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To worm or not to worm?

clarebear

Mama Doe
Bungee has just been for her Booster this morning, and we had a chat with the vet about worming. All our vets seem to have different opinions on it! After losing Bo last month to E.C. I am thinking about starting to worm Bungee. Any thoughts?
 
I've always been told its unnecessary to treat rabbits for worms unless they are suffering with them x
 
It seems to be a controversial topic! I am not sure what to do. Would Panacur then be effective enough to treat with?
 
usually if one bun in a pair has EC then the other bunny should also be treated with a 28 day course of panacur. following that i don't think there is any need to treat on a regular basis, but as you say its a controversial topic!
 
It seems to be a controversial topic! I am not sure what to do. Would Panacur then be effective enough to treat with?

9 days Panacur for pinworms and 28+ days Panacur for E.C.

As told to me by my vet, but as we all know, vets have as many differing opinions as we do :lol:
 
Are you asking about treating for intestinal worms or for EC control ? If the former I have never routinely wormed a Rabbit

If the latter then I would give a one off 28 day course of Panacur. But I would not do so until 3 weeks after the vaccination. If you have already treated Bungee with a 28 day course of Panacur since Bo's passing (RIP :cry:) then I would not do another one unless your Vet advises you to do so.
 
I think I'm alone in this one but I DO give my buns "preventative for EC" panacur - 9 day course, prior to stressful situations (bonding, travel). This was on the advice of a rabbit specialist. I don't see her now so I don't have the opportunity to discuss why so many bunny savvy owners are adamant this is pointless unless administered for 28 days. Previously I'd assumed that if Panacur was present in the bunnies system, then dormant EC would struggle to become active ? As stressful events are usually short lived is 28 days of meds necessary.

I didn't even realise it was a contentious issue until joining here! So I keep an open mind, but for now I will keep doing what I do as all of the other advice I've received from this vet has extended or improved the lives of my rabbits. Who knows if our use of Panacur in this controversial way didn't also help with their longevity :)
 
It's so tricky! The vet I saw this morning said 9 days for prevention and 28 days for treatment.
Bungee had a short course of Panacur when Bo was ill, but she is fine.
I suppose after Bo I just want to get it right.
 
It's so tricky! The vet I saw this morning said 9 days for prevention and 28 days for treatment.
Bungee had a short course of Panacur when Bo was ill, but she is fine.
I suppose after Bo I just want to get it right.

That's the one thing we all have in common, wanting to get it right. It so difficult isn't it x
 
I think I'm alone in this one but I DO give my buns "preventative for EC" panacur - 9 day course, prior to stressful situations (bonding, travel). This was on the advice of a rabbit specialist. I don't see her now so I don't have the opportunity to discuss why so many bunny savvy owners are adamant this is pointless unless administered for 28 days. Previously I'd assumed that if Panacur was present in the bunnies system, then dormant EC would struggle to become active ? As stressful events are usually short lived is 28 days of meds necessary.
I didn't even realise it was a contentious issue until joining here! So I keep an open mind, but for now I will keep doing what I do as all of the other advice I've received from this vet has extended or improved the lives of my rabbits. Who knows if our use of Panacur in this controversial way didn't also help with their longevity :)

I am the same, I carry out a preventative 9 day course once/twice a year. This was after a conversation with a rabbit savvy vet, who said some vets saw it was necessary and others only agreed with it as treatment but at the end of the day it's my choice. If it does them no harm and potentially saves at least one bunny from E.C. I will continue to use it.
 
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I use to worm 4 times a year, as instructed, but Rupert was getting his tummy issues twice a month... I stopped the worming. in august, they were going into boarding so I started the panacur, and he got poorly again (really badly) so I stopped the panacur, and *touch wood* he's been fine ever since. no issues since august, that's the longest hes gone in 3 years!
 
Routinely worming is now not usually advised by vets as overuse of any med is not great
Worms are rarely seen in bunnies so only treat for them if signs are shown

Re EC..9 days won't do anything to prevent or clear due to life cycle of the protozoa
We would recommend 28-35 days course if a bun presents EC symptoms or you lose one to EC then all remaining ones should be treated.
You also need to clear area so clean as much as possible with bleach but make sure it is rinsed well for sake of bunnies. If ill/deceased bun has used an area of grass try to fence it off for 8 weeks and don't walk over it..we know this isn't always possible.

and as so many rabbits carry EC without showing symptoms and it can become active at times of stress, it can be a good idea to do the 28 day course when introducing a new rabbit to the home.
 
I use to worm 4 times a year, as instructed, but Rupert was getting his tummy issues twice a month... I stopped the worming. in august, they were going into boarding so I started the panacur, and he got poorly again (really badly) so I stopped the panacur, and *touch wood* he's been fine ever since. no issues since august, that's the longest hes gone in 3 years!

That's interesting. I've never been confident in the connection with stomach issues and Panacur until reading this - when I first adopted Rudy 7 years ago it was recommended to give Panacur 2-4 times a year and I followed that advice. Rudy was having regular gas/stasis type episodes for a couple of years. He's been clear of them for years .... I haven't Panacured for years either :?

I was also a bit superstitious about giving panacur before the waiting time on insurance was over as I had a few rabbits go off their food in that crucial period between insuring and cover starting ... I used to give a 9 day course of Panacur pretty much from day 1 and did make a connection then :?
 
That's interesting. I've never been confident in the connection with stomach issues and Panacur until reading this - when I first adopted Rudy 7 years ago it was recommended to give Panacur 2-4 times a year and I followed that advice. Rudy was having regular gas/stasis type episodes for a couple of years. He's been clear of them for years .... I haven't Panacured for years either :?

I was also a bit superstitious about giving panacur before the waiting time on insurance was over as I had a few rabbits go off their food in that crucial period between insuring and cover starting ... I used to give a 9 day course of Panacur pretty much from day 1 and did make a connection then :?

The other thing I've changed is ive stopped ings hay. but in august when he had his last episode, I wasn't using ings either. it could just be one of his triggers, it could be his main one, it could be the entire problem all together.
It could be nothing and just coincidence lol
Thinking about it, I should look at his worming record and see when the first time I wormed them was and when his first tummy problem was - we had them a year before he had any issue, which, at the time was put down to spring grass (but I thought it was apple snacks)
 
I don't worm but I'm going to ask if I should be when I get doughnut vaccined in a few weeks time.
 
I don't worm mine routinely. They have to have enough medicines orally when they get stasis - Thumper anyway - that to also force feed her worming paste when she doesn't actually need it would just stress her out unnecessarily. It's bad enough having to give her meds when she's ill, so I'm not going to do it when she's not.
 
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