E Cuniculi - Looking for advice

[Chrisrules334]

Hi all,

We have agreed to look after a friends rabbit for a week whilst they are on holiday & have the bun staying in our house... We didn't realise until he arrived that what he had is contagious.

Fortunately our two rabbits are outdoors, and this one is indoors on the top floor. So we are keeping him miles away from ours + only seeing him after we've dealt with our rabbits in the morning/afternoon to avoid any possible spread of EC from him to our buns. Washing hands etc after handling & handling with gloves where we're doing the litter tray.

He's on day 21 of his meds now, which from some research looks like an important time for his recovery.

- He is a lionhead with a seemingly paralysed back leg, he doesn't seem to be able to move much (quite sad). My concern for him is that when he toilets, he will get some on himself, and then clean it, which will send the spores back into him. How is it best to avoid this? We are dipping him in water to wash his back-end but not sure if that's enough to clean him. A lot of fluff on him. He also has puppy pads down in the hutch to absorb/make cleaning easier.
- We are planning to clean everything thoroughly this evening with a 1% bleach mix, leave for 30 mins ventilated, then scrub clean so he can go back in his hutch for the night.
- Any other precautions we should take to stop the spread?
- Anything else we can do to help him? Poor thing just drags himself around with his front paws.

Cheers all

 

[InspectorMorse]

Paralysis

Paralysis in rabbits.

www.disabledrabbits.com

Rear End Paralysis Care: Diet

An important part of rear end paralysis care involves diet. You need to be aware that a disabled bunny's nutritional habits may change.

www.theeducatedrabbit.com

*WARNING* Graphic images https://www.vettimes.co.uk/app/uplo...phalitozoon-cuniculi-infection-in-rabbits.pdf

 

[Chrisrules334]

Paralysis

Paralysis in rabbits.

www.disabledrabbits.com

Rear End Paralysis Care: Diet

An important part of rear end paralysis care involves diet. You need to be aware that a disabled bunny's nutritional habits may change.

www.theeducatedrabbit.com

*WARNING* Graphic images https://www.vettimes.co.uk/app/uplo...phalitozoon-cuniculi-infection-in-rabbits.pdf

Thanks,

I'll have to pass some of this on to his owner as there's only so much we can do for the week

 

[Chrisrules334]

Gave him a good clean out with bleach yesterday.

Have added a lot of padding to his hutch as he's lying down a lot so it's more comfy.

Have been doing some very haphazard physio of holding his sides whilst he tries to move so he can move about better. Seems to be progressing well so fingers crossed he keeps on improving. His joints were very achy and clicky but feel much smoother now.

He is only on the Panacur, think I'll suggest to his owner that they get some metacam unless he makes a miraculous recovery in the next week, though there's no visible pain signs it looks like that helps the inflammation that effects the brain from the reading above.

 

[InspectorMorse]

I would advise the owner to make sure that the Vet they are consulting is ‘Rabbit Savvy’. The lack of any treatment or advice given other than Panacur is worrying and suggests that the current Vet might not be very clued up about Rabbits.

This is some more info to pass on to the Owner

Recommended Rabbit-Friendly Vets

Find recommended rabbit-friendly vets near you. Explore our directory for expert care and support for your furry friend. Ensure the best healthcare for your rabbit

rabbitwelfare.co.uk

 

[Chrisrules334]

I would advise the owner to make sure that the Vet they are consulting is ‘Rabbit Savvy’. The lack of any treatment or advice given other than Panacur is worrying and suggests that the current Vet might not be very clued up about Rabbits.

This is some more info to pass on to the Owner

Recommended Rabbit-Friendly Vets

Find recommended rabbit-friendly vets near you. Explore our directory for expert care and support for your furry friend. Ensure the best healthcare for your rabbit

rabbitwelfare.co.uk

I agree - though that will be hard to message as she's a big fan of her current vet (and they were sent there from the normal vets as this one knew more about rabbits). She may have had other advice, but definitely not metacam that seems to be key.

 

[Chrisrules334]

Had a few normal hops this morning and seems a lot more steady on his feet/assuming more normal posture. Would be nice to give him back to his owner next week in a good state.

Pic because he's a good looking rabbit

 

[Chrisrules334]

Rabbit is making good progress still and has started cleaning his back paws with his mouth when he previously didn't have the ability to do this because of balance.

He does seem to have some dandruff. I believe the vet had given him a treatment for mites, but could be because of his inability to groom himself(?).

What can we do to help him with the dandruff/possible mites?

 

[Shimmer]

The mites are likely to be because he can't groom properly. They are always in the environnment, but only build up when the rabbit is under par. They are treated with ivermectin (injections at the vet or spot-on drops) over several weeks. He could also do with metacam to reduce the current symptoms and to prevent future damage caused by the EC parasite. I suspect he may also need further courses of panacur. The fact that he's making noticeable progress is a good sign, although it can be a rollercoaster with symptoms worsening again, and then improving. Just keep going as it's working, but it's not going to be a quick fix.

 

[Chrisrules334]

The mites are likely to be because he can't groom properly. They are always in the environnment, but only build up when the rabbit is under par. They are treated with ivermectin (injections at the vet or spot-on drops) over several weeks. He could also do with metacam to reduce the current symptoms and to prevent future damage caused by the EC parasite. I suspect he may also need further courses of panacur. The fact that he's making noticeable progress is a good sign, although it can be a rollercoaster with symptoms worsening again, and then improving. Just keep going as it's working, but it's not going to be a quick fix.

Thanks Shimmer. I will pass on to his owner for when he goes home on Thursday. He was a bit worse yesterday (than previous days), but the trend is definitely in the right direction.