E Cuniculi Response to Treatment

[ktlmbrown]

My bunny was diagnosed with E Cuniculi a week ago. I have had a bunny with it in the past so I knew exactly what I was dealing with when I found him rather wobbly. He is being treated with Panacur. First 24 hours were awful he was always rolling/ upside down and wouldn’t eat etc. After a day in the vets and some further syringe feeding there seems to be some good improvements but over the last 24-48 hours he has been rolling again more and more. He is bright, feisty and eating / pooping plenty. Medication wise he is on Panacur and I did request metacam (previous rabbit was given this when he was diagnosed some years ago) but vets have said it’s not needed as he is young. Has anyone else experienced ups and downs with the treatment? It’s so distressing to see him back rolling over and over when a few days back he was managing well despite a severe head tilt. He’s in a nice indoor hutch all padded out etc. Any words of experience or handy tips I might not know are much appreciated. Thanks for reading

 

[FuzzyBunny ph]

How old is your bunny? I think, apart from panacur, bunny also needs pain meds like metacam. Some vets would also prescribe antibiotics also but I'm not sure if this is needed

Panacur is a 30day treatment so it may take a while to see improvements

 

[JBun]

You need to find a more experienced rabbit vet if possible. Prescribing meloxicam for e. cuniculi has nothing to do with the age of the rabbit that is infected, it has to do with the absolute necessity of reducing the inflammation caused by the erupting spores causing cell damage. The anti inflammatory is needed to reduce this swelling and damage to the cells. It's also essential that it's prescribed at the right dosage for rabbits due to their fast metabolism of the drug, as inexperienced vets usually prescribe the dog dose, which is an ineffective dose for rabbits.

https://www.vgr1.com/metacam/
If EC hasn't been confirmed through the proper tests, it should also be presumed that an ear infection is a possible cause for the head tilt, rolling, and ataxia, as symptoms for an ear infection are similar to those of EC. Which means that the exam needs to include ruling out an ear infection, and prescribing a rabbit safe antibiotic to cover the possibility.

Also keep a close eye on eating, drinking, and pooping. If he is having difficulty eating/drinking on his own, then it will be necessary to get a syringe feeding mix and start syringe feeds.

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Head_tilt
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/tilt.html
http://www.disabledrabbits.com/head-tilt.html
https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Encephalitozoon_cuniculi
https://weu-az-web-cdnep.azureedge....-e-cuniculi-infection-in-domestic-rabbits.pdf
Medirabbit: ear infection clinical signs and treatment

https://www.vin.com/apputil/content/defaultadv1.aspx?pId=11349&catId=34765&id=5328290
https://rabbit.org/vet-listings/

 

[ktlmbrown]

Thank you. Yes ear infection has been ruled out. I have been researching trying to find a specialist near me but not had much luck as yet. We have been syringe feeding when we have needed to and i have plenty of supplies of this to continue. That was my understanding of the metacam too. I think I will ring round some vets this morning and see if I can find someone more experienced with rabbits.