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Do mice pose any threat to rabbits?

mattyp

Warren Veteran
I recently discovered that Marvin had a stowaway living in the shed with him! I pulled out some bits and found a little mouse hiding in the corner, it got scared and ran off outside never to return. Now I actually think that this mouse might have been living in the shed for quite a while due to the amount of droppings I found! Do they carry any diseases that might pose a threat to Marvin at all? Strangely I think Marvin might have made friends with the mouse as he seems a bit grumpier now that it's gone!
 
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They are indeed vectors of EC and consequently they are a real health hazard to pet Rabbits. Personally I would bleach clean your Rabbit's environment and also give him a 28 day course of Panacur.

I did not know that! Is it just wild ones that are an issue or do fancy mice come with the same risks?

I don't have mice, I'm just curious! :lol:
 
^^^^^^^^

They are indeed vectors of EC and consequently they are a real health hazard to pet Rabbits. Personally I would bleach clean your Rabbit's environment and also give him a 28 day course of Panacur.

This & steam clean on days 21 & 28:D
 
^^^^^^^^

They are indeed vectors of EC and consequently they are a real health hazard to pet Rabbits. Personally I would bleach clean your Rabbit's environment and also give him a 28 day course of Panacur.

Oh lordy! Thanks Jane, I will do that! I think I still have some panacur lying around as well!
 
But I thought something like 50% of rabbits already carry E.c, therefore your negative rabbit will be as much at risk if it has a positive partner.
Does treating with panacur actually kill off all the parasites or only some?
 
But I thought something like 50% of rabbits already carry E.c, therefore your negative rabbit will be as much at risk if it has a positive partner.
Does treating with panacur actually kill off all the parasites or only some?

I think it kills most but I've been told to treat mine every 6 months due to Imogens heavy and multiple infections of ec
 
I don't really know to be honest, I suppose it depends on the amount of spores they carry and whether or not its a slightly different strain
 
But I thought something like 50% of rabbits already carry E.c, therefore your negative rabbit will be as much at risk if it has a positive partner.
Does treating with panacur actually kill off all the parasites or only some?

It reduces the amount of spores in the bloodstream :)

''According to Molly Varga , mice are a major carrier of E. cuniculi, so rabbit owners should be careful of shielding rabbits, hay and food from possible contamination by mice.''


http://www.cheshirepet.co.uk/?team-member=molly-varga
 
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I'm just doing a bit of reading, because I've never looked into it before.
From what I've read, it suggests that most rabbits are infected via their mother.
Reports state they have induced e.c. In lab mice.
A study says that wild mice tested in norway, 9% tested positive, then says lots of foxes on farms were positive and suspect it was due to mice, but not clear on how they figure the infection occurred?

That's me just flitting through things, apparently guinea pigs carry it too.

If the panacur only reduces the amount of spores, I assume you can never cure your rabbit?

I'm interested, because we lost Mustard our cat to toxoplasmosis, another protozoan disease, causing similar issues in cats as e.c does in rabbits, and carried by mice.
Again, most cats carry it and very few exhibit symptoms. It's usually affects young, immunocompromised or old cats, but Mustard was none of those.

I know I often sound aguementative but so often one thing is 'advertised' and it suddenly becomes fact, everybody, even vets believe it without looking at the whole picture, for example the recent study on rabbit museli, how dry cat food was at one time got for teeth, etc. it's never the whole picture.
 
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I'm just doing a bit of reading, because I've never looked into it before.
From what I've read, it suggests that most rabbits are infected via their mother.
Reports state they have induced e.c. In lab mice.
A study says that wild mice tested in norway, 9% tested positive, then says lots of foxes on farms were positive and suspect it was due to mice, but not clear on how they figure the infection occurred?

That's me just flitting through things, apparently guinea pigs carry it too.

If the panacur only reduces the amount of spores, I assume you can never cure your rabbit?

I'm interested, because we lost Mustard our cat to toxoplasmosis, another protozoan disease, causing similar issues in cats as e.c does in rabbits, and carried by mice.
Again, most cats carry it and very few exhibit symptoms. It's usually affects young, immunocompromised or old cats, but Mustard was none of those.

I know I often sound aguementative but so often one thing is 'advertised' and it suddenly becomes fact, everybody, even vets believe it without looking at the whole picture, for example the recent study on rabbit museli, how dry cat food was at one time got for teeth, etc. it's never the whole picture.

Knowledge about EC and how it is spread etc is ever evolving. Yes, over 50% of Rabbits will have been exposed to EC yet never develop clinical symptoms. At the moment there is no conclusive information as to the best way to manage it, especially in a multi- Rabbit setting. But one thing is for sure is that mice can act as vectors of the protozoal parasite (which may infact not be a protozoal parasite but a fungus !!), as mozzies act as vectors of Myxomatosis. Mice constantly urinate all over everything they are in contact with and EC spores are excreted in the urine. The spores then remain viable outside of the host for about 30 days. Personally I dont think I would want to risk mice contamination of my Rabbits environment based on what is known to be fact. Just as I would not be happy to have a load of Mozzies buzzing about my Rabbits, even though my Rabbits are vaccinated against Myxomatosis.

This is an informative read :)

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&...N3ISKU&sig=AHIEtbR1V0Bkgl46nxoM3IZVX7iM5Uaz_Q
 
So should you be testing all rabbits and isolating the carriers from the non carriers, if you cannot cure those already infected but only reduce the spore numbers?
 
So should you be testing all rabbits and isolating the carriers from the non carriers, if you cannot cure those already infected but only reduce the spore numbers?

In an 'ideal' world yes !!

But that would be both impractical and expensive in a Pet Rabbit/Rescue/Breeder/Sanctuary setting

In a Laboratory setting where a disease free colony may be essential I suspect testing and culling all 'Positives' would occur rather than testing and treating :cry:
 
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