Ecuniculi Questions

[Cassie]

Hello! I had a couple question about Ecuniculi.
My bunny Hash Brown was diagnosed on Thursday with EC (I had a bunny Oatmeal that gave him the EC. Unfortunately she passed away in November.) I adopted Oatmeal knowing she had EC and had her for 3 years. I’ve  never noticed Hash Brown having EC symptoms until a couple weeks ago (he was flopping on his side and twitching.) Any reason why it took so long for him to show symptoms? Does EC always stay in the rabbit or does it go away/have a cure? Is it safe to use Clorox wipes to disinfect his litter box and surroundings?
He is on panacur for 28 days now. I’m just so scared for him all I can think about is my experience with Oatmeal and I hope that doesn’t happen to him

[Peanutthebunny]

hello cassie I’ve never owned a rabbit with ec (I’ve never actually owned a rabbit)

but here is some info I found online which might help

https://www.petcarevb.com/rabbit-veterinarian/rabbit-e-cuniculi.php#:~:text=The%20infected%20rabbit%20itself%20is,for%20up%20to%20one%20month.

[Bam]

I’m sorry you are going through this.

Rabbits can carry the EC parasite, (a very tiny parasite, nowadays classified as a type of fungus), for a very long time without showing any symptoms and without any complications from 5he parasite. Symptoms can also be atypical and mistaken for something other than ec, so many cases probably go undiagnosed.

The ec parasite lives inside the cells of the rabbit. The rabbit’s immune defense keeps the parasite from proliferating through mechanisms not yet quite understood. When something challenges the immune system, for example when the rabbit gets old or sth stressful happens (a really big molt can be enough), the parasite “seizes the opportunity” and starts making spores inside the cells where it resides. When the cell is full of spores, the cell ruptures and it is believed that it is the ruptured cells that gives rise to the massive inflammation that causes the ec symptoms.

It is currently believed that the ec parasite can’t be completely eradicated from the rabbit. Treatment is long, 28 days for starters, and recovery often take even longer. It’s recommended to do repeat treatment with panacur (fenbendazole) in the event of flare-ups and/or for 9 days every 6 months if a bun has been diagnosed with ec. (Some buns only ever have one symptomatic episode of ec, others have flare ups.) It is also important to bring down the inflammation. Metacam (meloxicam) can be used for this. For really severe cases, one injection of corticosteroids can be very helpful, but corticosteroids must be used with great caution in rabbits.

As for chlorox wipes, it’s safest to carefully clean all residue away from the surfaces you’ve used them on before letting the bun have access again. There are better products for disinfection, for example Virkon, which is non toxic to rabbits and odorless, and it doesn’t stain.

[Cassie]

Thank you guys so much for the info! I’m going to look into Virkon. I want to keep my little bun safe as I possibly can! Also one more question can immune supplements be helpful to a rabbit with EC? I know it won’t treat the bunny but wonder if it can help a bit

[Bam]

Some say immune supplements should be avoided, because many of the ill effects of ec are due to the body’s own immuno reaction. I’m not sure though, I doubt the immuno supplements sold for rabbits would make much of a difference in either direction.

Good nutrition is very important for any bun that is poorly, though. EC takes a toll and your bun could need some extra pellets so he doesnt lose weight.

[Cassie]

Thank you again for sharing your knowledge with me you’re very helpful! I’ll keep that in mind and make sure he’s getting enough nutrients. He ate his pellets yesterday but hasn’t ate any pellets today but is munching on hay and a small piece of banana I gave him. Should I feed him some critical care if he doesn’t eat his pellets by the end of the day?

[Bam]

I think critical care could be good. It has all the nutrients a bun needs + fiber. If he’d be willing to eat it from a plate it would be really great. You can mix it with canned plain pumpkin (not pie filling) or sth else that is yummy to entice him to eat it.

In case he finds pellets bothersome just now, you could soak some in water and see if he’s willing to eat the resulting mush from a plate.

[Author]

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