E Cuniculi

Hi,

I'm new to the forum & really need some help.
I have a bun who was diagnosed with EC about 2.5 weeks ago. She has a head tilt, muscle weakness in her back end, weight loss & frequent weeing. She is very un-coordinated (upright but staggery - looks drunk). She has been on Panacur since the beginning (and also a short course of Baytril). She is still eating / drinking but is gradually getting worse. I have another vet appt booked for Tues next week & if no improvement, she will be PTS then (mainly due to the weight loss & muscle wastage).
Is there anything else (treatment wise) anyone can suggest?
I am just rying to keep her going eating & drinking wise and praying for a miracle!
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks

Im just about to go to bed, so sorry for the short response, but my bun Kermit was exactly as you describe here, he recovered well, but was left with a head tilt.
Ive also just nursed my bun Inca through EC, although she never had head tilt, only hind leg weakness and weightloss.
Your bun should also be on pain relief, such as metacam, some have also found that Stemetil helps balance, but i never had much joy with it.
If you search for Kermit or Wilson you should get lots of advice from when my bun and Denises' bun had head tilt.
Ill have a look in the morning at what the others write, and add anything else i feel could be helpful x

Lapazole by gentrix(google it) is good to treat EC. I use science recovery for maintaining weight whilst my buns are unwell. Probiotics also to help gut. Probably worth continuing GOOD doses of batril also to stop a pasturella chest infection etc.Good luck x

As well as the panacur (or Lapizole - they both contain the same thing), bun should be on Metacam which is an anti-inflammatory and will help with the swelling that EC causes in the nervous system. In addition my buns found an anti-nausea drug (from the vets) helpful in helping them feel well enough to eat. Also eye drops to stop the 'up eye' drying out .

It can take several weeks (or even months) for a bun to get really better again but all three of mine completely resolved. Good luck and don't give up!!

PS has the vet checked for other issues as well?

PPS to help put weight back on grated foods such as carrot can be good along with any 'junior' pellets such as excell junior, or even a very small amount of porridge (unsweetened and made with warm water - make sure it has fully swollen up before giving!).

I agree that a NSAID such as Metacam is essential. Your Vet may have administered a long acting corticosteroid initially which will have a good anti-inflammatory effect. But once the steroid wears off a daily NSAID should be given. This is because it is the inflammatory response to erupting EC spores that causes longterm cellular damage (and produces clinical symptoms). Obviously it's important to try to minimise that inflammatory response to attempt to reduce the amount of permanent damage.

As PB says, recovery (as much as is possible, all cases are unique) can take months. It is really early days for your Bun.
Physiotherapy is helpful to promote good circulation and help maintain muscle tone. I would speak with the Vet about this. Physio needs to be done several times a day EVERY day for it to be of benefit.

Optimum nutrition will also provide your Rabbit with the best chance of fighting his way to recovery. Whilst it may be tempting to feed lots of carbohydrates, going OTT on them will cause digestive upsets. So the importance of lots of fibre (hay) remains as it would for a healthy Rabbit.

A probiotic such as Fibreplex would be useful

http://www.vetuk.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1180

After a few days on Fibreplex this could then be changed to a water soluable probiotic such as Bio Lapis or Avipro.

http://www.vetuk.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1175

http://www.vetuk.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1225

Dont give up yet !!

Welcome to the forum. I joined for the same reason as you, and found it full of lots of useful info and very helpful people.

As parsnipbun and Jane have both said, your bun should be on Metacam or some other NSAID, Metacam is the most commonly used for buns. A rabbit in pain won't eat and as I'm sure you know this leads things downhill.

A longer course of Baytril may also be helpful, I have a bun currently recovering from EC and after her first short course of Baytril and Panacur she improved and then got worse again, so a longer course of Baytril and more Panacur was prescribed and this seems to be helping.

How much is she actually eating? As Jane suggested, junior pellets are a great bet to keep her weight up. I was told to give my bun unlimited quantities of whatever vegetables she would eat, short term, to keep her strength up, so she's been getting lots of kale (which is normally inadvisable due to the high calcium content) and she wolfs it down. I've found that getting the weight back on is the most difficult so if you can prevent it leaving in the first place it helps. Try her favourite nibbles and see what helps.

I have had another EC bun who also developed head tilt, and the best advice I can give you is to avoid lifting her off the ground as much as possible as this scared the living daylights out of mine. Also keep an eye on the eye (no pun intended!) facing the floor as this can get dry, you can get drops to replenish the dry eye from your vet.

The fact that she is still upright is a good sign - even if staggery and weak, she still has the muscle tone to stand. My bun at her worst point had no strength in her back legs whatsoever and used to lie in puddles of her own urine as she just couldn't move. If you find the incontinence a problem, you could try using nappies, I found that the super-cheap supermarket ones with the elasticated edges trimmed off work great, and help stop the problem of urine down the legs and make your bun more comfortable.

Do you have any other rabbits? If yes, treat them with Panacur as a precaution and keep them away from your sick bun, as EC is passed through the spores in urine.

Please don't give up! As I mentioned, my bun is still recovering and she's had EC since last November. All cases are different and it can take a long time to see improvement. If you need any more advice please ask. Sending lots of hugs and nose-rubs for you and your bun. What's her name?

Here's a fairly recent thread which covers most of the bases with regards to EC, with another bun who is currently recovering.
http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=215679&highlight=jess

Thank you so much for all the replies & suggestions.
She has had fibreplex - this was early on in her treatment. I have just ordered another tube (along with another Panacur) over the internet. I hope it is OK to give her another tube?
Yesterday, I started syringing Recovery food into her - as I was getting desperate & had a couple of sachets left from previous vet visits! I am making it up on the weaker side & giving her approx 5ml in one go twice daily. Does this sound OK?
I also have some 'Meloxivet' - which I believe is similar to Metacam?? I have just given her 0.3ml - I tried to guess the dosage, so does this sound OK? The vet didn't want to give an NSAID as she was concerned by the frequent urination (it is expressed by her so not incontinent). She thought the NSAID would have a detremental effect on the kidneys..? I'm now desperate & if she may be PTS on Tues, then I feel I have nothing to lose.
Eating wise - she has just eaten a small amount of bread. Currently likes carrots & pak choi! She has also eaten a small amount of broccoli & will eat dandilion leaves.
She is definately upright & looks relatively bright in herself - but struggles badly with co-ordination when she moves. She bumps into things.
Yes, I do have another bun - he is now over 10. He shows absolutely no signs & the vet firmly believes he is a carrier and gave it to her. He is not currently being treated. As he is so old I am currently feeding both on the Excel Senior pellets.
Her name is Jenna (I adopted her from the RSPCA). My old boy is Rocky & have had him all his life.
Is there any way to pop photos or video on this forum - I only ask as this may help with the understanding of how she is?
Thanks again for your help, Nicky

You're right, Meloxivet is similar to Metacam, it's another NSAID. Another tube of Panacur should be fine - the course of treatment for EC should last 28 days. I haven't had a massive amount of experience with Recovery food so will let someone else answer that one!

That's great that she's still eating fresh food, how is she with hay? I know mine got digestive biscuits as an emergency measure when they refused to eat anything else Have you tried a small amount of made-up porridge - this really helps to put on weight. I mushed banana and bits of apricot into mine.

As she is doing well in herself, I'd encourage you to keep fighting. As I've said, it can take a long time to see improvement. If she's bumping into things, she's moving as opposed to lying lethargically in her cage. I padded Vin's cage with rolled up towels and old pillows to stop her banging off things, and also to give her something to support herself with when lying down.

Tutorial on how to post pictures here

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=136183

My vet was very reluctant to let me give my EC/head tilt rabbit called Lola metacam because of potential kidney damage and she said there was no scientific proof that it would help.

However I went back to her following the advice from people on here and she did eventually let me give the metacam and I found it really did help. Lola made a full recovery and it's now 6 months since she stopped taking metacam and I haven't yet noticed any ill effects.

Hi there, just wanted to ask how Jenna is getting on? :wave:

loves_orange said:

Thank you so much for all the replies & suggestions.
She has had fibreplex - this was early on in her treatment. I have just ordered another tube (along with another Panacur) over the internet. I hope it is OK to give her another tube?
Yesterday, I started syringing Recovery food into her - as I was getting desperate & had a couple of sachets left from previous vet visits! I am making it up on the weaker side & giving her approx 5ml in one go twice daily. Does this sound OK?
I also have some 'Meloxivet' - which I believe is similar to Metacam?? I have just given her 0.3ml - I tried to guess the dosage, so does this sound OK? The vet didn't want to give an NSAID as she was concerned by the frequent urination (it is expressed by her so not incontinent). She thought the NSAID would have a detremental effect on the kidneys..? I'm now desperate & if she may be PTS on Tues, then I feel I have nothing to lose.
Eating wise - she has just eaten a small amount of bread. Currently likes carrots & pak choi! She has also eaten a small amount of broccoli & will eat dandilion leaves.
She is definately upright & looks relatively bright in herself - but struggles badly with co-ordination when she moves. She bumps into things.
Yes, I do have another bun - he is now over 10. He shows absolutely no signs & the vet firmly believes he is a carrier and gave it to her. He is not currently being treated. As he is so old I am currently feeding both on the Excel Senior pellets.
Her name is Jenna (I adopted her from the RSPCA). My old boy is Rocky & have had him all his life.
Is there any way to pop photos or video on this forum - I only ask as this may help with the understanding of how she is?
Thanks again for your help, Nicky

Click to expand...

I recovery really difficult to syringe and drip feed-it's quite bitty. One thing I've tried when weight has been an issue is to make the recovery into a paste and spread that on a cracker. I know that's not a good diet for a bun long term but it gets calories and fibre into a poorly bun. Lots of cuddles never hurt our lovie buns xxxx