Panacur - dosage for rabbits under 2.5kg

Hi all,

I'm new to the forum so please forgive me if I am asking a question which has already been answered.

I have had to treat a bunny for E Cuniculi (she had head tilt) and have purchased some Lapizole and some Panacur. I ended up using the Lapizole solely because I couldn't figure out how to get an in-between dosage with Panacur. i.e. the bunny was less than 2.5 kg. She only weighed 1.38 kg according to my scales so I could give her 1.38 mls of the Lapizole because it was liquid and the syringe was marked all the way up to 1ml.

I still have the Panacur and I would like to treat my other bunnies just in case. I have suspicions about a couple of them who seem to be urinating excessively. Anyway, I was wondering how I could get the exact dosage with the Panacur paste...it is a notched syringe and 1 graduation is per 2.5kg. I read somewhere I shouldn't give them more than they need. Does anyone know please?

Also, I have treated the first bunny for 28 days (as the Lapizole instructions say) but now everyone is saying to continue with it for 6 weeks. Does that mean I should treat any other bunnies I'm suspicious of for 6 weeks as well or would the 28 days be fine in their case?

One more question, it occurred to me that if the bunny is growing as I'm giving the medicine, I should possibly be changing the dosage accordingly. I haven't done that this time...I've just stuck to the 1.38 mls and it seems to have worked.

I was suspicious her head was tilting for a few days before I decided it was definitely tilted. She has different markings on each side of her face so at first I thought it was just an illusion of sorts. Anyway, then, after a couple of days when I picked her up she would twist herself around and be all out of balance and when I put her down again she would take a while to find her feet. Anyway, I thought I'd try the medicine and I started to see an improvement almost immediately...it was amazing! By day four she seemed better but, of course, I am still continuing treatment. It makes me sad because I know for a fact that many people would have taken their bunny to the vet with such symptoms and had them put down. Many vets here have no idea about bunnies. In fact, I asked my vet about E Cuniculi and he asked if it was a breed...grrrr....anyway, I'm glad I have the internet and such knowledgable people as yourselves to ask questions of.

Many thanks for taking the time to listen to me and thanks in advance for your comments or advice.

regards,

Jenny

Have you consulted a Vet ?

This is essential before embarking on treatment. There are other causes of headtilt apart from EC- eg a bacterial middle ear infection.

As for dosage- I actually use the Panacur 10% liquid which means its much easier to obtain an accurate dose rate (0.2ml/kg).

I dont use the Panacur Paste because I prefer to ensure a weight specific dose.

If the Rabbits you are treating are still growing then the dose rate will need to be increased as their weight increases.

My advice is really that if you have not consulted a Vet to obtain a diagnosis you should do so. Whilst Panacur/Lapizole is widely used in treating Rabbits it is not without side effects and should not be used inappropriately, especially in growing Rabbits.

For rabbits under 2.5kg you still give one full dose. For rabbits between 2.5kg and 5kg you give two full doses. If you have a monster between 5kg and 7.5kg you give three full doses etc. I have consulted my vet and the manufacturers and that is what they say. There isn't a risk of overdose with these quantities as panacur is very safe.

My little ones were under 2.5kg. I was told to give them all 0.25ml of the 10% dog and cat panacur

Stator said:

For rabbits under 2.5kg you still give one full dose. For rabbits between 2.5kg and 5kg you give two full doses. If you have a monster between 5kg and 7.5kg you give three full doses etc. I have consulted my vet and the manufacturers and that is what they say. There isn't a risk of overdose with these quantities as panacur is very safe.

Click to expand...

This is what I thought too :wave: