My baby bun has a parasite

[kirbyultra]

I decided to take the bun I got last Sunday to the vet to get checked out to be safe since he's sharing a room with my Kirby. The vet just called and said Toby has something like coxidia (I don't know how it's spelled). She said it's a parasite that isn't too much cause for concern but because Toby is only 2 months old I'd want to take care of it.

Sigh. Poor bunny.

I'm going to pick up some medicine for Toby tomorrow.

 

[Mrs. PBJ]

Do you need to get meds for Kirby also sense there in the same room I would ask the vet. In dogs and cat we worm the whole house if one turns up with worms

 

[Flashy]

Coccidia?

I agree about treating Kirby too, especially if there has been any cross contamination with space, faeces, even just objects, or you. Better to be safe than sorry.

 

[kirbyultra]

Kirby and Toby don't get along so they are in separate spaces in the room. They don't share anything except their mom I'll ask the vet and maybe bring kirby's poops to be examined too. What does this parasite do?

While Toby is on meds to treat his body should I clean his cage and litter box with vinegar and stuff? I don't know how it would transfer and I wouldn't want toby to relapse after treatment.

 

[Mrs. PBJ]

I would wash everything is very hot water with ? Someone else wil have to answer that. Wash bedding litter box hay ben everything. Even cage if he has a speck of pooh he can get it again.

Now I dont have a lot of experience with rabbit worms but for dogs and cat we tell owners to wash everything down and clean very good when its a bad infection.

I would treat kirby just in case. As long as the meds dont have serious side effects better safe then sorry




The best way we explain worms to people is this

say you put toby on your chest then put him up and kirby jumps on your chest and a worm gets on his paw then when he licks his paw he congest the worm. Thats the easiest explination I can give.


I am by no means a expert. So take my advice with a grain of salt. I just know about the normal cat and dogs and the few animal normal vets handle never worked with a exzotic vet.

 

[Maureen Las]

Ponazuril( Marquis) is the newest treatment for coccidial Albon has been used in the past
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Rabbits-703/2008/4/rid-coccidia.htm

The environment needs to be cleaned well. This means bleach and water with a really good rinse. Move your bunny away from the cage and cleaning area until everything has been rinsed extremely well.
This illness is very contagious so Kirby probably should be treated if he as had any contact with the new bunny.

if you can put the cleaned objects out in the sun to dry that would also help

your bun most likely has intestinal coccidia

this drug mentions treatment with sulfa but until recently Albon was used . Not all of these articles are the most recent info


http://www.marvistavet.com/html/coccidia.html

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/171332.htm

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Protozoal_diseases/coccidiosis_general.PDF


Coccidia is caused by a protozal parasite and not a worm ...often difficult to diagnose

 

[Flashy]

I would also think that you could pass the illness from one to another, so even if there has been no direct contact it would be safer to treat them both, and clean both their areas thoroughly.

 

[kirbyultra]

Sometimes it seems like the more you know, the more scared you get. But in the end it's empowering me to help my bunnies. I read the links you posted, angieluv, thank you. So it seems like you can have coccidia and not be harmed by it if they remain dormant. Toby doesn't have any runny poop so I think he isn't being attacked by it so I can treat it appropriately.

He had tiny (like little sesame size) poop that were all clumped together and stuck to his fur and butt when I first got him.I don't think that's from the coccidia though. I think the pet store was feeding him lousy pellets and really old hay which he didn't eat. :grumpy:

By the time I got this post up, the vet's office was closed (it's a Sunday after all, I'm just so glad I found a reputable rabbit vet in the city that has weekend hours!) I'll call the vet tomorrow and ask if I should bring Kirby in or just bring his poop before I start asking about medicating him too. I'll also ask what medication they are going to give Toby. It looks like that new stuff (the horse stuff) is fantastic since it gets rid of it once and for all, but I am not sure if that's available by my vet. I'd rather the parasite be gone than just "in low count"... h34r2But then again, if they've only been in the same room a week and Kirby did get it at some point, would it even be detectable? Maybe I should ask about just straight medicating in case.

I'm thinking long and hard about the possibility of spreading the coccidia to Kirby... they've literally had 2 face to face encounters with each other that lasted all of 15 seconds and I had to separate them. But they were in Kirby's play pen and Kirby licks the straw mat on this play pen like it's candy (I don't know why), so I guess it's possible that he might have gotten it too. I also hold Toby a couple times a day...I wash my hands pretty religiously, but if it's on my shirt or pants then I can't help it. It's my nightly ritual to lie onmy stomach on the floor with Kirby before going to bed. He doesn't like to be held so I bond with him on his level ... but I guess if it was on my shirt it's on his floor and he licks his floor... oh brother.:nerves1

 

[tonyshuman]

I wouldn't be too worried about treating both of them. Most antiparasitics don't have adverse side effects at therapeutic doses. The drug should be dosed twice though, to kill both the adults and the eggs, right?

 

[kirbyultra]

do you mean it's taken twice or it needs to be administered a full round twice? I'm not sure :?

On the phone, the doc said it would be given to Toby for 10 days to take care of it. By the sounds of it, it didn't sound like the "new stuff" which people are saying takes only 3-5 doses. But 10 days seems a little short for Albon right? I'll have to ask tomorrow what it is.

But, it's a protazoa parasite. I don't think it has eggs. Spores? Toby's been all over the house. Couch, bed, etc. Do I need to bleach down the leather couch too? :?I did wash the bedsheets today though.I'm so clueless.

 

[Maureen Las]

Don't bleach the leather sofa ; it will wreck it

you could wipe it down with antibacterial wipes or possibly some disinfectant spray .
I had a bun who was suspected of having Coccidia because he had really odd poops

(it turned out to probably have been medgacolon. )

The reason the vet was suspicious was because of his odd cecals and also because when they did lab work on him his eosinophil count was high. A high eosinophil count will often be present when there is a parasite.
The problem is (I learned) is that you can often not see coccidia on doing one fecal exam but have to catch at a the cycle where it will show up in the stool when spun down and examined under a microscope.

3 fecal exams later and another blood test that showed a normal eosinophil count we determined that Gabried(RIP) did not have coccidia.

Why don't you print out the info on Ponanzuril and some of the other info and just take it in and show your vet. if the vet is really good he/she will be open to new info.
Coccidia is fairly common in rabbits so don't be too upset about it.

I'll post the drug dose calculator but Ponazuril is not on it ; I do believe Albon is

http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/rx/drugcalc.html
Albon is a trade name for a sulfa medication

http://www.entirelypets.com/albon.html
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_coccidia.html

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_ponazuril.html
I'm posting too many links here. ...


if your vet doesn't know how to dose ponazuril I'm sure that randy does.

 

[ra7751]

Hi,

Several thoughts here. First, totally disregard anything in the Merck Manual as that is a terribly outdated publication....vet professionals don't even use it.

Next, the usual treatment for coccidia is sulfanomides. The thought of putting a sulfanomide antibiotic in the gut of an 8 week old rabbit is nothing short of scary. I would rather the rabbit have coccidia than risk these drugsin adelicate baby gut....as most of you know, I don't even usesulfanomides in adults. Just my non-professional view.

I use Ponazuril against coccidial infections....including E Cuniculi. It is not an easy drug to find as it is used almost exclusively in theequine community. It only comes in large horse size syringes and it is very expensive. It is also quite a challenge to properly dose since it comes only in a paste. The first problem is that the paste must be weighed and then compounded....and that in itself can be a challenge. Next, it is possible to have "hot spots" in the paste. This is when an abnormally high amount of drug congregates in a localized location within the paste. With a horse, this isn't a concern since the entire syringe will be used. But with the small amounts used in small animal medicine, it is possible to get your particular gram or so of pastewhere there may be an excessive amount of active drug or a decreased amount of active drug. And very few vets are even aware of this drug much less how to dose it.

In the real world, the only true treatment is a strong immune system as it's the immune system that will eventually clear up the coccidia.

Randy

 

[kirbyultra]

The vet is giving Toby Albon. I called to ask about Kirby and they will have the vet call me back.

I know it's fairly common but it's the first time my buns have had to be medicated and Toby is so bitty little. I am so nervous and worried. I had nightmares all night

 

[Maureen Las]

Albon is a sulfa drug and because of Randy's comment re. sulfa meds i would be concerned also.
I would go out and get benebac also to give with the Albon

Ialso am hoping that someone else on here has treated with Albon when they are so young ; it would help to know that their bun is OK
Is the vet rabbit knowledgeable? because if he is you could call and address specifically concerns about his age and if it will affect him negatively being so young

Sorry that I'm not being helpful

The ponanzuril seems difficult to dose so I am concerned that that may not have worked either because of that.

 

[Maureen Las]

I am going to start a thread in the rabbitry just inquiring if anyone ever used Albon (sulfadimethoxine) on 2 month old.
so look for that thread....

 

[Flashy]

Edited, I'm REALLY stupid, sorry Maureen, lol. I didn't see your comment about posting in the Rabbitry.

I hope you get some answers

 

[Maureen Las]

Tracy we were thinking same thought at same time

 

[Flashy]

Great minds and all, I guess, lol, although not sure I can claim that this time. Hopefully someone will have some experience with it.

 

[Maureen Las]

Flashy wrote:

Great minds and all, I guess, lol, although not sure I can claim that this time. Hopefully someone will have some experience with it.

LOL

I also posted this on etherbun soI am hoping thatI will get some respones there;

 

[Maureen Las]

Kirby we got some responses posted in the rabbitry
ifI were you I would PM Polly who seems to treat it without meds ; however it has been used on that young a bun


http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=46596&forum_id=8