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How long until E.C. symptoms improve?

G

gingernutty

Warren Scout
My bunny was diagnosed with EC on wednesday and has been on panacur and imeprid and metecam. She is eating one bunch of herbs a day, and maybe 10 or so pellets and a bit of hay and is not drinking by herself.
Those that have had success with the condition-were your bunnies still eating and drinking?
 
gingernutty said:
My bunny was diagnosed with EC on wednesday and has been on panacur and imeprid and metecam. She is eating one bunch of herbs a day, and maybe 10 or so pellets and a bit of hay and is not drinking by herself.
Those that have had success with the condition-were your bunnies still eating and drinking?
Click to expand...

I am sorry to hear that your Rabbit is unwell. EC is a rather unpredictable condition with regards to how an individual Rabbit will be effected and how successful treatment may be. Some Rabbits can remain relatively 'well' within themselves and they continue to eat as normal. Others may become anorexic and very poorly. Much depends on the precise damage already done by EC. If there is a severe headtilt and nystagmus (flicking eyes) the Rabbit may feel very dizzy and scared, this may mean they do not eat too well. Assisted feeding and fluid therapy may be required. If EC has effected the kidneys then the Rabbit may feel quite poorly and intensive fluid therapy and possibly additional medication to try to support renal function may be necessary.

So in short, it really is hard to say how an individual Rabbit will cope. This link provides some insight into EC:

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

I hope that your Rabbit will start to improve soon x
 
Jack's-Jane said:
I am sorry to hear that your Rabbit is unwell. EC is a rather unpredictable condition with regards to how an individual Rabbit will be effected and how successful treatment may be. Some Rabbits can remain relatively 'well' within themselves and they continue to eat as normal. Others may become anorexic and very poorly. Much depends on the precise damage already done by EC. If there is a severe headtilt and nystagmus (flicking eyes) the Rabbit may feel very dizzy and scared, this may mean they do not eat too well. Assisted feeding and fluid therapy may be required. If EC has effected the kidneys then the Rabbit may feel quite poorly and intensive fluid therapy and possibly additional medication to try to support renal function may be necessary.

So in short, it really is hard to say how an individual Rabbit will cope. This link provides some insight into EC:

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

I hope that your Rabbit will start to improve soon x
Click to expand...

I am syringe feeding her water and some food at the moment, she lets alot just dribble out again. The vet has suggested putting her down. I wanted to fight but I dont know how long to leave it. I thought she would be eating better by now.
 
I have had EC bunnies before. They were severely affected and not able to do anything for themselves at first. For any poorly bunny, it is essential that they continue to eat to keep their guts going. Syringe feeding may be needed for a while. You can either use the prepared powdered food, or mush up their normal pellets in hot water. Often a bit of babyfood fruit puree helps to make it more syringeable. Keep an eye on their output - if the poos are getting smaller and less frequent, they need more food / fibre. Dandelions and fresh grass can also be useful to try.

If they are not mobile, you may have to keep them warmer and clean them up with bum baths.

It is very early days if you had a diagnosis on Wed. I would suggest at least another week and you should see some improvement if it is EC. The full treatment course is 28 days, but it can need additional courses and can be a bit of a rollercoaster with ups and downs. The good news is that EC normally has a good outcome, with even very severe cases having only minor symptoms remaining (often a head tilt).

If there are any other symptoms, ask your vet for advice as there may be more than 'just' EC. You are doing well to get a prompt diagnosis and treatment plan. A lot of the rest depends on your supportive nursing and how your rabbit responds. Sometimes it can seem to be a long, slow recovery and you have to hang on in there if you are both coping. Sometimes they can bounce back within a couple of weeks (but keep the treatment going for the full 28 days to break the lifecycle of the parasite). I used to compare week on week to look for improvements, rather than day to day.

There are some quite detailed threads on here if you do a search on EC, or several good articles online:
http://www.kingswoodvets.co.uk/rabbit-e-cuniculi-illness/4586826046
http://www.houserabbit.co.uk/resources/content/info-sheets/ecuniculi.htm
 
Shimmer said:
I have had EC bunnies before. They were severely affected and not able to do anything for themselves at first. For any poorly bunny, it is essential that they continue to eat to keep their guts going. Syringe feeding may be needed for a while. You can either use the prepared powdered food, or mush up their normal pellets in hot water. Often a bit of babyfood fruit puree helps to make it more syringeable. Keep an eye on their output - if the poos are getting smaller and less frequent, they need more food / fibre. Dandelions and fresh grass can also be useful to try.

If they are not mobile, you may have to keep them warmer and clean them up with bum baths.

It is very early days if you had a diagnosis on Wed. I would suggest at least another week and you should see some improvement if it is EC. The full treatment course is 28 days, but it can need additional courses and can be a bit of a rollercoaster with ups and downs. The good news is that EC normally has a good outcome, with even very severe cases having only minor symptoms remaining (often a head tilt).

If there are any other symptoms, ask your vet for advice as there may be more than 'just' EC. You are doing well to get a prompt diagnosis and treatment plan. A lot of the rest depends on your supportive nursing and how your rabbit responds. Sometimes it can seem to be a long, slow recovery and you have to hang on in there if you are both coping. Sometimes they can bounce back within a couple of weeks (but keep the treatment going for the full 28 days to break the lifecycle of the parasite). I used to compare week on week to look for improvements, rather than day to day.

There are some quite detailed threads on here if you do a search on EC, or several good articles online:
http://www.kingswoodvets.co.uk/rabbit-e-cuniculi-illness/4586826046
http://www.houserabbit.co.uk/resources/content/info-sheets/ecuniculi.htm
Click to expand...


Shimmer has provided excellent advice and some good links :D

It's very difficult to predict how any bunny will react to E.C. and it's treatment with Panacur, but as Shmmer says, there is always reason for hope! I know it's difficult and only you (and your vet) can make the decision when enough is enough. I will respect whatever you choose to do as I've been in such difficult situations myself.

Actually diagnosing E.C. is difficult - has your rabbit had the blood tests and were they conclusive? She seems also to be suffering from stasis which is what you need to address at the moment.

http://anyflip.com/dvpt/hzvv/basic


You can also crush up some pellets, and blend them with some organic baby food puree (Ella's Kitchen is good) and syringe that. Sometimes rabbits won't eat because the food isn't tasty - particularly if they aren't feeling well.

Good luck xx
 
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