I’m sorry for my delay. I’ve been so scared and rattled and generally discombobulated by what happened and I’ve been trying to rest quietly and heal. Thank you, everyone for your good wishes, healing vibes, moral support, and concern. Buddie is his regular self, being a little trouper, eating his veggies, fruit, pellets and some hay and currying a lot of petting. I’m hanging in there with him. I hope I’ll be able to update medical-wise shortly. Thanks so much, bunny hugs to you and your bunnies!

Thanks for the raisins – in advance LOL, Monkeybun. I just now got a chance to talk to our vet. She of course wants to know if it happens again and how soon after the last one and if their duration is longer. She said that’s what to watch for in gauging the benefits of using a de-wormer to treat any migratory parasite that could be striking the brain at random vs. the risk of the de-wormer or anti-convulsant medication causing havoc with the liver. The anti-convulsant medication would be phenobarbitol or kepra. Testing for the parasite may produce partially positive results which don’t really determine whether giving the anti-convulsant medication is worth the risk of liver havoc.

*I’m so sorry! One of the bunnies at the rescue has a seizure disorder. He was diagnosed 5 years ago and is doing very well! He’s on medication to control it, and still has some occasionally, but it is possible to live with it. Good luck with him!

– Elrohwen *

Elrohwen, do you know the name of the medication? I related your posting to our vet, and she wanted to know the medication you were referring to. And of course, I would like to know the name of it too. Thanks!

All of you who have related experience with seizures in rabbits, thank you for writing in and sharing your experiences. I pray for you who have seen your bunnies gone over the Rainbow Bridge because of them. I know how agonizing it is to lose somebunny you love.

Elrohwen, Thanks most kindly for the information, that is one of the medications my vet mentioned, she also mentioned kepra, which may be a newer medication? I am most grateful and happy for the information your referring to, so kind of you to ask the volunteer if she would be willing to discuss this, can you please give me the volunteer’s contact info? Thanks loads again.

bunny_psychotic, I am sure your precious little bun is with her mate L.G. and they are hopping happily in the big carrot patch with other happy little bunnies in their prime who have passed over the Rainbow bridge. Maybe if you feel a tickle, it’s your bunnies letting you know they’ll be waiting to zip over to you someday in the very distant future when you get to that Promised Land and give you bunny licks.

Thanks, Jerseygirl for mentioning the parasite. Hopefully, I’ll be taking him in for testing for it soon, which in and of itself poses no threat.

Thank you, Jerseygirl! May I ask you where you read that info about phenobarbitol? No, E. C. hasn’t been tested for as yet. As soon as I can handle the fee, I’ll hopefully bring him in for the testing. I will inquire of our vet if she will do another test two weeks after the first, that’s helpful to know thank you. Yes, his blood panel was all normal. I will keep you updated, in the meantime thanks for this new info.

Thanks RabbitPam, Elrohwen very kindly got back to me, but I will keep your info in mind if I need to contact her sooner.

Thanks Lintini, for offering to talk. I was so upset, I just signed off my pc and went to bed after he was back resting or sleeping in his bed tunnel, but I appreciate your being there for me.

Everyone who has written in for me, and you who have checked in without writing, thanks so much! Your concern and kind words are of immense comfort. I wish the best of health for you and your buns.

Prior to this last seizure and after the one in early Dec., he was his regular self, eating the veggies, hay, pellets, and fruit treats I give him, perky, hopping around, inquisitive (he likes to hop behind the tunnels and look up at the TV stand that’s behind his pen. Probably wishes he could munch on it. He also of course spends a lot of time in and hopping through, his BB mini-haven, and sitting and laying up on the roof of that. Except for those seizures he seems to be in the peak of good health, using his litterbox and pooping normally (knock on wood). Thanks for your concern, jerseygirl.

Yes, it is, Walder, but on the positive side, Kathy kindly wrote in to tell me that her son, who has grand mal seizures, said to her that he doesn’t experience any pain and isn’t aware when they’re happening and doesn’t remember having them after they’re over. I pray the same is true for rabbits. That makes it a little easier for me.

Thanks for your good wishes, Walder! The best to you and your bun(s)

Thank you so much, Elrohwen, I got your message. EC hasn’t been ruled out, though, by my vet ( is that what you wrote?), it’s one of the things she thinks may be the cause. Thanks for the info about the other medication, I will ask our vet. I’m hoping the test for EC won’t be inconclusive.

Elrohwen, Thank you for this new info. It is helpful to know that she said phenobarbitol WOULD NOT be the best treatment if EC is found to be the cause. Our vet mentioned that phenobarbitol is one of the meds that she would consider if EC was the cause, so I’m going to need to confirm this with her. In any case, I appreciate your help and information, thanks.

Thankyou, Elrohwen, that’s excellent advice. Our vet mentioned a de-wormer to kill the migratory parasite that strikes the brain, of EC. The thing is, as you know, the de-wormer could have a negative effect on the liver. Another med our vet mentioned was kepra which I believe also can have negative effect on the liver. I will raise all these factors with our vet and also try to contact Linda. Thanks, again.

Thank you for this new info, jerseygirl, the more info i have about it, the better off for everyone.. And thanks, Elrohwen, for describing the living situation of the rabbit that is having the seizures. Sounds like the phenobarbitol has helped him and reduced the amount of his seizures. I had wondered about that. Thank you. Once in a long while is relative, as Buddie’s second seizure came a few more days than 2 months after the first. Do you know how far apart the occurrence of seizures is in the the seizure prone bun that you were referring to?

Thanks.

Thank you, Walder, that’s very kind of you. I’m without my glasses today and that makes things a little difficult.

Jerseygirl and Elrohwen, our vet confirmed for me today that the test that’s hopefully done on Buddie for EC will be one time, not a second time after two weeks as you had mentioned. At least i put the question to her. I’m still waiting to speak to her about the other things you kindly pointed out, after which I will have a talk hopefully with Linda. Thank you.

Thanks, Elrohwen. The vet said the results of the testing he’s hopefully going in for, might be inconclusive. But hopefully if it is a parasite, a de-wormer is available that doesn’t pose risk to the liver. The remarkable thing to me is that the bun you referred to is on phenobarbitol and his liver is apparently ok with it. Our vet seems doubtful that it could be used without posing some harmful effect on the liver.

I see. Thank you for pointing that out that possibility, I didn’t think of that.

Thank you, Carrot Lane Bunny! Certainly is worth asking – I appreciate your input and good thoughts.

Thanks for asking – and caring – Sage Cat. I just called Linda today because I had lost my glasses and only just recovered them today. I did as much research as I could and called her and she hasn’t called back. Will try again tomorrow. I got Buddie a bunny warren complete with interchange cube (for connecting the 3 tunnels, i.e. bunny warrens, and now he’s galloping through those. I like the plastic better than the 3-way nylon tunnel he had, because he was gnawing on the nylon and had chewed parts of it down to the reinforcing wire. The plastic I think/hope he will leave alone and just gallop through. Other than that he’s his perky self, inquisitive and curious about everything, every noise, the furniture he can’t get at etc. He’s eating cilantro, romaine, red leaf lettuce, Italian parsley, hay and pellets with occasional banana, apple one or two cherries, and a small segment of orange. Knock on wood, he’s pooping normally. I wonder if he’s getting enough water, I had several different waterbottles and he seemed to give up his prior-favorite as well, I have a bowl/fountain for him but he seems to mostly ignore it not to mention i’m always picking the hay out that he deposits in there. I’d hate for him to turn up dehydrated one day, but all I can do is make the water available and hope he’s getting enough. He seems healthy as a clam, all in all, except for the water mystery, and you’d never know there might be a parasite lurking that apparently strikes the brain at random, if it is a parasite. I hope I’ll get to talk to Linda, and Linda will talk to me, and then talk to our vet and then hopefully bring him in for the parasite test. Thanks…

Linda called yesterday and as you know, Elrohwen, she’s very nice. Yes, Cinnamon passsed away a few days ago, but Linda said it might have been a heart attack, she’s not sure what it was from. She advised not giving Buddie Phenobarbitol because the two seizures he’s had were about two months apart. Linda said Cinnamon was having 2-3 seizures daily so he warranted the use of the Phenobarbitol. She did recommend giving Buddie fenbendazole. She said Cinnamon is not a lionhead but doubts Buddie’s being a Lionhead has much to do with causing the seizures. Linda is quite sure Cinnamon’s seizures were caused by E. Cunniculi. She also doesn’t believe fenbendazole having caused bone marrow damage in some rabbits outweighs the benefit of giving it. Thank you, Elrohwen.

Thank you, kralspace for your information, it is very beneficial to me. This is the first it’s been brought to my attention that the drugs are stored in the liver and that’s how they effect it, I appreciate your letting me know that. Our vet mentioned giving any anti-seizure medications in small doses also and keeping an eye on the liver. I also believe there is a test that can be done to monitor the liver for rabbits. Thanks for the anti-seizure vibes. I wish the best to you and Michael, will say some prayers for the good health of both of you.

I wish the best of health…and happiness, to everyone who has written in or checked in, and to their bunnies and pets!

Thank you, Monkeybun, keep’em comin.’ I just spoke to our vet. Buddie had another 3rd seizure 2/28 1:30 am. We’re starting Panacur treatment. The vet said the testing for parasite is often inconclusive and the expense of it doesn’t seem to be justified to her. So we’re just starting the Panacur without testing. Our vet also is going to try to come up with a dosage in rabbits for milk thistle. She confirmed that milk thistle is beneficial to keeping the liver normal. Thanks again, Carrot Lane Bunny! And blood tests can be done to monitor the liver. Thank you again Elrohwen and Jerseygirl for pointing me to the right questions to ask. Thank you Elrohwen, again for putting me in contact with Linda. Thank you everyone else for your input and being there.

Thank you, MimzMum, Monkeybun, and Kokaneeandkahlua for your vibes…I’ve been down myself with the stomach flu the past couple days and am picking up the Panacur tomorrow. Hope Buddie takes the stuff squirted into a bit of banana– that’s the hope. He’s a beastie about having stuff squirted into his mouth. Otherwise, he seems to be okay, knock on wood. Barreling through his tunnels at all hours of the day, munching cilantro, romaine lettuce, hay and pellets. Thanks…good health vibes to you and your bunnies and pets, everyone.

Day 1 with Panacur: I made more than one small hole in the bit of banana, I did it in two bits of banana with the tine of a fork to make the holes, then I squirted the Panacur which looks like milk, and filled up the holes, then replaced a bit of banana over it to cover up the hole. He took it right off and I heard him smacking his lips over it and munching it and I thought I was in the free and clear. Then I discovered that he hadn’t eaten all of it, so apparently he did spit it out, but a few minutes later, i saw him seem to pick up what was on the floor and he munched that down I guess. So I guess, all in all, he got his dosage, unless it squirted out onto the floor which it doesn’t look like, but I didn’t look that close. SIGH I HOPE he got his dosage. I have 29 more tries to perfect my technique with the banana – he needs to take it once a day for 30 days. I hope I have enough, it’s an awfully tiny bottle. Well, I’ll just hope for the best. Tomorrow, I’ll try three holes in three bits of banana. I’ll just have to become a master of disguise… Disguising the taste, that is!

That’s a good idea, Beka. I’ll try to divide the dose into 2 doses and give one earlier in the day, one later and see how that is. Thanks a lot.

Okay, no worry, I’ll check with the vet if a am and pm portion of one day’s dose is okay. Good idea, Beka, thanks for letting me know. Today, I gave him his dose in a little well in the banana bit, and smooshed down on top of it what I’d dug out of the banana. He seemed to take it okay, and I feel pretty confident that it’s not being wasted. But I’ll ask the vet anyway, in case it comes to that.

Thanks again, Carrot Lane Bunny. Our vet gave me the dosage for the milk thistle tablet and I’m checking into whether a bunny-palateable flavor can be compounded into it, for giving Buddie. Thanks again.

Yes, Carrot Lane Bunny, I’m pretty sure it is too, and I think I’d prefer that. I asked my vet and she said she would have to figure out a dosage for Buddie of milk thistle. When I picked up the Panacur, there was a prescription for Nutramax Marin tablets (for cats) which I found out contains the largest ingredient of milk thistle. The tablets are chicken and tuna flavored for cats and I am waiting to hear if they can be made with a bunny palateable flavor such as banana or strawberry instead of the chicken/tuna flavors. I guess I would then crush the tablet and insert it inside a bit of banana or a raisin. Thanks, I guess this was the best our vet could come up with so far.