Possible meningitis in my rabbit

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This topic has 7sd replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 6 months ago by LittlePuffyTail.

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- 08/01/2018 at 6:39 PM
  sogoatylike
  Participant
  3 posts
  I’m sorry If my post displays inconvenience in any way, if it does, then please contact me about it privately.
  
  I’ll try to keep it short.
  
  My rabbit, Toby, is 3 years old has recently been diagnosed with Meningitis through bacteria by his Vet. Slight symptoms started exposing themselves roughly 1 week ago and he’s been taking SOLELY antibiotics for three days. The day he took his first antibiotic he couldn’t stand up nor eat on his own. On day two, his mobility had certainly improved and this day it seems like it’s worsened a little.
  
  I’ve been hand feeding him this week, giving him water and food every 4 hours whenever I could. He’s started rejecting his food and eating very little and he’s gotten skinnier. Does that mean he’s not getting the right nutrients or sufficient food? What should I do?
  
  I’ve given him a segment of my bed where he can freely roll around without getting injured. He disposes of his stuff in an absorbent sheet.
  
  He didn’t move much today, but he could keep himself on his feet yesterday if that matters.
  
  He eats some of its regular food, I feed him a banana or an apple a day, usually through a syringe. I give him anise, lettuces, carrots and cucumbers for his main meal. I water him also through a syringe.
  
  I don’t want to get much into detail, so you probably get the idea. I know it’s too soon to declare anything, I’ll just wait for updates through my vet. But I’m wondering if there is something additional I can do for my rabbit, call me out for doing something wrong, or even give me some advice on how I’d handle his situation. I feel like what I’m currently doing isn’t enough, and I’m immensely worried to death about him.
- 08/01/2018 at 11:56 PM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17228 posts
  How did the vet diagnose it as bacteria meningitis? I’m just curious because it is rare in rabbits. EC is much more common. Did you ask the vet about EC?
  
  Have you given him Critical Care at all? If he isn’t eating enough, then the weight loss is likely due to that. Critical Care would have all of the nutrients he needs.
  
  I’m not sure what else to add without knowing what his symptoms are. You mentioned paralysis/limb weakness. Does he have head tilt? Can he keep his balance? Does he having any urinary symptoms? Is he having trouble maintaining his body temperature?
- 08/02/2018 at 9:05 AM
  sogoatylike
  Participant
  3 posts
  Hello!
  
  Yeah, I apologize for being so indirect. She began by inspecting deep into his ears, fur, and eyes, asking several questions, then bringing in an antibiotic and saying he’s got meningitis. Most likely through bacteria. I’ve heard of this EC infection before, and my rabbit does have a little white thing on his eye, but I didn’t want to doubt the vet and self-diagnose myself. Thanks for bringing it to my attention, I’ll ask her about it today and I’ll update back.
  
  No, in fact, I haven’t done that. I’m looking into it currently. I’ll ensure he gets it from now on.
  
  It could be that. He cannot seem to stand up on his pillow as it’s a little curved and can only seem to keep his balance for a little while in a square base. Right now, he’s just lying down.
  
  He DOES have a head tilt, his head has been twisted 90 degrees.
  
  He cannot maintain his balance most of the time and falls flat. But there are times where he’s able to stay still for a while with being on his feet.
  
  His egestion system seems to be going well from what I can tell. No weird liquids or blood in his case. You can inquire me further about it as I’m a little unsure myself.
  
  On the first day of his visit to the vet, the vet did mention how hot his body temperature was. But she didn’t make any further remarks about it. He’s mostly inside my room and I protect him from sudden temperature shifts whenever we’re outside going to the vet. That aside, I don’t see many changes from him, he can maintain it, I believe.
- 08/02/2018 at 10:06 PM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17228 posts
  So did he have an ear infection prior to this? It just seems strange that the vet would look in his ears and then immediately jump to meningitis. I mean, it’s possible for rabbits to develop meningitis but it isn’t common. He could have a really bad ear infection though. I would keep giving the antibiotics, but I do think you should ask your vet about EC. It isn’t unusual for a vet to prescribe both an antibiotic and a dewormer (Fenbendazole) in this type of a situation. That way all of your bases are covered.
  
  Is the white thing inside his eyeball? That is a sign of EC, especially in younger rabbits. What about nystagmus?
  
  If he has a bad ear infection, you could ask the vet about an anti-inflammatory like metacam. That would help reduce swelling.
  
  It sounds like you’re trying to keep him comfortable. How is he doing now? If he’s having trouble with his balance, you can roll fleece blankets up to make bumpers.
- 08/02/2018 at 10:23 PM
  Bunny House
  Participant
  1241 posts
  I agree with LBJ10, these are classic signs of EC.
- 08/03/2018 at 3:39 AM
  Bam
  Moderator
  17029 posts
  A bacterial ear infection can spread to the meninges and cause meningitis in humans. As for rabbits with head tilt and other neuro symptoms, vets usually say it’s an ear infection that has spread to the central nervous system, not specifying what part of the CNS.
  
  EC can cause much the same symptoms and it’s difficult to differentiate. It’s quite possible for a bun to have both an ear infection and EC, since most rabbits have been exposed to EC. The parasite often lies dormant and is kept at bay by the immune defense -until the immune system is busy doing sth else, like trying to fight bacteria.
  
  Well, as the others have already said, you should treat this aggressively with antibiotics because there’s no room for wait-and-see if this is bacterial. But you can simultaneously treat for EC with fenbendazole. To help with appetite some buns benefit from an antihistamine (meclizine) against the nausea and vertigo that a head tilt can cause.
  
  The website Disabled Rabbits has tips on how to make life more comfy for a head tilt bun:
  
  http://www.disabledrabbits.com/
  
  ETA: What you’re feeding him is fine, but since he is losing weight, you should complement with something more substantial. Vets sell special recovery formulas (powders that you mix with water), Oxbow Critical Care being the most commonly used one. Or you can soak some of his normal pellets in water and feed the mush with a syringe. You can mix it with something he likes, baby fruit-or berry purée for example.
- 08/23/2018 at 9:43 AM
  sogoatylike
  Participant
  3 posts
  I’m so sorry for not responding for all these days! I’ve been to a summer camp for 19 days and a close relative was taking care of him after I assured that he was reliable, of course. And he took real care of him. The time I returned, Toby had nearly recovered, his head had straightened, and he can drink, eat, walk and hop happily by himself! He just went to the vet again to have another antibiotic, and she said that the chances that he’ll survive are greatly positive and that’s he’s saved! He’s even gained his weight back with some powdered food!
  
  Over his case, the vet still persists that it was meningitis but I’m somehow convinced that EC was involved in there, too. Whatever happened, he’s recovering and I honestly couldn’t be happier!
  
  He went from this: https://imgur.com/1YEuCCa
  To this: https://imgur.com/a/2pxuARm
- 08/23/2018 at 9:46 AM
  LittlePuffyTail
  Moderator
  18092 posts
  So glad to hear of the improvement!
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