e.caniculi - Binky Free Beautifull

I noticed last night that Lola seemed to be dragging her feet a bit, more one back leg than the other. I got her to the vets today and the vet thinks she has e.caniculi. She also has a lump on one of her legs but the vet thinks this in unrelated. Blood samples have been taken to confirm and also a biopsy of the lump to check that out too. I dont really know anything about this disease? The vet has prescribed three steroid injections one which she had today, she has to go back on friday and also sunday for the third. I am also advised to treat both Harvey and Lola with Panacur for 28 days.

How would she have caught this? Harvey is showing no sign of it, im not really wanting to seperate them either. Any advice as to anything extra i can be doing for them to help her get better?

Thanks

Hello there.

Here are a few pages that will give you the technical bits about EC

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encephalitozoon_cuniculi

http://www.houserabbit.co.uk/resources/content/info-sheets/ecuniculi.htm

http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/treatment.shtml

Thanks

Thanks for the links, i just dont know how she has got it? I feel so gutted, i cant even eat any dinner tonight! Im just keeping my fingers crossed it doesnt get much worse, has anyone had any experiance of dealing with this condition?

Vicki said:

Thanks for the links, i just dont know how she has got it? I feel so gutted, i cant even eat any dinner tonight! Im just keeping my fingers crossed it doesnt get much worse, has anyone had any experiance of dealing with this condition?

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I haven't, but a friend of mine is half way through a course of panacur with her buns and they are doing well so far! Lots of get well soon vibes coming your way

Vicki said:

Thanks for the links, i just dont know how she has got it? I feel so gutted, i cant even eat any dinner tonight! Im just keeping my fingers crossed it doesnt get much worse, has anyone had any experiance of dealing with this condition?

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It is thought that many rabbits are actually born with EC and that a very high percentage of the UK domestic rabbit population carry it and many will never have any symptoms. EC becomes active for a number of reasons, but basically it needs a lowering of the immune system for an episode. So if your bunny has had a vaccination, a neuter, change of circumstances or environment, or a bonding, those would all be sufficient to allow it to become active in some rabbits.

I have treated EC bunnies and one of my bunnies that I rescued along with 11 others is likely to be a carrier. Most of her siblings and parents have either had serious attacks or died from it (worse case scenario in the father of all of the group) but our little girl has never shown any signs. Long may it continue.

There are a good number of people on here that have had EC buns and have treated successfully so don't worry unduly. Just read up on it and you'll be fine I am sure.

Vicki said:

Thanks for the links, i just dont know how she has got it? I feel so gutted, i cant even eat any dinner tonight! Im just keeping my fingers crossed it doesnt get much worse, has anyone had any experiance of dealing with this condition?

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A couple of years ago a friend of mine who works full time asked me if I would care for her bunny while she was at work. The bunny had EC and came to live in my spare room for 10 days.

When my friend delivered him to me,I was totally shocked. This little bunny had head tilt, loss of back legs and suffered from fits and spasms. If he needed to be lifted for any reason, this set him off, rolling over and over for around 30 seconds and then stopping and him then being totally paralized for a further 30 seconds or so. This was upsetting for me so I've can only start to imagine how the poor bunny was feeling. I syringe fed him, cleaned his bottom and carefully manoevered him back into his large, very safe dog bed. It seemed that by picking him up triggered his fits, so only if absolutely neccessary was he picked up.

He was on a 28 day course of Panacur and if I remember correctly, he went for injections every day for about 2 weeks. Sorry, I can't remember what he was injected with.

Anyway, after around 4/5 days he started very slow improvement. Very subtle changes, but still positive changes.

3 weeks later he was back to normal!! And now he is a very happy, lively and healthy bunny.

His vets said there was little or no chance of recovery. The owner asked me whether or not it was worth a try.

It was well worth it!!!! Very stressful so be aware of this fact. Be prepared for whatever might happen.

I hope that this is of use to you.

Fingers crossed for Lola...............and you.

Take care and good luck. xxx

Thanks for all your information, i feel a little bit more positive to hear of rabbits doing well with treatment, im hoping ive caught lola early enough, she seemed fine on monday, seems to be all so sudden but obviously im sure its not. Would you treat your other buns if kept with one that was showing signs? As i am treating harvey once a day with Panacur aswell as lola?

Vicki said:

Thanks for all your information, i feel a little bit more positive to hear of rabbits doing well with treatment, im hoping ive caught lola early enough, she seemed fine on monday, seems to be all so sudden but obviously im sure its not. Would you treat your other buns if kept with one that was showing signs? As i am treating harvey once a day with Panacur aswell as lola?

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Yes

You also need to be ultra vigilant re hygiene and try to avoid the Rabbits ingesting any urine contaminated hay/bedding etc. EC spores are shed in the urine.

The environment needs to be bleach cleaned using a 10% bleach solution on days 21 and 28 of treatment.

Okay dokes, well thanks for all your help, i suppose now its just a case of keeping up the treatment, keeping them nice and clean and giving it time. Ill keep you updated!

Is it worth preventitive treating? i dont know my rabbits history as he was dumped on a friends doorstep but i took him vets for mixy on friday and got some lapinol? for worming and was told to give him 1ml a day for 5 days, the vet urse did say i could give it for 28 days so should i just incase

I have nursed two Rabbits through EC, Kermit with head tilt and Inca with hind leg weakness.

I will talk about Inca seen as she has similar symptoms to your bunny. She started dragging her legs now and again, but managed to get back up, i thought that it was related to the fact that she is deformed at her back end. I took her to the vets and she had blood tests and x-rays. She does have spinal damage, but it was confirmed through the blood tests that she also had EC.

She was treated with long acting steroid injections, she got these every 4 or 5 days. When she got the injection and for a few days after she seemed ok, but then when it started to wear off she would be weak again, she was even getting really bad at times, not being able to stand up at all. I came in from work a couple of times and she was soaked through with pee and had loads of poo beside her as if she had been lying there for a while .

She got quite a few steroid injections, probably over about a 4week course, which is not ideal, but they really did help her. She got herself back to normal after a few weeks and she was running about like her usual self.

I know that EC can look terrible, but there are sucess stories. I really hope that your bunny adds to these sucess stories.

Healing vibes from me x

My Storm is an EC survivor! I think she got a bit worse before she got better, and it took a good few weeks of treatment before she recovered. I treated all the buns with Panacur at the same time. Sending lots of vibes for Lola xx

Thanks for your advice etc, hearing some positive stories has helped me feel a little better about it. Does anyone know exactly what the Panacur is meant to be doing? Killing of the parasite? Im hopeing it does the job and her legs get better, keeping everything crossed for her!

Vicki said:

Thanks for your advice etc, hearing some positive stories has helped me feel a little better about it. Does anyone know exactly what the Panacur is meant to be doing? Killing of the parasite? Im hopeing it does the job and her legs get better, keeping everything crossed for her!

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Panacur kills the parasite. Sometimes it's recommended that if there are severe symptoms, that a steroid may be needed to sort out the granuloma that has formed and that is often the cause of problems stemming from nerves not working correctly. The granuloma remains sometimes even when the parasite is killed off and it's this that causes some paralysis etc.

Steroids are not ideal so that's something to look into with your vet should the need arise for more treatment if the 28 days of panacur doesn't seem to have the desired effect.

my exotic vet gave my baby bun 5mg metacam at a does of 0.8, 0.4 batril and 0.3 stemetil took about 3wks for her to get back to normal but my vet doesnt recommend steriod injections as it lowers their immune system which will cause the parasites to invade more,have patient it can get better my bun did

thanks for all your advice etc...

I went back to the vet last night for her second steroid injection. Yesterday she was literaly dragging both legs behind her. She still is wanting to eat and looks bright in herself and wants to groom harvey still.
The vet also had the results of her lump, she took a few cells out of it and had analysed them and said that they are abnormal cells and everything is pointing towards it being a melanoma. As if it wasnt bad enough already.
Today when i went to see her this morning, her back legs do look a little bit better, she does have a bit more movement in them. The vet has put her on Baytril aswell as the Panacur incase there is a slight chance that it isnt e.culi...
Im absolutely gutted. Im seeing a different vet tomorow mornin who is supposed to specialise in rabbits. I want the lump operated on and removed asap as i feel even if she does get over the parasite will we be too late with the melanoma spreading? I dont know what to think or do? All i do know is i want to try anything and everything...Any ideas or advice please?

Thanks

Shes now had her third and final injection and the vet said he would like to remove her lump on wednesday depending on how shes doing etc with the movement in her legs. Ive been watchin her today and to be honest the movement in her back legs isnt great. One is definately better than the other but the other is kind of being just 'dragged' with a little movement in it.

Im not sure whether this operation is too soon for her?

Can anyone give some advice please?

Thanks

Im hoping someone will reply to me this time as i really do need some honest advice...

Lola has been on Metacam for a week now as 'the last option' of treatment to see if this can help. It has helped in the fact she now has her appetite back and wants to eat, drink and clean herself. However it has'nt had any effect on her legs and they are still just laying flat out behind her. Now all she does is lay in one spot and dont move, when she trys to she cant. She is also wetting and pooing in the same place, i dont know if this is incontinance or obviously the fact she cant move. A couple of times when ive picked her up and put my hand under her belly lower down, wee has come out. In the last day i have noticed she will only lay on side of her body as when layed the other side, her front legs cant keep her upright but laying the other side of her body her front legs do.

I had the results of her blood test last week and the vet confirmed that she has tested 'extremely positive' for e.caniculi.

Im obviously drying her as often as i can and constantly feeding her and holding her water bottle to her. When i go to her shes looking very bright in herself and trys to move to come to me but just cant.

I just dont know what to do for the best, i dont think its fair to let her carry on life just laying there, not much of a life, but the fact she seems bright in herself and wants to eat, drink and clean herself makes me think we should carry on?

Im seriously wanting your honest opinions, it breaks my heart to think of loosing her but i dont want to be selfish and keep trying for my own sake more than hers if that makes sense?

Hi Vicki,

I didn't want to read and run. I personally can't talk about EC specifics about what to do for Lola and whether you should opt for further treatment and if it's in her best interest etc as I haven't had to nurse a bunny with full on EC and I know that it must be so hard.

What I can say is that I simply go with my gut instincts when it comes to quality of life with the rabbits I am caring for. I have had to make heartbreaking decisions for some when I knew that nothing was working and the quality had gone.

I think you will know when Lola ceases to be happy and if it's fair to continue treatment, but you also know how much nursing you are able to do.

I do hope that some folks who have had severe EC situations will be able to come on and give you some comments to help you know what you want to do.

Fingers crossed for Lola improving; it is possible x