E. Cuniculi Question

[Jenk]

I've read quite a bit about E. Cuniculi and stillfind myself still wondering if there are early warning signs that a rabbit should be tested for it. Can anyone explain what the initial signs might be?

Thank you,

Jenk

 

[naturestee]

We still don't know enough about this disease, and it can cause a number of different symptoms. One thing that I know Ra7751 has mentioned is that when the hind end starts to go from EC, usually it starts with one hind leg not working quite right, such as dragging it a little.

Rabbitscan bereally good at hiding illnesses, it's part of their nature as prey animals. Sometimes you just get a feeling that something is wrong with your bun but you can't put your finger on it. Or maybe they're limping slightly, holding their head slightly tilted, or sprawling out on the floor during their normal binky time. It's like that with just about any rabbit illness.

One piece of advice: don't get paranoid while reading the Infirmary section. Yes, bad stuff happens and rabbits are pretty fragile. But a lot of this stuff is pretty rare, it's just that it grabs our attention when one rabbit on a huge international forum has head tilt, peritonitis, etc. Also keep in mind with EC that the majority of rabbits will test positive without ever getting sick from it a day in their lives. So even a positive blood titer does not mean a rabbit is or will be ill from EC.

-Angela the Paranoid-From-Being-Infirmary-Mod

 

[Jenk]

naturestee wrote:

One piece of advice: don't get paranoid while reading the Infirmary section. Yes, bad stuff happens and rabbits are pretty fragile. But a lot of this stuff is pretty rare, it's just that it grabs our attention when one rabbit on a huge international forum has head tilt, peritonitis, etc. Also keep in mind with EC that the majority of rabbits will test positive without ever getting sick from it a day in their lives. So even a positive blood titer does not mean a rabbit is or will be ill from EC.

-Angela the Paranoid-From-Being-Infirmary-Mod

Quite right. I'll admit that I'm officially paranoid due to Zoe's problems.

It doesn't help that, on two occasions, I've noticed that when Emma's sitting upright, she seems to sway very slightly. It may be absolutely nothing, just as some humans have naturally shaky hands (esp. when holding them outward).

I'm gonna try to rest my bean and leave my paranoia at the door.

Thanks, Angela.

 

[ra7751]

Since I have dealt with EC quite a bit....here are several of my findings on EC. Nearly every domestic rabbit carries EC subclinically. It is usually passed from mother to kit at birth but can also be spread by contact with urine from an infected rabbit when the spores are shedding. This parasite can survive outside a host for quite some time. The only certain way to test for EC is post mortem. Blood titers are not terribly accurate. The only way to get anywhere near an accurate view from titers is to perform a series of them over a period of time to see what the level of antibodies are. The general interpretation of the lab is that if the levels are rising, you have an active infection and if they are declining, the event is maturing. EC does not directly cause head tilt. Many times the first clinical signs of an active EC infection is some degree of paresis of the left rear leg (in all the cases here, it has always been the left rear) and/or an unexplained urinary issue with lots of concentrated urine that is very smelly. A cytology and/or culture will not usually show any abnormal bacterial growth since this isn't a bacteria. The "bendazoles" are the treatment of choice for most vets but our experience is that their effectiveness is questionable. A much more attractive treatment is Marquis which is used to treat Eqine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM) in horses which is a similar event. EC will compromise the immune system to a point that it allows ongoing bacterial infections all over the body. In reality, like coccidia (which this is a form of coccidia) the only true weapon against it is the rabbit's own immune system and if you have a possible EC infection, support the immune system above all else. Renal failure will be the end result of this issue as the scarring and pitting from the spores damages the kidneys to the point they are no longer effective. It is possible for EC to go into remission. Still lots to learn about this problem and how to effectively treat it (and maybe eventually prevent it all together).

Randy

 

[naturestee]

Jenk, what color are Emma's eyes? Red eyed whites and sometimes rabbits with more of a reddish tint to their eyes will sometimes do something called scanning. That's where they turn their head or sway their body back and forth to help them see a little better as their eyes aren't very good. My New Zealand White does a very slight, somewhat faster sway/wobble, and I've seen a REW dwarf bun at the shelter who would slowly turn his whole head from side to side when in a new place.

 

[Jenk]

naturestee wrote:

Jenk, what color are Emma's eyes? Red eyed whites and sometimes rabbits with more of a reddish tint to their eyes will sometimes do something called scanning. That's where they turn their head or sway their body back and forth to help them see a little better as their eyes aren't very good. My New Zealand White does a very slight, somewhat faster sway/wobble, and I've seen a REW dwarf bun at the shelter who would slowly turn his whole head from side to side when in a new place.

They're brown, as far as I can tell. Her coloration is broken red (I think).