E cuniculi Recovery

[Belle_chad]

Please I know it’s a lot to read but I’m clutching at straws here.

I have a 3 or 4 year old rabbit Belle. female neutered.

Context - no knowledge of her history, I’ve had her a year.

Previously an indoor rabbit her whole life I’ve had her as outdoor from nov of 2024 to now. She came with her bonded brother both adjusted well.

At the beginning of this month as the weather changed She began wheezing, staying inside, not eating as much, ( both her and her brother have struggled with eating hay since I’ve had them). Her poo became smaller and stone like.

I began bringing her inside the house overnight to stay warm and she began to perk up. I had her on fibreplex and she was still eating it wasn’t a complete gut shutdown just limited intake.

then one day I noticed her poo content was completely off it was mucus filled red and gunky and she had a hard lump on her right side under her ribcage that as you felt it could move around all the way down to her lower pelvis.

The vets did an x-ray ruled out uterine cancer as she’s neutered and her breathing as normal ( shes a Netherlands dwarf so common in her breed as they are Brachycephalic) they concluded on sludges and stones which can only be removed through surgery and with her being so stressed and reactive to even just being held , like vigorously panting, and how fragile and small she is they said it’s likely she will react to the anesthesia and whole process badly so it’s best to just have her put to sleep.

I wasn’t giving up that easily cause besides that she wasn’t in pain to touch wasn’t grinding her teeth or hunched over she lay sprawled across her heat pads with no care in the world.

so I did a complete switch up on everything I started syringe feeding critical care, gave her Oxbow urinary supplements. Took out all the high calcium veg from her diet, soaked her greens in water. Syringe fed her bio lapis, gave her infacol to release gas as her stomach was gurgling a lot. I even lightly massaged her stomach daily.

With that she started coming round her poos improved massively the snoring stopped she started playing with her toys. I was still in the routine of inside during the night outside with her brother during the day ( who wasn’t alone I have two other girl buns)

Then a couple of days ago she came stumbling out her pen in my room completely disorientated flopping and dragging herself uncontrollably. I had no idea what had happed it came all of a sudden no warning signs. So I immediately stabilised her and wrapped her in a towel. I honestly thought she was gonna die on me right there and then.

my first thought was lack of oxygen to her brain, she’s dehydrated, so I gave her bio lapis and she immediately started gulping it down. Once she was stabilised and not trying to force movement I sandwiched her between two rolled up towels and kept her head upright and she kept swaying and curving to her right side. That whole night I continued to keep her hydrated and two hours after her episode she independently got up and was trying to walk around with a lot more stability but her muscle tone had completely dropped from her whole behind it was sagging on her bottom. Her back left leg was tucked under as she walked but pointed out and her gait was uneven and swaying to the right as she tilted her head and dragged her body behind her.

I didn’t want her to push herself so I kept her next to me in bed all tucked in on a heat pad.

I googled and googled and everything was pointing to floppy bunny syndrome and e cuniculi. I had meloxicam on hand and began 2 doses a day and the following day she started a 28 day course of panacur and complete isolation from the other buns who’s shed was stripped and cleaned to kill any bacteria and they too were put on a course of panacur for 9 days as a precaution.

Two days after her episode she regained her movement her head tilt completely went, she’s sitting upright, her feet are coordinating, she’s walking straight. My only issue is the loss of muscle tone has her unable to poo and pass wee properly. She has a constant wet bum and poo buildup. I’ve shaved the area to make it manageable and apply antibacterial drying powder.

In herself she is happy and walking around playing, eating, drinking. But her poo have changed massively the shape is normal the hay content is fine she’s just passing Lots of mucus with it. And I have no idea what this could be, a Stress reaction to the whole situation? Further issues? Body reacting to the medicine?

My conclusion is she had stress induced Gi from the cold and outdoor lifestyle which weakened her immune system setting off the e cuniculi.

Any advise on what to do further to manage it. Any tips on how to regain her muscle tone? will she always be like this? She is now staying completely indoors with possible future play sessions with her brother outside in summer but for now I want to get her on the road to recovery. I know that e cuniculi isn’t a curable disease and she will most likely never go back to the way she is but anything to make her life more comfortable.

Main concerns right now :
. Poo mucus
. Sagging muscle tone loss
. Bum cleaning control

 

[Belle_chad]

These are her poos
First is from pre vet visit
Second is gi recovery
Third and fourth is post EC episode and meds

 

[Omi]

Hello, I'm sorry that your bunny has been so unwell. I'm sorry also that no-one has responded so far to you. There are members of this forum who have lots of experience of EC (not me I'm afraid) and I can only think that they are busy with Christmas.

I do agree with you that moving her from indoors to outside during the day is not great because of the temperature change and so it's good that she is now inside all the time.

I think if I were you I would be trying to see a rabbit savvy vet , to give you advice on how to help her recover in the best way possible. Check this website to see if there is a suitable vet close to you https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/recommended-rabbit-friendly-vets/

Hoping that you can find a vet who can help.

 

[Shimmer]

Sorry - been caught up with family stuff that I'd much rather not have to be doing...

Assuming you are dealing with EC - treatment is a 28 day cycle of Panacur and an anti-inflammatory (eg metacam). Panacur is readily available from the usual places (eg Amazon, other online suppliers, Pets at Home, etc). I use the 10% liquid for cats & dogs as it's cheaper and much more accurate to dose than the paste version sold for rabbits. Panacur reduces the parasitic load in the body. Metacam reduces the side effects caused by the parasite, and therefore reduces the usual symptoms (head tilt, hind leg weakness, etc). Metacam is only available on vet prescription.

The parasite is excreted in urine, so it is very important to maintain good hygiene and use a suitable disinfection method. Days 21 and 28 of the treatment cycle are key for a complete clean, but I tend to do it weekly. Steam cleaning, 10% bleach, veterinary disinfectants such as Virkon S are all suitable, depending on what you are cleaning (carpets, soft furnishings, bowls, toys, etc). Anything that may have had contact with urine needs cleaning or disposing of. Virkon S can be used in the washing machine. Check for colourfastness first.

It's not unusual for it to be a rollercoaster ride - some days / weeks will see an improvement, then they suddenly take 2 steps backwards again. It is also common to need more than one cycle of treatment, so just keep going with consecutive 28 day cycles. I've had one really bad case that took the best part of a year to resolve. Her head was fixed round to her shoulder and she couldn't walk. She had to be hand fed and cleaned for a lot of that time, but did recover with only a slight head tilt, and went back outside to live with her companions.

All companion rabbits / ones sharing the same space should be treated with Panacur at the same time - this basically gets the parasitic loading right down so they are not reinfecting each other and you get as 'clean' a start as possible.

EC is commonly around in the environment. Many rabbits have been exposed to it but show no symptoms. It tends to make a reappearance in stressed animals (eg through other health issues).

Bum cleaning - if they are unable to keep themselves clean, you will have to do it as often as required. Flystrike is a big issue in warmer weather - less so at this time of year, but it is still a possibility (and often requires PTS due to the suffering it causes). Skin also gets sore quickly if left. Comb out any matted areas. Cut / shave fur around the back legs if this will help (get the vet nurses to do this with appropriate clippers). A damp flannel may help if soiling is light, otherwise it's bum baths in shallow water and dry thoroughly afterwards. Your vet can also suggest suitable creams to use to prevent urine scald. Some creams are available from supermarkets / pharmacists - but check with your vet which are suitable first.

For your rabbit, I would want a thorough investigation into the mucous poo as well. There's definitely something else going on that needs sorting as a matter of urgency. I've no experience in this area. If syringe feeding one of the critical care type feeds is helping, I would keep up with that until you get some answers / solutions for whatever the cause is. Any distrbance in the gut function of a rabbit is potentially life threatening, so seek professional advice ASAP .

I am around if you need anything on EC - or you can PM me - and I will do my best to answer.

EC on its own is highly treatable, assuming the rabbit is happy with the handling required and that you can cope with it all. Some rabbits are more prone to recurrances over the years (eg when stressed by other factors), but you get to recognise the early warning signs and start treatment immediately those alarm bells ring.

 

[Belle_chad]

Sorry - been caught up with family stuff that I'd much rather not have to be doing...

Assuming you are dealing with EC - treatment is a 28 day cycle of Panacur and an anti-inflammatory (eg metacam). Panacur is readily available from the usual places (eg Amazon, other online suppliers, Pets at Home, etc). I use the 10% liquid for cats & dogs as it's cheaper and much more accurate to dose than the paste version sold for rabbits. Panacur reduces the parasitic load in the body. Metacam reduces the side effects caused by the parasite, and therefore reduces the usual symptoms (head tilt, hind leg weakness, etc). Metacam is only available on vet prescription.

The parasite is excreted in urine, so it is very important to maintain good hygiene and use a suitable disinfection method. Days 21 and 28 of the treatment cycle are key for a complete clean, but I tend to do it weekly. Steam cleaning, 10% bleach, veterinary disinfectants such as Virkon S are all suitable, depending on what you are cleaning (carpets, soft furnishings, bowls, toys, etc). Anything that may have had contact with urine needs cleaning or disposing of. Virkon S can be used in the washing machine. Check for colourfastness first.

It's not unusual for it to be a rollercoaster ride - some days / weeks will see an improvement, then they suddenly take 2 steps backwards again. It is also common to need more than one cycle of treatment, so just keep going with consecutive 28 day cycles. I've had one really bad case that took the best part of a year to resolve. Her head was fixed round to her shoulder and she couldn't walk. She had to be hand fed and cleaned for a lot of that time, but did recover with only a slight head tilt, and went back outside to live with her companions.

All companion rabbits / ones sharing the same space should be treated with Panacur at the same time - this basically gets the parasitic loading right down so they are not reinfecting each other and you get as 'clean' a start as possible.

EC is commonly around in the environment. Many rabbits have been exposed to it but show no symptoms. It tends to make a reappearance in stressed animals (eg through other health issues).

Bum cleaning - if they are unable to keep themselves clean, you will have to do it as often as required. Flystrike is a big issue in warmer weather - less so at this time of year, but it is still a possibility (and often requires PTS due to the suffering it causes). Skin also gets sore quickly if left. Comb out any matted areas. Cut / shave fur around the back legs if this will help (get the vet nurses to do this with appropriate clippers). A damp flannel may help if soiling is light, otherwise it's bum baths in shallow water and dry thoroughly afterwards. Your vet can also suggest suitable creams to use to prevent urine scald. Some creams are available from supermarkets / pharmacists - but check with your vet which are suitable first.

For your rabbit, I would want a thorough investigation into the mucous poo as well. There's definitely something else going on that needs sorting as a matter of urgency. I've no experience in this area. If syringe feeding one of the critical care type feeds is helping, I would keep up with that until you get some answers / solutions for whatever the cause is. Any distrbance in the gut function of a rabbit is potentially life threatening, so seek professional advice ASAP .

I am around if you need anything on EC - or you can PM me - and I will do my best to answer.

EC on its own is highly treatable, assuming the rabbit is happy with the handling required and that you can cope with it all. Some rabbits are more prone to recurrances over the years (eg when stressed by other factors), but you get to recognise the early warning signs and start treatment immediately those alarm bells ring.

Hi thank you so much for the reply, all my rabbits are on a course of panacur and belle is taking meloxicam.

Over the past few days she’s not had any episodes but she’s not moving unless encouraged and when feeding her it takes her a while to eat and I have to massage her mouth to encourage her otherwise she will just hold it.

She seems so unresponsive when I make loud noises her ears don’t twitch and her eyes don’t trace she just looks so brain dead. Is this common in ec or is there any other neurological condition that she could have.

She has moments like she’s trying to get better cause she’ll groom herself get up and play with her toy for a couple seconds then suddenly go into a trance and just freeze and become unresponsive.

Her poo had now gotten to a point where when I pick her up the slightest pressure causes it to expel. They’re no longer covered in mucus but are wet and quite large.


Idk if she’s depressed and that’s making it worse. The vets have just advised to put her down but I feel like it’s too soon to just give up on her

 

[Belle_chad]

*****

 

[Belle_chad]

*****

 

[Shimmer]

It sounds like there's probably something else going on, imo. If your vets haven't said anything specific, you could ask for a referral to a rabbit specialist or find another vet near you with more rabbit experience. The RWAF website has a list of vets.

Meanwhile, I would continue to keep her comfortable, provide additional warmth somewhere if she needs it, and keep her eating. Keep an eye on her breathing as well - did you get a diagnosis on that?

She's hung on so far and she's fairly young, so I would keep going unless you feel she really has no quality of life. They often do better with the company of another familiar rabbit, but you have to balance that with the possibility that she may be picked on as she's showing signs of weakness.