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Parasite Omg Jet help me omg [Update] [19/12/2016]

R

reede2

Young Bun
OMG I JUST BEEN TOLD JET MIGHT DIE hes has a parasite he keeps falling over and his head tilts to the side the vet said he thinks he got it from his mum i am so scared and upset
i dont want yet to die but it only started this morning so we caught it early but right now he just ran in a circle omg help me i am so scared but he is still eating a little bit of hay and he eat a little bit of leatist with medistion on but he hasnt eaten it all BUT I THink hes finding it hard to drink from his bottel


[Update] [19/12/2016]

Jet has become blind due to it but he is being looked after intill his had tilt is gone i miss him and there hand feeding him and he is having injections every day to 10 days
i hope he gets better i cry all the time beacuse i miss his little face :(
 
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I am sorry to hear that Jet is poorly. It sounds like you've been told your bun has e. cuniculi? I have a Holland lop who was diagnosed as possibly having this, when he first started tilting almost 5 years ago now, and he is still with us, so please don't give up hope.

If your bunny's head is tilting so he's having trouble getting water, you can wash bunny safe greens for him to eat (it's good that he's still interested in hay!) and he can get some fluid that way. When did he see the vet and do you have an appointment to take him back for a recheck? If he is worsening you should see an out of hours vet if you have one nearby. What kind of medication has he been given so far? Has he received subcutaneous fluids?

There are many things that can be done with a head tilt bunny if he is showing signs of a will to live, which it sounds to me like he may be. But you need a rabbit savvy vet to help you. If you need to find a better vet you can post in Rabbit Chat with your location and ask if there are any near you. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will be along to help.
 
Firstly, try to stay calm! I know that it's very scary to see this happen (I've been there myself) but there are lots of things that you can do to help Jet :) EC and head tilt are certainly not a death sentence so try not to panic too much.
The first thing that you need is a good, rabbit savvy vet! It says you are in Liverpool? Molly Varga is brilliant and she does a clinic at Rutland House in St Helens on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.
There are a few main causes of head tilt, it isn't necessarily EC. What meds have you been prescribed so far? Is there any involuntary eye movement?
There is a group on facebook called Help for head tilt hoppers. Please join if you can, there is usually always someone on hand to help.
 
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Also, if he begins to roll about, you may want to have a small, enclosed space for him, with towels rolled up and lining the edges, so that he only rolls into something soft and doesn't injure himself. Does he have a partner? This bunny should be treated with one of the medications your bunny should be on called fenbendazole (at least that's the name in the states, it's an antiparasitic that you get from your vet) for 28 days, with special cleaning paid to their habitats on certain days of the month. (I'm sorry, I can never remember what days exactly.)
 
As has already been said, sounds like he's been diagnosed with E.C. What has the vet told you to do? He's on medication? What has he been given? He needs to take the full dose prescribed to him. Do you know how to give it directly into a rabbit's mouth? Just behind the front teeth there's a gap. You can squeeze the syringe into that gap. Do it slowly to give him a chance to take it, you don't want to squeeze it all at once and choke him. Keep an eye on how much he's eating, if he stops completely or is having very very little he could be going into GI stasis. If he is then he needs to see an emergency vet now. If he's getting worse then again, I would say he needs to see an emergency vet now. Tomorrow could be too late. Trust me, I've learnt this the hard way.

Please try not to panic. I know it's hard to see him like that, but you need to stay calm to help him. He needs you.
MimzMum said:
This bunny should be treated with one of the medications your bunny should be on called fenbendazole (at least that's the name in the states, it's an antiparasitic that you get from your vet) for 28 days)
Click to expand...
The brand name usually used over here is Panacur. Each syringe contains enough for nine doses. It's reasonably easy to get, you don't need a prescription from most places. This was the cheapest one I could find when I ordered some a few weeks back: http://www.vetuk.co.uk/rabbit-supplies-rabbit-wormers-c-649_651/panacur-rabbit-oral-paste-5g-p-1105 but you'll need it urgently so I would ask your vet for it if you haven't already been given it. You can order it online cheaper next time (don't get it on ebay though, there are some fake medications popping up on there)

As others have said, EC isn't a death sentance for all rabbits, it's very possible he'll be okay but he needs the right treatment.
I would offer him a shallow bowl of water instead of a bottle, the bottle will be too difficult for him to use right now. You may need to help him with it. What MimzMum said is the best idea, wash fresh vegetables for him, put them in a dish but don't shake the water off. The more water on the vegetables the more water he's taking in. You need to make sure he's not getting dehydrated. You mentioned lettuce, what type is it? Bunnies can't have iceberg lettuce, it's dangerous for them. If you have any fresh herbs such as parsley, coriander etc try offering those too. Sometimes more fragrant foods like herbs can tempt a bunny to eat. Again you can wash these to increase water intake.

I'm sure he'll be okay, please try not to panic. I know how hard that is. But you need to stay calm for him.
If he goes downhill at all, he needs to go straight to the vet. If you need to find an emergency vet in your area try here: https://www.vets-now.com/ they can also offer advice free on the phone. I've used them a couple of times and they are absoloutely brilliant, they saved Lunar's life and Cody's but are obviously a lot more expensive than a normal vet. Just an option if you find you need it and your regular vet is closed.
 
I am sorry to hear of Jet's illness. As the other posters on here have said it sounds as though the Vet thinks Jet has Encephalitozoon Cuniculi (EC).

http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/pdfs/Ecuniculi_Lft.pdf

It is possible that a Middle Ear infection can cause similar symptoms and some Vets will opt to give a covering antibiotic as part of the treatment protocol.

An anti-inflammatory is also important as it is inflammation which causes the clinical symptoms. Sometimes a Vet will judge that initially a corticosteroid injection is needed to reduce the inflammation. Corticosteroids must be used with extreme caution in Rabbits BUT in some cases their use is appropriate.
Alternatively the Vet may prescribe a non steroidal anti-inflammatory such as Metacam. Either way, an anti-inflammatory is very important.

You may need to assist Jet with his eating/drinking initially. As roxyroller has suggested, if you are on FB joining the Group dedicated to helping carers of Head Tilt Rabbits would be a very good idea. I know one of the Admin on there and I very much respect her.

I know that it is very hard not to get upset and to panic when we have a Rabbit exhibiting such distressing symptoms. But Jet needs you to try to remain calm around him so that he does not pick up on your anxiety. I find that I can do this if I occasionally take myself off to the bathroom for a good cry ! That way the sick Rabbit does not know how anxious and upset I am and it should not therefore effect him/her.

Sending lots of vibes for Jet xx
 
~ILoveMyBunny~ said:
As has already been said, sounds like he's been diagnosed with E.C. What has the vet told you to do? He's on medication? What has he been given? He needs to take the full dose prescribed to him. Do you know how to give it directly into a rabbit's mouth? Just behind the front teeth there's a gap. You can squeeze the syringe into that gap. Do it slowly to give him a chance to take it, you don't want to squeeze it all at once and choke him. Keep an eye on how much he's eating, if he stops completely or is having very very little he could be going into GI stasis. If he is then he needs to see an emergency vet now. If he's getting worse then again, I would say he needs to see an emergency vet now. Tomorrow could be too late. Trust me, I've learnt this the hard way.

Please try not to panic. I know it's hard to see him like that, but you need to stay calm to help him. He needs you.
The brand name usually used over here is Panacur. Each syringe contains enough for nine doses. It's reasonably easy to get, you don't need a prescription from most places. This was the cheapest one I could find when I ordered some a few weeks back: http://www.vetuk.co.uk/rabbit-supplies-rabbit-wormers-c-649_651/panacur-rabbit-oral-paste-5g-p-1105 but you'll need it urgently so I would ask your vet for it if you haven't already been given it. You can order it online cheaper next time (don't get it on ebay though, there are some fake medications popping up on there)

As others have said, EC isn't a death sentance for all rabbits, it's very possible he'll be okay but he needs the right treatment.
I would offer him a shallow bowl of water instead of a bottle, the bottle will be too difficult for him to use right now. You may need to help him with it. What MimzMum said is the best idea, wash fresh vegetables for him, put them in a dish but don't shake the water off. The more water on the vegetables the more water he's taking in. You need to make sure he's not getting dehydrated. You mentioned lettuce, what type is it? Bunnies can't have iceberg lettuce, it's dangerous for them. If you have any fresh herbs such as parsley, coriander etc try offering those too. Sometimes more fragrant foods like herbs can tempt a bunny to eat. Again you can wash these to increase water intake.

I'm sure he'll be okay, please try not to panic. I know how hard that is. But you need to stay calm for him.
If he goes downhill at all, he needs to go straight to the vet. If you need to find an emergency vet in your area try here: https://www.vets-now.com/ they can also offer advice free on the phone. I've used them a couple of times and they are absoloutely brilliant, they saved Lunar's life and Cody's but are obviously a lot more expensive than a normal vet. Just an option if you find you need it and your regular vet is closed.
Click to expand...


This is excellent advice :)

Please don't panic. The cause of this is not necessarily EC and can be other things too.
Look here:

http://www.rabbit.org/journal/3-8/head-tilt.html

http://www.rabbit.org/health/tilt.html

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Neurology/Otit/otitis.htm

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Neurology/head_tilt.htm



You can see that there can be a number of causes for what you describe.

If you would like to seek for another vet, post another thread with this in the title :
"Rabbit Savvy Vet needed in (your location)" and members will help you.

Alternatively look here:
https://www.harcourt-brown.co.uk/vetfinder/vets-owners-recommendations

Wishing you loads of luck xx
 
we but it on lettist but he only eats a bit of it i am dead worryed but he is drinking loads of water is that ok
 
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reede2 said:
he eat a little bit of leetist then but he isnt pooing !!
Click to expand...

I can see that you're really quite worried about Jet. If he hasn't been eating or pooing for a while, I really suggest you contact your vet for advice. It sounds as though he is at risk of gut stasis. They will be able to recommend if you need to take him in again to see them.
 
That's certainly a good start. For a rabbit's digestive system to work properly they need to be eating fairly constantly - particularly hay or grass. If he continues to only pick at the odd things, please consider taking him to your vets. Bunnies can go down hill very quickly if they aren't eating.
 
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