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EC questions

Graciee

Graciee

Moderator
Staff member
Just looking for some opinions first I'll try explain the saga briefly [emoji38]

So Clementine was dripping when she peed, went to my vet, had tests and two bladder flushes, but couldn't really get anything to help except a diuretic, someone said about putting her down, because can't do a bladder flush every two weeks - I freaked out, went to a different vets they did basically all the same tests and came back with the same answer that there was no treatment method they could suggest.. Both vets said she needed to lose weight. She's actually seeming to be okay now, don't want to jinx it but she's peeing, there's no sludge, she's off the diuretic, and what seemed to help the most was finding a water she liked the taste of, and feeding a load of veg and plants to her twice a day. At the second vets they tested her for ec though and it came back as positive but she doesn't have an active infection, but has been exposed to it in the past and had it. The second vets didn't suggest panacur.

At my appointment at my vets (the first vets ^) this week for an xray to see what was going on, I'd made sure my vet had all the notes from the second vets I'd been to. She read them and mentioned about the EC and said she'd like to do a 28 day course for Clementine and Atticus (as he almost certainly has also been exposed to it/had it) and then they do a 9 day course every 3 months?

Anyone got any thoughts on this? Apparently that's what they do in this practice so if your buns had ec or tests positive for it you get the 28 day course then you do a 9 day course every 3 months.



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There have been so many debates on this over the years on here, and I wouldn't want to claim to be fully up to date. So, correct me if I'm wrong, someone, but I have never seen any evidence for a 9 day course (even as a top up) being of any use. The 9 day course was, I believe, supposed to be the number of days to kill intestinal worms, and the 28 day course was for EC active infection.
 
Graciee said:
Just looking for some opinions first I'll try explain the saga briefly [emoji38]

So Clementine was dripping when she peed, went to my vet, had tests and two bladder flushes, but couldn't really get anything to help except a diuretic, someone said about putting her down, because can't do a bladder flush every two weeks - I freaked out, went to a different vets they did basically all the same tests and came back with the same answer that there was no treatment method they could suggest.. Both vets said she needed to lose weight. She's actually seeming to be okay now, don't want to jinx it but she's peeing, there's no sludge, she's off the diuretic, and what seemed to help the most was finding a water she liked the taste of, and feeding a load of veg and plants to her twice a day. At the second vets they tested her for ec though and it came back as positive but she doesn't have an active infection, but has been exposed to it in the past and had it. The second vets didn't suggest panacur.

At my appointment at my vets (the first vets ^) this week for an xray to see what was going on, I'd made sure my vet had all the notes from the second vets I'd been to. She read them and mentioned about the EC and said she'd like to do a 28 day course for Clementine and Atticus (as he almost certainly has also been exposed to it/had it) and then they do a 9 day course every 3 months?

Anyone got any thoughts on this? Apparently that's what they do in this practice so if your buns had ec or tests positive for it you get the 28 day course then you do a 9 day course every 3 months.



Sent from my LYA-L09 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

The opinions on the treatment/management of EC varies even between Exotics Specialist Vets. Panacur (active ingredient Fenbendazole) does not 'cure' EC, but it does reduce the number of dormant spores circulating in a Rabbit's bloodstream. Once clinical symptoms of EC appear the actual protozoal parasite (with some fungal properties, apparently !!) has already been passed from the Rabbit in the urine via the kidneys. But EC spores will remain in the bloodstream. Hence a one off blood test showing a raised titre level will indicate exposure to EC only. Over 50% of domestic Rabbits will test positive to exposure to EC.

What I do atm is a one off 28 day course of Panacur for any new Rabbit I obtain. I do not treat them again unless clinical signs of EC occur or if my Vet advises me to do so.

Some Vets will advise a 9 day course of Panacur for any Rabbit with a history of symptomatic EC before any stressful event such as bonding, a GA for a Dental, going into Boarding etc. The theory being that dormant EC spores remaining in the bloodstream may become 'active' when the Rabbit is under stress and thus their immune system may be compromised. This article is very informative, but as I have said, there is no universal agreement amongst Vets about EC. A lot more research being needed. But I wont be holding my breath on that happening any time soon

https://www.dovepress.com/encephali...-manageme-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-VMRR
 
Jack's-Jane said:
The opinions on the treatment/management of EC varies even between Exotics Specialist Vets. Panacur (active ingredient Fenbendazole) does not 'cure' EC, but it does reduce the number of dormant spores circulating in a Rabbit's bloodstream. Once clinical symptoms of EC appear the actual protozoal parasite (with some fungal properties, apparently !!) has already been passed from the Rabbit in the urine via the kidneys. But EC spores will remain in the bloodstream. Hence a one off blood test showing a raised titre level will indicate exposure to EC only. Over 50% of domestic Rabbits will test positive to exposure to EC.

What I do atm is a one off 28 day course of Panacur for any new Rabbit I obtain. I do not treat them again unless clinical signs of EC occur or if my Vet advises me to do so.

Some Vets will advise a 9 day course of Panacur for any Rabbit with a history of symptomatic EC before any stressful event such as bonding, a GA for a Dental, going into Boarding etc. The theory being that dormant EC spores remaining in the bloodstream may become 'active' when the Rabbit is under stress and thus their immune system may be compromised. This article is very informative, but as I have said, there is no universal agreement amongst Vets about EC. A lot more research being needed. But I wont be holding my breath on that happening any time soon

https://www.dovepress.com/encephali...-manageme-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-VMRR
Click to expand...

This is how FHB advised me to manage Noodley's EC - it's going back almost 10 years though
 
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