• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.
  • Please Note - Medical Advice

    Please keep in mind that posts on this forum are from members of the public sharing personal opinions. It is not a replacement for qualified medical advice from a veterinarian. Many illnesses share similar symptoms but require different treatments. A medical exam is necessary for an accurate diagnosis, without which appropriate treatment cannot be given.

    You should always consult your vet before following any suggestions for medication or treatment you have read about. The wrong treatment could make your rabbit worse or mean your vet is unable to give the correct treatment because of drug interactions. Even non prescription drugs can do harm if given inappropriately.

    We are very grateful to members who take time to answer other members questions, but please do be clear in your replies that you are sharing personal experience and not giving instructions on what must be done.

    Urgent Medical Advice: If you need, or think you might need, urgent medical advice you should contact a vet. If it is out of working hours phone your vet's normal number and there should be an answer phone message with instructions on what to do.

Anyone have a bun with epilepsy or that has fits?

I had a nethie house rabbit that took fits but when they started she would ram raid full speed into her cage and just keep doing it , i had to grab her quickly and wrap her in a towel to protect her , it was so sad because after she came out of it i dont even think she was aware of it .
 
I had a nethie house rabbit that took fits but when they started she would ram raid full speed into her cage and just keep doing it , i had to grab her quickly and wrap her in a towel to protect her , it was so sad because after she came out of it i dont even think she was aware of it .

:shock:Sooty is a nethie. Do you know if they have different reactions while fitting? Did your vet give her medication?
 
I suppose they could do different things when fitting , my bun spent the night in the vets but stopped fitting and i am sure she did not get any meds . She did not have any fits for about 3 months then it started again , she was on medication but she could hardly walk and needed to be kept confined in a carrier with towel up the sides to help her keep her balance and i thought it was cruel to keep her like that so i had her pts
 
Jet previously had bad seizures when she was in the adoption centre at p@h.

Since coming to me she has had some funny turns. Her eyes flicker and she isn't in full control of her body, almost fighting it.

However, these spells only last about a minute and afterwards she just wants to play and eat, as if nothing has happened.

If she was having a full blown seizure she would be in a lot of pain afterwards and certainly wouldn't want to eat and play.

Epilepsy is vary rare in buns, and is most commonly seen in blue eyed buns, however it still may be the case.

Jet was treated with 6 weeks Panacur but has had a few more "absenses" since and during the course.

The E.C tests are not very sensitive and dont really prove a whole lot. Tests may come back negative due to their insensitivity and if a bunny shows as positive, that does not prove EC is the cause of the fits, just that they carry the parasite.

Fits may also be the cause of neurological damage (as now thought with Jet) and will just come and go occasionally and could also be a brain tumour, although by the time signs usually start appearing for the latter, the bun is usually in pain and isn't far off the end :( Scans can be done at specialist centres throughout the UK but run into £100's if not £1000's of pounds and even if it does come back positive, nothing can be done.

I hope it's nothing serious, maybe she is just having absenses like Jet has. I just make sure Jet doesn't have anything in her cage she could hurt herself on ;)
 
Yes, my late Bun Billy had epilepsy from puberty til he passed away aged 7.5 years. His seizures where always whilst asleep. He would leap forward several times, roll onto his back whilst kicking his legs. He would sometimes but not always squeel. He had numerous courses of Fenbendazole plus a trial on a few anti epilepsy drugs. Nothing had any impact and the s/effects of the epilepsy meds were often not good. As the fits never distressed him (he'd come too after about 2 mins and behave as though nothing had happened) we decided to just see how he got on med free. He got on just fine for 7 years !!

Strangely enough his 'seizure squeels' never distressed any of my other Rabbits yet to me they sounded the same as that blood-chilling 'Rabbit scream'. My Vet assured me the squeels were not pain induced and I really dont think they were as Billy was always eating as soon as the fit resolved. He could have up to 6 fits a day.

I also have Jo who has had 3 full blown seizures and now has some 'absences'.
She has been treated with Fenbendazole/Metacam but as yet no other medication
 
All the rabbits I have had with seizures have all been caused by EC. They never needed any other medication besides the usual panacur and metacam. All their fits were slightly different but they were all poorly for awhile after each one, lethargic and not eating for a few hours afterwards

Elwood has brain damage and has abscenses but I have never seen him have a full blown seizure, he isn't on any meds at all at the moment :)
 
Back
Top