E Cuniculi 'miraculous' recovery

My 13 week old rabbit, Annabelle, was diagnosed with E Cuniculi by our vet on Friday after we found her unable to walk.
She was basically laid down with her legs sprawled out and head lifted back towards her spine (NOT tilted to the side) and she was completely immobile but not paralysed. She was still aware that she had legs and wasn't rolling just really struggling to use her legs as if she were completely drained of energy.

She has been having panacur for 3 days now and seems absolutely fine again. On Saturday she took her first steps and today she has been hopping around and is acting her usual self. All through her ordeal she did not go off her food nor have issues with going to the toilet. But, from what I've read online and on this forum, E Cuniculi or it's symptoms do not tend to disappear within a few days and so I am a bit worried. Has anyone else had a rabbit with E Cuniculi and if so, what was the recovery like?

Furthermore, she has lost some weight during the few days that she was inactive and I was wondering how I could help her beef up a little in case she gets ill again. She was already very small and quite thin due to being so young.

Oh, I forgot to mention

Last Tuesday, Annabelles sister, Bee, presented similar symptoms but not quite as severe. I took her to the vet immediately and he suspected E Cuniculi but only gave her Metacam (?) as a painkiller/anti inflammatory. She was right as rain the next day and hasn't been ill since. Since Annabelle became ill, she has also now been having panacur.

Could they have eaten anything they shouldn't? Eg can they reach any garden/house plants or come into contact with any chemicals?

It does seem odd to see symptoms in two young rabbits, with one recovering without treatment and another so quickly after pancur. EC is basically a parasite that can effect the nervous system (among other things) so you can see various neurological symptoms but something else also effecting the nervous system could have similar symptoms.

In my experience, Panacur does work very quickly. It just isn't long lasting in the body. Sorry for the short reply - just logging off and saw this!

Thank you both for replying

Neither rabbit has been out in the garden yet as they have not been vaccinated, we're getting them done asap. And they've mostly stayed in our conservatory which I have turned into a sort of rabbit enclosure with a wire fence separating them from anything they could cause mischief with. So I highly doubt they have come into contact with anything they shouldn't have. It is very strange and I would quite like to know what is wrong with them for sure to put my mind at ease!!

Both rabbits are fine again today they have been hopping and running around all morning. Appetite is fine and so is their stool.

This is my first time having rabbits and they have been such a delight to look after so far.

I think I would be keeping a very close eye on them, just in case there is something going on that hasn't fully presented as yet, as it is very strange and to have involved 2 bunnies as well. Really hope there isn't, but this would be my thoughts if they were mine.

I have been keeping a very close eye on them but everything seems absolutely normal which is why I am so very confused.

I'm mostly looking out for changes in eating, drinking, stool, urine, behavior and movement. Is there anything else I should look out for? Subtle signs perhaps?

_Jennifer said:

I have been keeping a very close eye on them but everything seems absolutely normal which is why I am so very confused.

I'm mostly looking out for changes in eating, drinking, stool, urine, behavior and movement. Is there anything else I should look out for? Subtle signs perhaps?

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Can't think of anything. Maybe it will just be one of those weird incidents that never happens again and both buns continue to do well.

To me it sounds as though it could be a metabolic disorder, possibly congenital given that the Does are sisters. Serum electrolyte abnormalities maybe

http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00dis/Micronutrient/Hypokalaemia_Rabbits.htm

http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00dis/Miscellaneous/Floppy_Rabbit_Syndrome.htm

www.vetstream.com/lapis/Content/Freeform/fre00306

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RYAelHE_vo

Thank you very much!

I've read the articles and the video looks very similar to how they were when ill. I've also had a look at 'Floppy Bunny Syndrome' and this seems to be more on the right track than E Cuniculi!

I'll finish the course of panacur anyway as I imagine it won't harm them (correct me if I am wrong) and may possibly help.

Is there anything else I can do to make sure this doesn't happen again?

_Jennifer said:

Thank you very much!

I've read the articles and the video looks very similar to how they were when ill. I've also had a look at 'Floppy Bunny Syndrome' and this seems to be more on the right track than E Cuniculi!

I'll finish the course of panacur anyway as I imagine it won't harm them (correct me if I am wrong) and may possibly help.

Is there anything else I can do to make sure this doesn't happen again?

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It would depend on what the primary cause actually was. Do you know how well they were cared for before and just after weaning ? Did you see them with their Mother at the Breeder's premises or were they from a Pet Shop ?

The rabbits came from pets at home so I don't have any idea how well they were looked after.

They were 10 weeks old when we got them and pets at home said they had come from their 'supplier'.

I am not 100% sure that they are sisters, we were told that they had been together since birth but no one is certain. Since Bee is much bigger than Annabelle, I'm starting to think they might not be biologically related but they certainly love each other and have never fought.

One last thing, I am quite sure that they both had been handled regularly before we got them as they did not show extreme signs of nervousness even though they don't enjoy being picked up.

_Jennifer said:

The rabbits came from pets at home so I don't have any idea how well they were looked after.

They were 10 weeks old when we got them and pets at home said they had come from their 'supplier'.

I am not 100% sure that they are sisters, we were told that they had been together since birth but no one is certain. Since Bee is much bigger than Annabelle, I'm starting to think they might not be biologically related but they certainly love each other and have never fought.

One last thing, I am quite sure that they both had been handled regularly before we got them as they did not show extreme signs of nervousness even though they don't enjoy being picked up.

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Sadly P@H buy in 'stock' from a huge Breeding establishment. The Rabbits are churned out as if on a production line. There are numerous threads on here about Baby Rabbits bought from various branches of P@H who have developed some sort of health issue within a few days of purchase. Usually these are GI tract problems or Respiratory tract problems. So it is very likely that your Does have not had the best start in life. But now they are with you I am sure you will take great care of them You may find these links useful as a guide to what to feed your Does to provide them both with optimum nutrition

http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/content/leaflet_pdfs/Feeding130807.pdf

http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/content/leaflet_pdfs/going_green_oct_06.pdf

I dont know if P@H explained the importance of neutering and vaccinating ? These links provide information about that

http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/content/leaflet_pdfs/neutering28.8.07.pdf

http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/content/info-sheets/uterine.htm

http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/content/leaflet_pdfs/vacination28.8.07.pdf

http://www.msd-animal-health.co.uk/Products_Public/nobivac-myxo-rhd/090_product_datasheet.aspx



I would continue the 28 day course of Panacur. You also need to bleach clean their environment on days 21 and 28 of treatment (10% bleach solution then rinse well and allow to dry before Rabbits are returned) Also, it is important to minimise the risk of the Rabbits ingesting urine contaminated food/bedding. So raised hay racks and food bowls cleaned after every use. EC spores are excreted in the urine and re-ingestion of spores leads to re-infection with EC.

Even though there may be some doubt as to whether or not EC is involved in your situation it may still be a good idea to have a read of this

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&...N3ISKU&sig=AHIEtbR1V0Bkgl46nxoM3IZVX7iM5Uaz_Q

I'm sorry if I mention things that others have said - I saw this title, read your first post and immediately jumped in.

EC is like a knife in my heart for reasons I will explain in a bit. Before I do so, I'm telling you my experience with EC so you can take what you will from it and hopefully you will have a happier ending than I. I'm not doing this to upset/frighten you, I just want you to be prepared and learn from my mistakes so your buns don't turn out like mine.

In August 2011, I bought a beautiful baby rabbit called Dexter. He had been the runt of his litter and was a netherland dwarf x lionhead - very small, cute and fluffy. I got him on Saturday and the following Saturday he'd been to the vets on Thursday and the emergency vet that day. He was diagnosed with EC and on panacur - I believe the 28 day treatment course and not the 9 day quarterly preventative course - and the vet on Thursday had given him Baytril as he wasn't as bad then and they thought it was an infection treatable with antibiotics.

That week, my Dexy was paralysed in the hind legs, he couldn't stand or move. He would try and fail. If I stood him up, he fell over again. I took the week off work and stayed with him, feeding, bathing where he soiled himself, watering, medicating and just comforting him. I took him back to my vet and they gave him a metacam injection one day and another the next - he improved so I got it in liquid form to continue at home. I did and eventually he recovered enough to come off all his meds and live a relatively normal life - his hind legs were always week so he couldn't stand up on them to wash himself and if he ran too fast, he fell over, but he was up and about and able to care for himself in every other way.

And so the story should end. Sadly not.

2 months later, he slowly deteriorated again. We gave him the 9 day preventative panacur course at three months, but it wasn't enough. I took him back to the vet who advised to keep him on it and gave me metacam again. The following Sunday I woke up to find him very badly deteriorated over night, on his side, breathing shallowly and rushed him off to the emergency vet. She advised to pts as he was totally paralyzed. I still miss him dreadfully to this day. It was 2 weeks before Xmas 2011. I've never stopped going over his short life in my head, what I should have done differently etc etc. I have given you the very short version, the long version is in my Dexter thread in the rainbow bridge section if you wish to read a day by day account of our life together.

I tell you this - I doubt your rabbits are cured so quickly. Keep them on the Panacur treatment course for as long as the vet says so. Do the quarterly preventative course. Any doubt in your mind that they are not quite right, act on them. Don't worry about being paranoid or wasting vet time. You know these buns better than anyone, trust your instinct. If they are out of character, take them. Better safe than sorry. Please don't end up in my situation where you have lost your precious bun and get to spend the rest of your life going "if only".

I wish you and your buns the very best of luck. EC is a terrible disease I'd never even heard of and so I read anything and everything I can about it since Dexy. Anyone I can help to save their buns life then at least Dexy didn't die in vain.

Hi, Jack's-Jane

I have read all of the articles and from what I can see, I think I have been doing the right thing. I'm slowly introducing vegetables/fruit, so far they've had broccoli, cabbage, spinach, carrots and banana. Only very tiny amounts for now as I didn't want to upset their tummies. They have rabbit pellets from pets at home which were suggested by the man who sold us the rabbits. He seemed very rabbit-savvy and owns 4 of his own rabbits. He gave me a lengthy talk about what to feed them, how to look after them etc. and seemed to really love rabbits. And of course they have plenty of hay and water day and night, the hay is now all in a hay rack and I've been scooping the hay off the cage floor morning and night.

As for vaccinations and neutering, we're getting the vaccinations done as soon as possible and we will neuter them when they get to about six months. I'd rather wait as long as possible for neutering as Annabelle is so so tiny.

I am glad that I bought these rabbits from pets at home as hopefully I've saved them from a life of being dragged around by a small child or worse. I'm very pleased that they're getting better and hopefully things continue to improve.

Thank you for all of your help!


Sarah1989, your story about Dexter is incredibly heartbreaking and I'm very sorry that you lost him.
I had also not heard of the disease until Bee got ill and I googled her symptoms. Since then I've been reading all I can about it, including personal accounts. I've been keeping a very close eye on them as I've grown incredibly fond of them so quickly. I will most definitely take your advice of taking them to the vets if anything looks odd.

But today they've both been their usual selves again and neither looks to be in pain or have any mobility problems. They've both had their panacur (which they now love!) and I've put them to bed.

Thank you for replying.