Advice on cleaning cage/environment – bun with E Cuniculi

[Ouisie]

Hi everyone,

Our little bun Link has the E Cuniculi infection which we haven’t had much luck shifting. He’s been on his panacur and metecam, and is actually quite a happy and comfortable looking bun. The infection only seems to be affecting his right eye which has had uveitis, but recently, the granuloma has been pushing it’s way through. I just don’t understand why, when we caught it so early and treated, it’s not getting better, it seems to be getting progressively worse.

Anyway, we have another vet appointment tonight as the granuloma has doubled in size over the last few days. Our vet has been talking to an eye specialist at the Glasgow Vet Hospital and we’re hopefully going to get a referral.

We’re very good at keeping the cages clean, disinfecting with boiling water and vinegar for any stubborn calcification. But I have recently read that E Cunliculi can be shed in the urine and rabbit can keep reinfecting themselves. Maybe this is why he isn’t getting better?! I have no idea how we can get around this. He’s a free range bun but tends to use his cage to poop and pee, and I catch him lying in the wet woodshavings. Short of following him around 24hours a day lifting any soiled shavings as soon as he’s done a pee, how can I stop him from reinfecting himself?

Any advice would be mega welcome!

[MK]

try putting a several inch layer of hay on top of all his shavings. The urine will mostly fall through and not expose him to wet shavings. it helps to keep the hay fresh.

[RabbitPam]

I’d double check with your vet about the issue of reinfection, especially if he is already on medication.

Another thought along the lines of MK’s suggestion is to try Aspen pellet litter underneath his regular litter. The idea being the same – it’s best for wicking down the moisture and the surface litter can be scooped out or refreshed while the urine is being absorbed below it. I use aspen shavings on top. These pellets are called Aspen Supreme, and are sometimes in the bird aisle instead of bunnies in big box pet stores. I am not sure that concept will fix it, though. Your vet should know.
Another thought would be to get one of the litter pan screen covers (BB sells them in her store. Not a plug, but I don’t know where else to get them.) If you use that, then when he pees through it, you could give it a quick rinse with vinegar and water and that may disinfect even better. It should sit above any litter absorbing below.
My only concern about the layer of hay is that he would eat it, and you want him eating his hay, and it would be hay he’s peed on or contacted hay he’s infected, rather than fresh that’s far from his litter pan.

[Sarita]

I think if he’s on medication this should not be an issue. He is already infected so he can not get reinfected. And you have him on panacur so he just needs to complete that cycle.

When in doubt however discuss this with your vet.

[Ouisie]

Thanks for the responses. We spoke to our vet who said while he is on panacur, he will not be shedding spores in his urine. Sarita, I think my words are confusing I understand once a rabbit has E Cuniculi it has it for life, but any active infection can be treated with the panacur. Link is currently on panacur indefinitely as his antibody count has not dropped and he still has the active infection (since November).

[Author]

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