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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.
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EC vs Toxoplasmosis
- Thread starter TD86
- Start date
jewaller
Alpha Buck
dearTD86,--a blood test [metabolic panel]-will give an insight to the bunz health,-your discussion with the dvm should rule out ec,etc.--the lab generally gives all details that were requested,--good-exotic dvm,s are hard to find,but worth their weight in gold..--sincerely james waller-from the other kent-usa
joey&boo
Wise Old Thumper
How is E. Cuniculi diagnosed?
If the rabbit is showing clinical signs that may be indicative of an E. Cuniculi infection, your vet will probably recommend a blood test. Nowadays, the test most commonly used is the ELISA test that measures serum antibody levels. This detects whether the rabbit has been exposed to the parasite.
A blood sample will be taken from your rabbit and sent away to a laboratory. A negative result is generally conclusive and can rule out E. Cuniculi as the problem, unless the sample is taken very early on in infection or the immune system is so weak that the rabbit doesn't produce antibodies. A positive result isn't always that straightforward. A high antibody titre, together with clinical signs, is usually enough for most vets to commence the rabbit on treatment for E. Cuniculi, but a moderate or low antibody titre may not be enough for the vet to be sure that E. Cuniculi is the problem, since so many rabbits carry the parasite without symptoms (asymptomatically).
In these cases, diagnosis is usually made by taking a further blood sample a few weeks later and if the titre is higher than the first (a rising titre) this would indicate an active infection and would usually lead to a diagnosis of E. Cuniculi as the problem.
Another available test is the PCR test, which detects the parasite itself, usually in a urine sample. A positive result means that the rabbit is shedding the parasite and is thus infected, but a negative may mean either that the rabbit is not infected, or that it is infected but just not shedding spores at that time.
Of course if Mr Diggle is having bloods taken your vet could take extra at the same time for an EC test. Lots of vibes.
Let us know if we can support you to access a more savvy vet
Jack's-Jane
Wise Old Thumper
Tests for both conditions would need to be specifically requested by the Vet on the forms sent to the Vet Lab with the blood sample.
Laboratory diagnosis of EC : http://www.greendale.co.uk/cuniculi_disease.html
Toxoplasmosis http://www.scanelis.com/Toxoplasmosis
Sending vibes for Mr Dingle xx
