• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.
  • Please Note - Medical Advice

    Please keep in mind that posts on this forum are from members of the public sharing personal opinions. It is not a replacement for qualified medical advice from a veterinarian. Many illnesses share similar symptoms but require different treatments. A medical exam is necessary for an accurate diagnosis, without which appropriate treatment cannot be given.

    You should always consult your vet before following any suggestions for medication or treatment you have read about. The wrong treatment could make your rabbit worse or mean your vet is unable to give the correct treatment because of drug interactions. Even non prescription drugs can do harm if given inappropriately.

    We are very grateful to members who take time to answer other members questions, but please do be clear in your replies that you are sharing personal experience and not giving instructions on what must be done.

    Urgent Medical Advice: If you need, or think you might need, urgent medical advice you should contact a vet. If it is out of working hours phone your vet's normal number and there should be an answer phone message with instructions on what to do.

Possible EC advice please

Graciee

Moderator
Staff member
Hi my girl bunny who's 17 weeks old started holding one back leg up then she'd switch legs and hold the other back one up, vet gave her metacam. 6 hours later she couldn't move at all. They did xray which was fine and said it could be EC or a bacterial infection maybe. But basically they don't know. So she has metacam, panacur, Emeprid and Baytril daily for around 5 days now? Her appetite is good, she drinks a lot! Not sure if that's good or bad really - but I just wanted to know has anyone had a bunny recover from this? Or show similar symptoms? I've also got a boy same age, and he started holding his back leg up the other day :( I'm treating him with the exact same stuff minus the Emeprid as he's still moving currently. So yea anyone with any experience good or bad I'd love to know. I just want to do what's best for her I've stayed with her round the clock since last Wednesday but I don't want to keep her going if her quality of life is as it is currently :(

Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk
 
Sounds like the obvious bases are being covered by your vet. It's good that they are eating normally. Is wee / poo output normal as well?
Sometimes it is difficult to determine exactly what is wrong with rabbits - so it can be just a waiting game and carry on doing what you are doing. If things get worse (or no better), go back to your vet for advice / extending or changing the treatment.

5 days is not a lot in terms of EC treatment. A standard course of treatment is 28 days, although consecutive courses are sometimes needed. I would expect to see an improvement within a couple of weeks, although it can be a roller coaster with things getting worse some weeks. The panacur treats the parasite and metacam reduces the neurological damage done by the parasite. It is possible to recover from EC (even with extreme symptoms) over time, if this is EC. Sometimes there is a residual effect eg head tilt, but bunnies manage quite well. I had a rabbit who was initially unable to stand and her head was wound round to her shoulder. It took several months of treatment, but she was eventually back out in the run with the others and only had a slight head tilt.

It is important to keep up the prescribed treatment, whatever the possible diagnosis.

Out of interest, are your rabbits related? Is there a possibility of a genetic condition or something from a common background (if they came from the same place)?
 
Oh I've got the stuff for the 28 days the panacur that is I'm nearly out of the other stuff do I need to keep up with the other stuff for the 28 days you think? Obviously the Emeprid needs to carry on if she can't move. She doesn't have any head tilt just can't move her back legs :(

Yes they're brother and sister I rang the breeder she said they've never experienced anything like it and they use panacur once a year on all their bunnies. I was thinking if it was something like that.. Any ideas of something genetic which could cause this? I'm so worried he's going to turn out the same :(

Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk
 
Thank you so much for the link I'll definitely do that :)

Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk
 
Another thing that pops to mind is toxins. Could they have gotten access to something that they shouldn't be eating? I remember reading about a case similar to this, a couple of buns from the same household got hind leg weakness and the vet thought EC but it turned out that they had eaten something in the garden that was toxic to them! It's a lot less likely but maybe not impossible :/
 
Oh God toxic like what? :( I mean they have a pen on the grass.. Just grass and dandelions there tho :( don't use anything to treat the grass either

Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk
 
Oh God toxic like what? :( I mean they have a pen on the grass.. Just grass and dandelions there tho :( don't use anything to treat the grass either

Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk

It's unlilely but with both rabbits showing signs it's maybe worth considering. Little bit of info here if you scroll down a little
http://rabbit.org/hind-limb-weakness-in-the-rabbit/

Obviously grass and dandelions sound perfect but it can be plants, certain paints, pesticides etc.
 
Thing is the week she got sick she was inside with the fan on because it was so hot for them how long would that take to set in? I'll check that link thank you

Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk
 
I'd say that it is pretty unlikely so I wouldn't worry too much. I was just wondering if anything obvious in your garden might stand out but that doesn't seem to be the case here :)
I would say that it's more likely to be EC at this stage.
Xx
 
Yea I can't think of anything really nor see anything on the list of toxic plants etc - Has anyone had a bunny thats limped with one leg then switched leg before losing both legs? It just seems really odd to me :(
 
The symptoms do sound unusual.

Do you know anyone with rabbits from the same litter? Breeders may not always know what happens when the babies leave them, or will carry on regardless of the quality of the rabbits they produce. Do you know anything about the parents of yours? Were they related?

Have you / vet examined both back legs in detail eg for sore hocks? There may be areas on the feet / hocks where the fur has rubbed away and the skin is inflamed.

Metacam may help - if that's the one that you are running out of, I would ask your vet for some more. It is an anti-inflammatory and provides pain relief. It will help on several levels - for EC it will reduce the effects of the damage to the neurological system. If there is any hind leg / back / spine damage or injury, it will help. Pain relief is often given when a rabbit stops eating or has other non-specific symptoms. They can't tell you what is wrong and, as a prey species, hide their symptoms well - which makes it so much harder to pinpoint the problem.
 
Unfortunately I don't know anyone else with rabbits from the same litter or place. I've no idea if their parents are related but the dad was from Holland and he was a huge rabbit and I think the mum was one of the ones they'd bred so I doubt related. Her feet look perfect I did have a look I'm not sure if the vet did I mean they definitely looked at legs and feet in detail not sure if they were looking for sore hocks. So you don't think it sounds like EC really?

Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk
 
I'm not a vet and haven't seen your rabbits, so I'm only putting other (unqualified) options forward.
EC is quite a common condition in rabbits, and treatment is relatively easy and cheap so worth doing anyway with those symptoms, just in case.
 
Oh yea I know that, just any suggestions that are different I'd love to look into myself to see if I can find anything that seems similar to her that's all :)

Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk
 
I agree about carrying on with the Metacam for a little longer.
How much faith do you have in your vet? Are they rabbit savvy?
If not then maybe a second opinion wouldn't go amiss :)
 
To be honest I'm not sure. I've taken her to a few already not very impressed, the one I've got now is okay as long as I ring up and talk to the head vet.

Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk
 
If you can get to Brentwood, William Lewis at Orchid Vets would probably be your best bet :) Good luck x
 
Back
Top