Albendazole doesn’t pass through the blood-brain barrier very well. The preferred drug for EC is fenbendazole. If you’re not seeing improvement with the Albendazole, then I would suggest talking to your vet about that.

Yes, there is hope for an 8 years old to recover. EC often manufests in buns that are older. The infection can happen when the bun is very young, then the body’s own immune defense is strong enough to keep the symptoms at bay for many years. As we age our immune defense gets weaker, and opportunists like e c will grab their chance when they see it.

I second LBJ about the albendazole. It’s the same class of meds as fenbendazole, but its associated with more side effects. Fenbendazole is still the gold standard for e c although some vets in the USA use oxibendazole instead.

Meloxicam is usually added to the treatment bc ec causes tissue inflammation. Antibiotics are sometimes, but not always, also used together with fenbendazole and meloxicam.

The bendazoles are slow-acting, and it can tske quite some time before you see improvement. The body will also need time to heal after the full course of fenbendazole. It is important that the bun gets good, nutritions food so it has strenght to fight.

Patience is key. The outcome is always uncertain, but that’s the case with pretty much all rabbit illnesses.

It’s not standard procedure to do a CAT scan for suspected ec. I suppose the vet wants to see if its actually a middle ear infection and not ec? You should ask I think, both about why they want a CAT scan and if the result of the CAT scan would change the treatment she’s getting, and how.

How long have you been giving the albendazole?

You don’t need a prescription for fenbendazole so if your vet will not give it to you you can buy it over the counter. Panacur is fenbendazole. Not too sure about where you are, but here most pet shops (pretty much all of them) sell panacur. You could probably also buy it online. You just need to know your rabbits weight and I’m sure someone could help you to figure out the dosage for treating suspected EC.

I find it strange that they won’t try another treatment before jumping into such an expensive procedure to be honest. Like, 2k is crazy especially when they haven’t tried another treatment first. I would understand if fenbendazole also failed that they’d advise a scan to check if there’s another underlying problem, but not as first line of defence.

I can understand wanting to see if the penicillin helps, especially since she did have that brief improvement with the baytril.

You can get fenbendazole online or from feed shops. It comes in large tubes meant for horses, goats, etc. (brand names are either Panacur or Safeguard). I can’t speak to switching meds but I know that fenbendazole is generally very well tolerated with minimal side effects (rarely there are some, but they are rare). My 13 year old handled it like a champ.

I agree. Baytril can cause symptoms to improve when a bunny is suffering from EC. The symptoms return once the Baytril is stopped. They aren’t sure why, but it seems to have a therapeutic effect. But it does not treat EC or send it into remission like fenbendazole does. I do find it odd that your vet is suggesting euthanasia after they were pushing for expensive scans and tests.