EC Help Required Please

Hi All,
I have a 2 year old Dwarf bunny named Anna who has EC. I have taken her to two separate vets and they know nothing about rabbits and i knew more than them which has just caused more stress for Anna. I know you will have been asked EC questions so much before on this site so im sorry to ask again. I have read up lots but still just wanted to send this.

Anna had EC back in May and I treated her with Panacur as advised by my then VET ( They have since shut down unfortunately ) the first two days she was rolling and head tilt to the left. After 4 days of treatment with this she was better and able to walk around but still with head tilt. two weeks later she had fully recovered and no head tilt. Carried on with the treatment for 28 days though. She has been great since. She is a house rabbit and so good.

Then on Friday she started again right in front of me. Circling then head eyes and head going side to side. Earliest i could book her into the vets was Saturday so i went and got Panacur myself straight away from a vetsforpets. Then the VET had not seen this before with rabbits. She gave her an antibiotic injection and said will order in some Panacur which will arrive in Tuesday.

Anna then went into hiding in her cage and would not come out of her home. was eating and drinking a little though. Very unsteady oh her feet but her head tilt is to the right handside this time opposed to the left previously in May. I came down this morning and she had knocked her bed over and was lead on the floor. Tried helping her up but she then rolled uncontrollable which was very upsetting. I wrapped her in a towel and she lay on her back and stopped rolling. I gave her Panacur and some hay which she took and water from a syringe. i then cleaned out her cage once more ( I had fully cleaned it previously ) and put towels down and left her on her back in the cage. I came back after getting ready and she was sat upright somehow then had to go to work which is where i am now. Im going home in a couple of hours for dinner to check up on her and dreading to what i find

My question is can a rabbit's EC symptoms come back like this case? Is there any chance of recovery? Any other medication she can take? Anything I can do differently. I dont want to stress her by taking her to the vets again who dont know anything anyway. Anna is my five year old daughters pride and joy and i dont want her to see her like this. Thank you in advance. Its so upsetting to see.

Welcome to RU. I'm sorry its under such sad circumstances. Head tilt & rolling is the scariest of rabbit health issues I've had in the 28 years I've had bunnies. Its is really upsetting to see.

The usual prescribing pathway for rabbits with EC is panacur but also metacam as its anti inflammatory properties protect against more vestibular damage. We can help you find a savvy vet if yours is not open to prescribing this.

Your question about whether it can come back - yes! Quite often future attacks are less severe & prolonged (this was the case with my little one & I hope it is for your too)
Starting panacur straight away was wise in my opinion & your management of her with towels is good. My bunny was propped up in a wicker laundry basket with lots of towels . In my case the original attack was very severe & lasted 5 weeks, several weeks later she had a mini relapse of less than a week. She always had a little head tilt but she lived a further happy 2 or 3 years without incident.

Medical opinion varies about whether Panacur kills EC long term but its use should stop spores causing further damage. A bunny who is EC positive will become at greater risk of having the disease re-activated when its body is under physical or psychological stress. Some people use panacur at times perceived to be more stressful for the rabbits, eg house moves / bunny bonding

Keep any questions or concerns coming

joey&boo said:

Welcome to RU. I'm sorry its under such sad circumstances. Head tilt & rolling is the scariest of rabbit health issues I've had in the 28 years I've had bunnies. Its is really upsetting to see.

The usual prescribing pathway for rabbits with EC is panacur but also metacam as its anti inflammatory properties protect against more vestibular damage. We can help you find a savvy vet if yours is not open to prescribing this.

Your question about whether it can come back - yes! Quite often future attacks are less severe & prolonged (this was the case with my little one & I hope it is for your too)
Starting panacur straight away was wise in my opinion & your management of her with towels is good. My bunny was propped up in a wicker laundry basket with lots of towels . In my case the original attack was very severe & lasted 5 weeks, several weeks later she had a mini relapse of less than a week. She always had a little head tilt but she lived a further happy 2 or 3 years without incident.

Medical opinion varies about whether Panacur kills EC long term but its use should stop spores causing further damage. A bunny who is EC positive will become at greater risk of having the disease re-activated when its body is under physical or psychological stress. Some people use panacur at times perceived to be more stressful for the rabbits, eg house moves / bunny bonding

Keep any questions or concerns coming

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Hi, Thank you this is of great help. This second episode is a lot more severe than the first time.

I have successfully bonded Anna with a male Lionhead. They do not live together but spend 3 days a week together and get on great. He is being treated with Panacur as a precaution. She has not been ill or stressed as far as i can see so was unsure why it came back. Maybe i should have treated her with Panacur as precaution again before she got the second episode in hindsight?

I am going home soon to check on her. i will put her in a basket and line with towels if she is still struggling to stand. She is a rescue rabbit so
unsure of her full history. I will also see if i can get the Metacam, thank you for this.

Lets hope it turns out all ok, she got better the first time! Thanks again.

Anna the rabbit said:

Hi, Thank you this is of great help. This second episode is a lot more severe than the first time.

I have successfully bonded Anna with a male Lionhead. They do not live together but spend 3 days a week together and get on great. He is being treated with Panacur as a precaution. She has not been ill or stressed as far as i can see so was unsure why it came back. Maybe i should have treated her with Panacur as precaution again before she got the second episode in hindsight?

I am going home soon to check on her. i will put her in a basket and line with towels if she is still struggling to stand. She is a rescue rabbit so
unsure of her full history. I will also see if i can get the Metacam, thank you for this.

Lets hope it turns out all ok, she got better the first time! Thanks again.

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Don't beat yourself up not using Panacur as a precautionary - its not like you can use it all the time & you can't always predict when a rabbit will get stressed or unwell. Even when they are stressed or unwell they are amazing at hiding it. Its just a lot of supportive care they need (on top of panacur & metacam)- its v tiring but v rewarding when they make it through. Lots of vibes for your bunny - I hope she recovers

An afterthought - most vets will also add antibiotics in to the mix as head tilt can also mean ear infection . This can have the same presenting symptoms as EC. Is your rabbit lop or uppy earred?

joey&boo said:

Don't beat yourself up not using Panacur as a precautionary - its not like you can use it all the time & you can't always predict when a rabbit will get stressed or unwell. Even when they are stressed or unwell they are amazing at hiding it. Its just a lot of supportive care they need (on top of panacur & metacam)- its v tiring but v rewarding when they make it through. Lots of vibes for your bunny - I hope she recovers

An afterthought - most vets will also add antibiotics in to the mix as head tilt can also mean ear infection . This can have the same presenting symptoms as EC. Is your rabbit lop or uppy earred?

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Hi, she is uppy eared. I have just checked on her and she is now sat up right thankfully. Im trying not to bother her. She has food near her just no water as she keeps knocking it over. There is a water bottle in there but doubt she can use. I have wet food in there though such as lettuce etc.

Hoping the Panacur will kick in soon. Thank you for the help.

I don’t have any experience of EC but I’m sending lots of vibes:thumb:

Yes I'd wet all veggies & offer herbs etc. My bunny drank from a sipper which I'd offer whenever I could. I'm glad she is upright now. Keep us updated

Sending lots of vibes, I had a bunny with head tilt and they can get better, he did have a couple of recurrent episodes and was also left with permanent head tilt. It may be worth looking for a vet with experience of this near you to ensure she gets the right treatment, although the panacur is definitely a good place to start. She may need painkillers for a while too to act as an anti-inflammatory. I hope she makes a quick recovery, I know how stressful head tilt can be. The important thing is not to give up, recovery can be a long journey.

Sending lots of vibes for Anna. I hope she soon starts to show signs of improvement. As has been suggested, it would be worth trying to find a rabbit savvy vet close to where you are living. If you post in Rabbit Chat with your general location, others can recommend vets that they are aware of in your area.

Thank you everyone. Great to hear the encouragement. We are not giving up on her. She is a little battler as I saw the first time she had this terrible condition.
Im due to see the vets tomorrow again, the one who does not know much. Im situated in the north west Lancashire, UK.

Will keep you posted how she does. She has pushed her bum against the far side of her cage and not moved for a while so ive put the heating on to make her warm and left her alone. Thanks again all.

Anna the rabbit said:

Hi, she is uppy eared. I have just checked on her and she is now sat up right thankfully. Im trying not to bother her. She has food near her just no water as she keeps knocking it over. There is a water bottle in there but doubt she can use. I have wet food in there though such as lettuce etc.

Hoping the Panacur will kick in soon. Thank you for the help.

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dear anna the rabbit,--dvm appointmet tomarrow-great,-ask them about[chloramphenicol-antibiotic]-sincerely james waller from the other kent-usa

Anna the rabbit said:

Thank you everyone. Great to hear the encouragement. We are not giving up on her. She is a little battler as I saw the first time she had this terrible condition.
Im due to see the vets tomorrow again, the one who does not know much. Im situated in the north west Lancashire, UK.

Will keep you posted how she does. She has pushed her bum against the far side of her cage and not moved for a while so ive put the heating on to make her warm and left her alone. Thanks again all.

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Morning All,
Quick update on Anna. No more rolling in her cage from what i saw but she just sat in one position and did not move. She has eaten a few grapes
and a little hay. Not much though. Also no water as she keeps knocking over the bowl. I have just taken her out of the cage to give her today's Panacur she started rolling towards her right hand side but i had her on a soft bed wrapped in a towel. She stayed in one position on her back so i gave her the Panacur and some water. She was stressed so I lifted her in the towel and put in the cage. She stayed in this position.

I then got ready for work and twenty minutes later she is still in this position. I have had to go to work. Do you think she will be able to get upright again? Im going home at dinner. I cant take her to the vets today but booked one tomorrow which is quite far from me?

Im worried about taking her in her travel basket i have as she will no doubt roll. Anyone else had this worry/problem?

Trying to stay positive but its not working at the moment and can not see light at the end of the tunnel Thank you for listening.

Anna the rabbit said:

Morning All,
Quick update on Anna. No more rolling in her cage from what i saw but she just sat in one position and did not move. She has eaten a few grapes
and a little hay. Not much though. Also no water as she keeps knocking over the bowl. I have just taken her out of the cage to give her today's Panacur she started rolling towards her right hand side but i had her on a soft bed wrapped in a towel. She stayed in one position on her back so i gave her the Panacur and some water. She was stressed so I lifted her in the towel and put in the cage. She stayed in this position.

I then got ready for work and twenty minutes later she is still in this position. I have had to go to work. Do you think she will be able to get upright again? Im going home at dinner. I cant take her to the vets today but booked one tomorrow which is quite far from me?

Im worried about taking her in her travel basket i have as she will no doubt roll. Anyone else had this worry/problem?

Trying to stay positive but its not working at the moment and can not see light at the end of the tunnel Thank you for listening.

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In terms of her rolling on the journey, I used to put my boy in a cardboard box with rolled up towels on either side of him to keep him stable, having the high sides of the box stopped him rolling. I'd then put the box inside the normal carrier to stop any escapes. Hope this helps.

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Hi All, new update. Anna showed improvement. Eating lots and no falling or rolling. Then today the head tilt to the right got worse and she had a few rolls.

I took her to the vets and made her travel cage comfy and she lay on her back all the way(45 mins) then rolled when the vet took her out of it. He managed to give a good check of her and said everything is fine including ears. Gave her a shot of Metacam and gave me a a course to give her . This is on top of the Panacur she is having daily .

Since I came back Anna gone downhill and when I returned her to her cage she could not sit and kept rolling then rested on her back. A couple of hours later she has just about found her feet and balanced.

How long do I give her if she remains like this? Ie very unsteady and rolling lots? I want to give her a fighting chance as long as possible but don’t want my 5 year old daughter to see it. I next have my daughter on Friday for all weekend. Am I being cruel keeping her in this state for another week for example? She started this EC on Friday btw. Or could she improve ? Thanks and sorry for the long post guys. It’s horrid to watch.

jewaller said:

dear anna the rabbit,--dvm appointmet tomarrow-great,-ask them about[chloramphenicol-antibiotic]-sincerely james waller from the other kent-usa

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dear anna the rabbit,--did you ask dvm about [chloramphenicol]-broad spectrum antibiotic[for EC]--you mentioned panacur/metcam---why-panacur I believe that is for worms,not EC,metacam is for pain/inflammation--I am confused.--sincerely james waller from the other kent-usa-please call another exotic dvm.

jewaller said:

dear anna the rabbit,--did you ask dvm about [chloramphenicol]-broad spectrum antibiotic[for EC]--you mentioned panacur/metcam---why-panacur I believe that is for worms,not EC,metacam is for pain/inflammation--I am confused.--sincerely james waller from the other kent-usa-please call another exotic dvm.

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Good Morning,
Panacur works in a lot of cases for EC and is advised to use to treat this condition quiet regularly. It worked last time Anna had an outbreak of EC and she went back to normal within ten days. Unfortunately this time she is a lot worst.

jewaller said:

dear anna the rabbit,--did you ask dvm about [chloramphenicol]-broad spectrum antibiotic[for EC]--you mentioned panacur/metcam---why-panacur I believe that is for worms,not EC,metacam is for pain/inflammation--I am confused.--sincerely james waller from the other kent-usa-please call another exotic dvm.

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EC is caused by a parasite so its the same meds (panacur) to treat worms or EC - for the latter its a longer course, typically 28 days, I believe for worms its 9

Anna the rabbit said:

Hi All, new update. Anna showed improvement. Eating lots and no falling or rolling. Then today the head tilt to the right got worse and she had a few rolls.

I took her to the vets and made her travel cage comfy and she lay on her back all the way(45 mins) then rolled when the vet took her out of it. He managed to give a good check of her and said everything is fine including ears. Gave her a shot of Metacam and gave me a a course to give her . This is on top of the Panacur she is having daily .

Since I came back Anna gone downhill and when I returned her to her cage she could not sit and kept rolling then rested on her back. A couple of hours later she has just about found her feet and balanced.

How long do I give her if she remains like this? Ie very unsteady and rolling lots? I want to give her a fighting chance as long as possible but don’t want my 5 year old daughter to see it. I next have my daughter on Friday for all weekend. Am I being cruel keeping her in this state for another week for example? She started this EC on Friday btw. Or could she improve ? Thanks and sorry for the long post guys. It’s horrid to watch.

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I'm so glad you got her seen by a good vet & got her metacam - well done. With head tilt I think travel is enormously unsettling for bunnies & it was my experience my bunny was worse after travel (our vet is a similar distance away & we were also tied in to a house move in a different county). Theres no getting away from it unfortunately, they need to be seen by a vet. I'm just offering as a suggestion she may be more settled in a day or so when she has got over her trip.

It can be a long haul - it was 5 weeks before my bunny could stand but then you'd see a tiny bit of progress almost daily. Your bunny seems to have been doing much better so it may well take her less time. Its draining & needs so much supportive care a lot boils down to the individual & how much they are able to give. I remember huge feeling of doubt I was doing the right thing by her but those doubts were waylaid when I had my beautiful happy girl back - just a bit wonkier than before. I feel for you having to manage things with your daughter - I don't think I'd want a little one to see rolling either - its hard enough as an adult.

As the average panacur for EC course is 28 days - maybe thats a good point to review her. Its very much how each individual & owner copes though, sort of under continuous review

Try & get as much food & water in her as possible . You're doing a good job with her

Sorry for the long, long reply

Thank you so much for the message. The above is really helpful and encouraging. I will keep plodding along then and give her as long as possible
as long as she can eat and take in water.

So, was your bunny lying down all the time then for 5 weeks? Not able to get up? Anna always tries bless her. Ive given her all the meds and some water this morning and gone to work. She has food and eaten a few grapes and straw this morning. Hope she has managed to get up
as when i put her back in her cage ( I have to take her out to give her the meds ) she always lies still and doesnt move for a while. She falls over more when im around as she tries to look at me and loses balance so i will try and leave her alone as much as possible.

joey&boo said:

I'm so glad you got her seen by a good vet & got her metacam - well done. With head tilt I think travel is enormously unsettling for bunnies & it was my experience my bunny was worse after travel (our vet is a similar distance away & we were also tied in to a house move in a different county). Theres no getting away from it unfortunately, they need to be seen by a vet. I'm just offering as a suggestion she may be more settled in a day or so when she has got over her trip.

It can be a long haul - it was 5 weeks before my bunny could stand but then you'd see a tiny bit of progress almost daily. Your bunny seems to have been doing much better so it may well take her less time. Its draining & needs so much supportive care a lot boils down to the individual & how much they are able to give. I remember huge feeling of doubt I was doing the right thing by her but those doubts were waylaid when I had my beautiful happy girl back - just a bit wonkier than before. I feel for you having to manage things with your daughter - I don't think I'd want a little one to see rolling either - its hard enough as an adult.

As the average panacur for EC course is 28 days - maybe thats a good point to review her. Its very much how each individual & owner copes though, sort of under continuous review

Try & get as much food & water in her as possible . You're doing a good job with her


Thanks again. Maybe i have been too downbeat and there is a good chance of recovery.




Sorry for the long, long reply

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It felt like 5 solid weeks but maybe my memory is exaggerating things. She was a free roam house bun til she got ill & she was in tiny enclosure (after the hamper) for several weeks. It felt longer. Her head tilt was really severe. She only had one blind eye anyway & her head was so twisted it was over 4 weeks before her head straightened enough to see her good eye. Its quite amazing what some bunnies can come back from. Keep an eye on her emotional health. My bunny always wanted to eat & this encouraged me. Members on here have had to syringe feed their EC bunnies initially

Straws not the best nutritionally. Does she like hay? Fresh grass is normally well tolerated. Whats her normal diet? I think you'll need to find a way to get her to eat more than she is. Moistened nuggets might go down ok. Help her keep her strength up - it must be exhausting for them