I think the E.Cuniculi is returning. What to do ?

My poor Bella was diagnosed with EC 2 weeks after she came to us. we treated for 28 days with Lapizole and she appeared to make a full recovery from the head tilt and other symptoms. Just over 6 weeks later it came back. Initially we though we had caught the early stages, but she was in quite a bad way for 10 days or so and then again seemed to recover, We added an extra 7 days to the end if the medication period for same message and thoroughly disinfected etc.

We are now nearing 4 weeks since the end of that course of medicine and I am watchful of any signs. (Last time the ears were a good indicated of balance but also the occasional sign if being less balanced on feet), and I am concerned that all is not quite right.

I wonder if another course of medication we could nip in the bud the start of something, before getting bad again, but how would I know when to stop.

Also her brother has been treated on 2 full courses of medication and never shown any symptoms, I am considering that if he was going to get it it would have happened by now, and am tempted not to treat him this time.

Any advise on the reoccurrence of this horrible illness are appreciated.

My EC bun kept getting recurrent symptoms. We kept her on metacam permanently (ie low dose for the rest of her life due to residual symptoms which got worse every time we took her off it) and Panacur as needed (again, almost permanently for the first few months), several weeks of baytril, and daily cleaning with a proper weekly disinfect to break the cycle of reinfection via urine contamination. We had a lot of ups and downs for the best part of a year before she stabilised and was able to go back out in the outside run with her partner. She couldn't stand or feed herself at first as her head was arched right round to her back. She ended up with a slight head tilt and unable to jump up on things but was fine on the flat.

I would suggest just keep on going. Ours was a really bad case but she pulled through and her partner wasn't affected, although he had a few 28 days worth of Panacur as well.

Has your bun had blood tests to confirm the EC was no longer active after the treatments?

One of our buns has EC, he had to be treated 4 times (4 x 28days treatments) before the blood tests showed that the EC was no longer 'active'. His only symptom was cataracts. His partner also had to be treated, although she showed no symptoms blood tests did show she had EC.
Now he has a new partner, although the last blood test showed the EC was not active they are both being treated for 28days on the advice of the D1ck vet in Edinburgh.

suki said:

My poor Bella was diagnosed with EC 2 weeks after she came to us. we treated for 28 days with Lapizole and she appeared to make a full recovery from the head tilt and other symptoms. Just over 6 weeks later it came back. Initially we though we had caught the early stages, but she was in quite a bad way for 10 days or so and then again seemed to recover, We added an extra 7 days to the end if the medication period for same message and thoroughly disinfected etc.

We are now nearing 4 weeks since the end of that course of medicine and I am watchful of any signs. (Last time the ears were a good indicated of balance but also the occasional sign if being less balanced on feet), and I am concerned that all is not quite right.

I wonder if another course of medication we could nip in the bud the start of something, before getting bad again, but how would I know when to stop.

Also her brother has been treated on 2 full courses of medication and never shown any symptoms, I am considering that if he was going to get it it would have happened by now, and am tempted not to treat him this time.

Any advise on the reoccurrence of this horrible illness are appreciated.

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Was this diagnosed with blood tests? Having said that, the blood test for E.C. is complicated and unreliable ... I say that because a lot of vets attribute signs and symptoms to E.C. and it could be other things that are causing the symptoms you're seeing.

I am wary of giving Panacur too freely because of side effects I have seen ...

hi

No she was not blood tested last time, I think the systems (major head tilt) were quite severe. At the moment we have just hit 4 weeks since the end of the last medication and I am keeping a close eye on her. It is really the balance of the ears that gave clues before the outbreak last time, and to the most part at the moment she looks ok. It was Lapizole that we used before, and I have ordered some as a precaution, but it has not come yet. I think i will ask for tests if i re-occurs.

iiisecondcreep said:

Has your bun had blood tests to confirm the EC was no longer active after the treatments?

One of our buns has EC, he had to be treated 4 times (4 x 28days treatments) before the blood tests showed that the EC was no longer 'active'. His only symptom was cataracts. His partner also had to be treated, although she showed no symptoms blood tests did show she had EC.
Now he has a new partner, although the last blood test showed the EC was not active they are both being treated for 28days on the advice of the D1ck vet in Edinburgh.

Click to expand...

May I ask, why the vet decided to treat again when the rabbits were tested as not EC active ?

suki said:

May I ask, why the vet decided to treat again when the rabbits were tested as not EC active ?

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Once infected the rabbit will always have EC, even if the blood tests show the infection is no longer active it can still become active again in the future. With the introduction of a new rabbit, as MJ already has EC both rabbits are treated (the D1ck vet recommend that all new rabbits are treated with 28days of panacur). This will help prevent MJ's EC from becoming active again, if the new rabbit has EC it will treat that, if the new rabbit does not have EC it will help prevent him potentially catching an active infection from MJ. As I said, when MJ had a very positive blood test result for EC his only symptom was cataracts, although he showed no further symptoms he was treated 4x with panacur before blood tests showed the infection was no longer active. His wife bun (who has sadly now passed away hence the new bun) also tested positive for an active infection but did not show any visible symptoms.

Some info on EC from the D1ck vet

http://www.ed.ac.uk/polopoly_fs/1.106081!/fileManager/E CUNICULI IN RABBITS.pdf