Urgent advice for EC rabbit needed

Hi everyone, this is the first time I've posted on this site, but I've read all the threads on EC.

My rabbit, Storm, was diagnosed with EC last Wednesday and put on a 9 day course of Panacur, given an anti-inflammatory shot, and put on Baytril just in case it was an ear infection.

I'm taking her back to the vets at 1.30pm today as she hasn't improved at all. From the other threads I've read, I know she should be on a 28 day course of Panacur, and also Baytril and Metacam.

My question is, how much Baytril and Metacam, and for how long? The full 28 days that she's on Panacur or until she gets better?

I know there's not much time until the appointment, but I hope someone will reply in time. I want to go to the vet today armed with knowledge!

Thanks in advance.

Hello,
If you have read through the threads on here then you'll probably recognise my username / buns!
I have had two buns with EC.

Your vet should prescribe a 28days *even 6week* course of panacur. Baytril for the ear infection possibility and Metacam. The Metacam & Baytril should also be over a 4 - 6 week period, or sometimes longer if there is only small signs of improvement.

You'll also have read that this is a long drawn out illness, and can take a bun weeks to show small improvement. Its worth it in the long run. As long as your bun is eating, drinking, pooing & peeing then they want to fight through this, it might be tiny baby steps, but they will be trying their best!

Vibes for the vets, let me know how you get on.....and feel free to ask anything else. K xx

Hello! I assume you've already read the threads about my Jess on here. :wave:

Your vet sounds kind of like mine in that they are telling you to only do a 9 day panacur course. My vet told me to do this for my first EC bun (he also had a suspected ear infection) and as the panacur courses weren't long enough, he never showed improvement and the vet put him to sleep after making me fork hundreds in vet bills. :shock:

Jess was also put on a too short Panacur course but after finding RU, it was extended to 28 days. I actually ended up giving her Panacur for six weeks because she still wasn't right at day 28. Jess also had Meloxodyl (pretty much the same as Metacam) for six weeks too. She didn't have any Baytril as the vet refused to perscribe it for her. She is fine now, even though she didn't have it but I do feel she would have got better quicker if she'd had it.

I believe a lot of people with EC buns treat with Panacur and Metacam for 28 days and then just continue with Metacam to the six week point. I decided to keep going with both until the six week point as Panacur wouldn't damage her if she had it for longer and it seemed like the longer she had it, the more likely it was that the EC would go. Normally I'd suggest doing exactly as your vet tells you but as they've already told you the wrong time span I wouldn't bother! :roll::lol:

With Jess, I tried not to pick her up during her illness and I didn't take her to the vet for checkups at all. It seemed the slightest thing would make her stressed and fit and when that happened, she'd just roll and forget where her feet were. She showed very little improvement over the first few weeks but now, looking back, she started improving after I stopped picking her up so much.

Is Storm bonded or in contact with other bunnies at all? They will need to be put on the 28 day course of Panacur too. It's also important to disinfect Storm's housing/cage/litter tray/bowls/everything as EC is spread through spores in rabbit urine. I used a 10% bleach solution and cleaned absolutely everything on day 21, day 28 and on the day that I took Jess off of her medicine. If you don't do it, Storm could manage to reinfect herself again by coming into contact with spores. Apparently they can live in the environment for a long time.

When you go to the vet, just get one tube of Panacur if you need one and buy the rest online. http://www.vetuk.co.uk/index.php?ma...ucts_id=1105&zenid=n3kdcesd5nn1dscrfndma7odh0 I got mine from here and it saved me a fortune! I got through nine tubes between Jess and my continental giant. The vet was charging £9.50 per tube. :shock:

Good luck at the vets!

Thanks for the quick reply. I'll ask my vet for a longer course of Metacam and Baytril as well as the Panacur.

I've had two rabbits die from EC years ago, I had no idea at the time it could be cured. They both became paralysed, so I've seen how bad it can get. Compared to them and the stories I've read on this site, Storm isn't that bad. She's eating and drinking normally, just does it all with a wobble and a very slight head tilt. She falls over if she gets too excited.

I know I need to give her husbun, Billy, the 28 day course of Panacur too, but I have two other rabbits who live in a separate run but share the same garden. Should I give them the 28 day course too?

Thanks again.

Looks like we posted at the same time! You've already answered my question. I'll put them all on the 28 day course to be safe.

I would give all buns that have been in contact the 28day course. Better safe than sorry!

Its amazing how ill they can be with EC, yet still recover!!

Thanks for the link, I've just bought 6 tubes of Panacur, and a tube of Fibreplex and a snugglesafe, just in case! I can't remember how much my vet charges for Panacur, but it's gotta be more than £3.82!

We're back from the vet and with everything I wanted! She agreed with a 28 day course of Panacur, possibly longer, and gave me extra Baytril and Metacam.

She suggested Storm could have a brain scan under GA, but I don't want to put her through that.

She also agrees with me now that she's losing her sight. I'm not sure if she'll regain her sight if she recovers. Until then I'll have to think of more food with a strong smell for her...

Thanks for your advice everyone.

Thats good that she got the meds at the vets.
Ill look forwards to some good updates as she recovers......fingers crossed xx

I know I am late in posting but my bun has EC and my vet put my bun on metacam and lapizole, I didn't noticed you said that you had got a snugglesafe I was wondering why you need a snugglesafe. Also I pick my bun up to give him his medicine - is this a bad thing??????

I only bought the Snugglesafe as I was getting a little carried away with the shopping, since it seemed like a cheap website! Thought it would be useful to have as I have four rabbits and three cats and you never know what might happen!

I pick Storm up to medicate her. As long as I put her down very slowly and carefully she doesn't fall over. I know some people find it easier to put the rabbit between their knees on the floor to medicate, but I find it easier and quicker to put them on top of the run so I can hold them in one arm against my body. I think whichever way works quickest is the least stressful for the bunny.

That's ok then as I thought I would have to put a snugglesafe in there with him and I havnt got it, and I have to pick him up to medicate him too, I pick him up and tuck his head under my arm so he has a cuddle

Just like to say that keep at it with the Panacur. Rolo had quite bad EC symptoms and it appears she must have been suffering from it when i got her 4 years ago - because she was very different to how she is now. Last year we eventually got the EC under control with the 6 week Panacur treatment and a lot of bleaching of the equipment - everything got bleached every week. She is now a totally different rabbit (a bit difficult to be honest - very dominant now!!!!) and so far we have managed to keep the EC at bay and it hasn't come back *fingers crossed*!.

Good luck.

Hello again everyone.

I'm on day 24 of treatment for Storm and so far there's been no improvement. Over the last week she's been getting more fussy about what she eats and the last couple of days has hardly eaten anything. I've been syringe feeding her but she's just skin and bones.

My question is, is this a "normal" part of EC, or is it more likely that she's also got a dental problem?

We're back at the vets at 5.50pm tonight. If anyone has any experience of EC buns not eating, I've love to know.

Thanks,
H

It is possible for the parasite to affect the nerves that control gut motility, which in turn will cause her to get into ileus and lose her appetite. Or, it could be that because she has been ill she is feeling naturally under parr with a suppressed immune system and ileus is a secondary symptom... again that will affect her gut motility and appetite.
Have her teeth been checked by your vet? It is possible that she has dental issues also, I would not rule this out until a vet has done an examination of her teeth carefully.

Whatever the cause of her loss of appetite I would suggest that, if you are not already, ongoing pain medication is essential daily, and that a course of gut motility medications - both metclopramide (maxolon) and ranitidine (zantac) used together daily at home (they are available as oral medications) if your vet agrees would be extremely helpful to keep her gut going whilst she is trying to get over this infection. Some daily probiotics would also be a good idea.
Keep working on trying to encourage her to eat by herself. They do say that the sooner a bun self-eats the faster the recovery... I would make sure you have a good selection of hays and fresh tasty veggies/herbs, grass and whatever else she likes to eat on hand. But it may be that using the gut motility medications and adequate pain relief if her tummy is starting to get gassy from any slow-down will help her to self-eat more quickly.

ETA have you tried strong herbs like thyme or oregano? When my bun is poorly he loves thyme! and our other bun loves rosemary when she is off colour. Waitrose is doing 2 for £1 on these strongly scented herbs at the mo. :wave:

Hi,

Thanks for the info.

She's getting her teeth checked at the vet tonight.

I've tried everything to tempt her all her favourite foods and strongly smelling herbs. Nothing works. The only thing I could get her to eat were dandelion leaves and they're just not growing fast enough!

She's already on Metacam and a probiotic, but I'll ask for something to get her guts moving.

Thanks,
H

HI just an update on my bugs...... his head has stopped tilting but when he binkies he turns sideways, he is still eating etc as normal but i have ran out of metacam!!! do you think he will be ok without it?????????

he was running around the garden yesterday.

How long has he been on the Metacam for? I've heard it's an important part of the treatment. I ran out a couple of days go, luckily the vet was there when popped in on my way to work, so I got some more straight away.

the metacnm lasted for about 2 weeks

I'm keeping Storm on the Metacam for at least 4 weeks, maybe longer. I guess it depends what the vet says this evening. I'm not sure if long term use of Metacam can have side effects...