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Rabbit - panacur side effects for sick rabbit

J

jpath19

New Kit
Hi all,

First time poster, read a lot on here over the past few months and thought this would definitely be the best place to ask!

We have a rabbit, Eric, who has been through the mill the past 6 months. He started off being incontinent. He had a few tests, then and an x-ray and then a CT scan. There was an issue with his spine which they thought may be causing his incontinence. The issue shown on the x-ray wasn't so serious that they could be sure that this was what was causing it but it seemed the most likely.

For the last month he has struggled with his balance a lot which was put down to an ear infection which he is on antibiotics for. The same day he started rolling due to the ear infection, his right hind leg was showing weakness. Both his hind legs are now showing weakness and this has been put down to the issue with his spine. To me it seems too much of a coincidence that these happened on the same day. His has also lost over a 3rd of his bodyweight.

Eric has had two tests for e. Cuniculi, one six months ago and one abut 6 weeks ago. The first one showed that he has been exposed to e. Cuniculi in the past. The subsequent one was to see if this antibody count had risen but it hadn't, it had stayed the same. We were told this was conclusive to rule out an e. Cuniculi infection.

Things are obviously quite serious now for Eric. I don't want to come across as DIY vet but there is definitely a niggling feeling regarding the onset of the balance issues and leg weakness. Eric was never put on Panacur as a precautionary measure for e. Cuniculi because of its negative side effects. We asked about it again recently however we were told with Eric's ear infection it would be a bad idea as it would lower his white blood cell count and harm his ability to fight the infection.

We are getting to the point now where Eric needs to improve so we're thinking about putting him on Panacur.

I suppose my questions are... what side effects should we expect from a sick rabbit being put on Panacur? Has anyone had a rabbit with an infection who has put their rabbit on Panacur?

Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Johnny
 
Hi Johnny & welcome to RU. I'm not personally experienced any side effects using panacur with my bunnies, old & younger, sick & healthy. I know no meds are without risks but my vet feels it is low risk. I think you're right to be considering EC. Did the CT scan confirm ear infection? As most rabbits carry EC its possible to have both as EC is often "activated" by emotional or physical stress. The symptoms do seem to fit. Are you able to seek a second opinion?

It is commonplace when a bunny has head tilt to be prescribed antibiotics (in case of infection), Panacur (in case of EC) & metacam (providing pain relief if its the ears, anti inflammatory benefits if its EC) . Is your bunny uppy earred or lop ?

Good luck with you bunny. In your shoes I'd want a second opinion & a really good reason not to use panacur. I know it can be bought OTC but as there are other health issues going on having a vet behind his whole treatment plan would seem sensible
 
jpath19 said:
Hi all,

First time poster, read a lot on here over the past few months and thought this would definitely be the best place to ask!

We have a rabbit, Eric, who has been through the mill the past 6 months. He started off being incontinent. He had a few tests, then and an x-ray and then a CT scan. There was an issue with his spine which they thought may be causing his incontinence. The issue shown on the x-ray wasn't so serious that they could be sure that this was what was causing it but it seemed the most likely.

For the last month he has struggled with his balance a lot which was put down to an ear infection which he is on antibiotics for. The same day he started rolling due to the ear infection, his right hind leg was showing weakness. Both his hind legs are now showing weakness and this has been put down to the issue with his spine. To me it seems too much of a coincidence that these happened on the same day. His has also lost over a 3rd of his bodyweight.

Eric has had two tests for e. Cuniculi, one six months ago and one abut 6 weeks ago. The first one showed that he has been exposed to e. Cuniculi in the past. The subsequent one was to see if this antibody count had risen but it hadn't, it had stayed the same. We were told this was conclusive to rule out an e. Cuniculi infection.

Things are obviously quite serious now for Eric. I don't want to come across as DIY vet but there is definitely a niggling feeling regarding the onset of the balance issues and leg weakness. Eric was never put on Panacur as a precautionary measure for e. Cuniculi because of its negative side effects. We asked about it again recently however we were told with Eric's ear infection it would be a bad idea as it would lower his white blood cell count and harm his ability to fight the infection.

We are getting to the point now where Eric needs to improve so we're thinking about putting him on Panacur.

I suppose my questions are... what side effects should we expect from a sick rabbit being put on Panacur? Has anyone had a rabbit with an infection who has put their rabbit on Panacur?

Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Johnny
Click to expand...

Hello


I am sorry to hear about Eric's illness. With regards to the use of Panacur, even if EC were to be involved Panacur would not 'cure' the condition. At best it would reduce the amount of EC spores remaining in Eric's blood stream. The active ingredient in Panacur is 'Fenbendazole' and there is some anecdotal evidence that it's use can have a negative impact on the bone marrow/ the ability to fight infection. So given that blood tests have ascertained that there is no 'active EC' I would agree with your Vet's reluctance to prescribe Fenbendazole knowing that Eric has a bacterial ear infection.

Some of the progressive loss of mobility may be due to muscle wastage. Has your Vet mentioned any additional complimentary treatments such as Physiotherapy, Acupuncture, Laser Therapy ?

http://www.helpinghandsvetphysio.co.uk/rabbits/

https://www.fitzpatrickreferrals.co.uk/services/rehabilitation/physiotherapy/

https://www.fitzpatrickreferrals.co.uk/services/rehabilitation/veterinary-acupuncture/

https://www.houserabbitga.com/cold-laser-therapy-rabbits
 
Hi joey&boo,

Thanks for your reply and the information your provided.

Frustratingly, the vets have told us different things regarding the CT scan. Our first vet said that the results showed the beginnings of a middle ear infection. Then, we were assigned to a different vet who stated that there was no middle ear infection. There was some ear damage but this was common in lop eared rabbits and nothing to worry about. This has added to the lack of confidence we have with our current vets.

Thinking about it, I'm not sure the vet explicity stated that it was Panacur they would give him. I think he just used the words "e. Cuniculi medication" which would give side effects and I've presumed it was Panacur. I haven't heard of any other meds to treat e. Cuniculi infection!? I am at a bit of a loss as to why he was never given Panacur though. We'll speak to the vet again today and see what he says about putting him onto it. Even if there can be some side effects, I don't think we have anything to lose.
 
Last edited:
Jack's-Jane said:
Hello


I am sorry to hear about Eric's illness. With regards to the use of Panacur, even if EC were to be involved Panacur would not 'cure' the condition. At best it would reduce the amount of EC spores remaining in Eric's blood stream. The active ingredient in Panacur is 'Fenbendazole' and there is some anecdotal evidence that it's use can have a negative impact on the bone marrow/ the ability to fight infection. So given that blood tests have ascertained that there is no 'active EC' I would agree with your Vet's reluctance to prescribe Fenbendazole knowing that Eric has a bacterial ear infection.

Some of the progressive loss of mobility may be due to muscle wastage. Has your Vet mentioned any additional complimentary treatments such as Physiotherapy, Acupuncture, Laser Therapy ?

http://www.helpinghandsvetphysio.co.uk/rabbits/

https://www.fitzpatrickreferrals.co.uk/services/rehabilitation/physiotherapy/

https://www.fitzpatrickreferrals.co.uk/services/rehabilitation/veterinary-acupuncture/

https://www.houserabbitga.com/cold-laser-therapy-rabbits
Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply. This does fall in line with what the vets have said about Panacur. Sorry I should have mentioned, we actually don't know for sure if Eric does have an active ear infection or not and now he's too weak for us to be able to gain definitive proof. We're trying to ascertain whether all the symptoms are actually due to EC and not a spinal issue or ear infection at all.

The vet hasn't mentioned any of those to us. In honesty, at the moment I think he needs something change quick quickly for him as he is losing weight at an alarming weight.
 
jpath19 said:
Thanks for your reply. This does fall in line with what the vets have said about Panacur. Sorry I should have mentioned, we actually don't know for sure if Eric does have an active ear infection or not and now he's too weak for us to be able to gain definitive proof. We're trying to ascertain whether all the symptoms are actually due to EC and not a spinal issue or ear infection at all.

The vet hasn't mentioned any of those to us. In honesty, at the moment I think he needs something change quick quickly for him as he is losing weight at an alarming weight.
Click to expand...

Would requesting a referral to an Exotics Specialist be an option for you ?

As well as the blood test for EC was a full blood profile run (Haematology + Biochemistry) ?
 
Jack's-Jane said:
Would requesting a referral to an Exotics Specialist be an option for you ?

As well as the blood test for EC was a full blood profile run (Haematology + Biochemistry) ?
Click to expand...

The vets we are using do actually specialise in exotics which is why we've been a little unsure of where to turn.

He definitely had a haematology one as they said was anaemic so gave him an injection to try and improve that. Not too sure on the biochemistry one though.
 
Hi guys,

I just wanted to come back and give you an update on what happened with Eric and thank you both for your advice.

We bought Panacur and started Eric's treatment the day I wrote here. The next day whilst I was at work, my girlfriend's parents were looking after Eric and said he'd taken a bad turn. This is where we started thinking about the worst. However, when I got back I checked on him and thought he seemed a smidge brighter. The next day we weighed him and he'd put on a small amount of weight! This was amazing as his weight had been in free-fall, losing nearly 0.03kg a day despite not going off his food.

Eric's improvement has been dramatic. He went from 0.99kg to 1.46kg (his weight today). He's regained the use of his right hind leg with his left hind still splayed but showing gradual signs of improvement which we hope will continue with the physiotherapy we are giving him. His head tilt has improved massively and is now barely noticeable. This is in stark contrast to how it was, which was past being horizontal.

I understand that Panacur normally takes a few days to work and Eric's improvement occurred the day after his first dose. So, we're not sure if it was the antibiotics finally kicking in to fight the ear infection or that it was an EC infection. Anyway, we're just so happy that it looks like he's recovering so well. I've added some photos of Eric with the first being when he could barely stand, another from about 2-3 weeks ago and one from today so you can see the improvement he's made!

Thanks again,

Johnny & Hannah & Eric

i28gKdW.jpg

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:love: what a wee poppet, so cute. More importantly I'm so happy he's getting better. Thanks for updating
 
Great to hear that he is doing much better :D Is he still on both Panacur and the antibiotics ? The Panacur is usually a 28 day course, sometimes 6 weeks and the abx usually need to continue for several days AFTER all clinical symptoms have resolved :)
 
Only just caught your thread, Eric looks a little sweetheart, so pleased to hear he is doing much better. Sending lots of vibes for him to keep well.
 
Jack's-Jane said:
Great to hear that he is doing much better :D Is he still on both Panacur and the antibiotics ? The Panacur is usually a 28 day course, sometimes 6 weeks and the abx usually need to continue for several days AFTER all clinical symptoms have resolved :)
Click to expand...

He's just finished his 28 day course of Panacur. We've stopped giving him the antibiotic injection now but he is still taking one orally each day, which he'll be on for at least the next 15 days. I think all his clinical symptoms have gone, with him being left with the slight head tilt and the rear left leg splayed due to the muscle wastage.

It's definitely been a rollercoaster, but very happy it appears he's come out the other side - touch wood.
 
jpath19 said:
He's just finished his 28 day course of Panacur. We've stopped giving him the antibiotic injection now but he is still taking one orally each day, which he'll be on for at least the next 15 days. I think all his clinical symptoms have gone, with him being left with the slight head tilt and the rear left leg splayed due to the muscle wastage.

It's definitely been a rollercoaster, but very happy it appears he's come out the other side - touch wood.
Click to expand...

Great news. Even if he is left with a slight head tilt and/or hind leg weakness he will hopefully adapt to this disability.

You may find this link useful in the long term management of any disability he may be left with

http://www.disabledrabbits.com/

Physiotherapy and complementary treatments such as Acupuncture and Laser therapy can help Rabbits with head tilt/hind leg weakness disabilities

http://www.helpinghandsvetphysio.co.uk/rabbits

https://rabbit.org/alternative-ther... require two to,many health issues in rabbits.
 
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