Coccidiosis, please help

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This topic has 5sd replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 3 years, 3 months ago by DanaNM.

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- 01/30/2022 at 10:51 AM
  Sasha707
  Participant
  10 posts
  Hello!
  
  My bunny (8 months old) was diagnosed with coccidiosis after changing a vet. The previous assured me he doesn’t have it. Even though he had symptoms, she still didn’t make any examination on it.
  
  Recently his health got worse. He’s always been having troubles with gaining weight and drinking too much water (which they told me was okay) and 3 weeks ago his pee started to leak. The previous vet wasn’t helping at all, so I decided to visit a new one. After doing many examinations, including urine, blood, sono… He found a higher amount of liver cells. First we thought he has a liver degeneration because of bad diet, which was also set by the previous vet. But then he also examined his poop and turned out he has coccidiosis, liver and intestinal form, too. I felt so bad, he’s been fighting it for over 5 months now, and I lowkey knew what’s going on but believed the vet instead.
  
  Today I got him medicine for that, but also his behavior got worse. He is lying most of the time and grits his teeth, I know there’s something wrong. Is it possible that it’s because of his diet now? He used to eat A LOT of carbs, like 5 handfuls of pellets + 1/4 of apple and half a carrot, salad + hay, and suddenly it was changed to just 1 tsp of pellet + hay. When he was little, he suffered a nerve shock from change in diet like this, but the vet said it shouldn’t happen now.
  
  Is there something I can do for him? To make him feel better?
- 01/30/2022 at 11:07 AM
  Bam
  Moderator
  17000 posts
  I would give a little more pellets – not as much as before, but it’s best to wean a rabbit slowly. They could starve if the’re suddenly put on nearly all hay. Do you have a painkiller for him? If he is grinding his teeth he is in pain.
  
  Is he pooping like he should?
  - 01/30/2022 at 11:15 AM
    Sasha707
    Participant
    10 posts
    Sadly I don’t have any painkillers. He’s been pooping normally, he would still get up to eat hay but then he just lays. I’m a little bit unsure about giving him more pellets (even though I would really like to), but the vet strictly said just 1 spoon, not more, because of live regeneration.
    
    Until today he was at least eating lettuce, too, but because of the medicine I had to cut out all juicy food.
    
    I have to mention that he started loosing more way and his bones really stands out now, which makes me worry even more, but again, the vet said that it’s still better than burden the liver even more.
    
    Isn’t there any low carb and fiber food which isn’t juicy and he can eat it?
- 02/03/2022 at 10:17 AM
  Bam
  Moderator
  17000 posts
  I apologize for not having answered this until just now.
  
  How is your bun doing now?
- 02/11/2022 at 2:56 PM
  Cassie119300
  Participant
  104 posts
  Which medication did your vet prescribe for your bun? There is one for coccidiosis called ponazeril which kills coccidia by targeting the “plastid body” of the protozoan and more importantly, only requires two days of treatment, which I think your bun will need stat. I would also ask the vet for pain killers as well because it will help a lot in the recovery and keeping the bun out of pain, it is crucial in these cases to have it and the recovery. I second bam on giving him a little more pellets, in any age rabbit it can cause hepatic lipidosis triggered by anorexia and a loss of appetite. An extreme diet change down to almost nothing can cause a negative effect on the liver as well. I would also ask your vet about giving them critical care as this is fibrous and if your bun is not eating or drinking well, syringing fluids to maintain hydration if they are not drinking much on their own will also be vital as coccidia can completely wreak havoc with hydration and getting vital nutrients. Weight gain will take a while to see, however if your bun is losing weight and muscle tone very fast this is a huge concern and the vet will need to intervene. I would also make sure everything is entirely clean as the oocysts from coccidia can be quite hardy and live up to a year and to prevent reinfection. Ammonia 10% is the most effective at removing it. He also may need electrolytes (non sugared Pedialyte form). I hope this information may be of some help and that your bun begins to feel better soon.
- 02/11/2022 at 4:52 PM
  DanaNM
  Moderator
  9064 posts
  I agree that ponazeril is the one to ask for, if you haven’t been given it already.
  
  Some recovery food (critical care or similar) would also be good him as it has the nutrition he needs and water.
  
  Treating the coccidia is much more important than addressing a dietary issue, it’s important he has enough calories while he is fighting the infeciton, especially because coccidia causes rupture of the intestinal lining.
  
  . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
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