got this far which is amazing, i'm at home now though and it feels empty without her. I've got my other two buns but it still feel so. plus when i look at them being happy and healthy it highlights to me how poorly Bonny is.

I hope i've made the right decision in leaving her there, i hope i get to see her again. i hope that she'll be okay.

Aww hun you are doing your best for Bonny and as you say she has come this far.Sending mega healing vibes for Bonny

bonny has fought through this far, your doing the best for her getting her on the drip.....hope the wee fighter can get through this and come out feeling alot better.

thinking of you both
k&k
x

I hope all goes well.Thinking of you.xx

aww i hope ya bunny Gets well soon sending Loads of get well ****VIBeS**** fingers crossed for ya hun