Floppsy has a parasite we think…

[The Floppsy Diaries]

Hi guys, I’m new to the forum and actually just signed up to get some support with my poorly bun,
Floppsy, is I believe a Chinchilla french lop, but she is very big, I don’t know how big french lops usually are but she is about the size of my cat, and she’s around 4-5 years old estimated as she was adopted from a previous home.

Anyway, on Monday I went to let them out into the run in the morning and she wasn’t right, she fell over and was sort of seizing, looking back I think she just fell over and couldn’t get back upright and was panicking but it was horrible to watch,I scooped her up and brought her inside and she couldn’t sit properly, her head was tilting to the side and every know and then she would scramble around on her side and roll around,
I get her into the vets and they thought it was either an ear infection or a parasite,
They done two sets of tests, first to rule out an ear infection and now to see if it’s a parasite,

She’s on metacam and Enrocare, is happy to eat Leafy greens but won’t really eat anything more solid still, I’ve been musing pellets but how she isn’t liking that, I’ve given her some so I’d pellets today to see if she will eat them whole, so far nothing,
She is pooing and weeing fine,

As you can imagine I’m quite upset, she’s still unbalanced and has to be up against the side of her cage to be able to sit upright,
But she is sat with me for feeding and medication and during those times she tried to hop about but she can’t stay upright, then when she goes back into her cage she hops about looking for a way out? I feel horrible keeping her ‘locked’ up but it’s for her own good till she’s stronger.

She also seems to be looking for her cage mates, Thumper and Flick,but obviously for their and her safely I’ve had to seperate them.

I’m just hoping for some support here for her and me….

[Wick & Fable]

I’m sorry you’re going through such a stressful time, but it sounds like both you and Floppsy are hanging in there strong, so keep at it! The fact that she’s pooping and peeing fine are great signs. It can be quite jarring to see your beloved rabbit falling over and needing support to stand, but you’re doing a good job being a solid source of both physical and emotional support.

To potentially alleviate the “locked up” feeling, maybe you can use an X-pen or re-arrange a portion of a room occasionally to let her navigate a slightly larger area, with you being there. Just so there’s a change of setting for her.

I am not experienced with rabbit parasites, but I know many BB members are, so they’ll be able to provide more constructive insights. Wick is sending you and Floppsy good vibes~~!

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.

[Bam]

The parasite is most likely e cuniculi, a sigle-celled microorganism that I think is classified as a fungus nowadays. It’s very common among rabbits, they can even catch it in their mother’s uterus. Most rabbits luckily never display any symptoms, they just stay healthy carriers. But some rabbits, for unknown reasons, do develop symptoms, most commonly neurological, second most common kidney-related.

Treatment is Panacur (fenbendazole) for an extended period of time, at least 28 days. The bun can continue to improve after treatment is finished. Some buns develop a permanent wry neck, but the balance issues don’t persist and the rabbit can lead a good life even ifit’s head is tilted.

The other possibility, an ear infection, is also sth that’s rather common among rabbits. It often needs several weeks on antibiotics to resolve.

Som vets choose to set in additional treatment such as antihistamines against nausea and/or metacam against inflammation and pain, a gut stimulant to help the GI system.

You do have to cage her to keep her from hurting herself. Padding the cage with rolled up fleece blankets or towels can be beneficial. There is a website called Disabled Rabbits that offers tips on how to make life easier for a bun with balance issues. It’s good if the other buns can be within hearing-and smelling and ideally seeing distance, because that will make her feel more secure. http://www.disabledrabbits.com/

If she doesn’t eat, she could be feeling nauseous (common when there’s a balance issue – think seasickness-like symptoms – buns can’t vomit, so they won’t do that no matter how sick they feel). You will need to syringe feed her pellet mash or Critical Care if she keeps refusing food.

This is painful to watch, but it probably looks worse than it feels. Many rabbits do recover. Many many healing-vibes for (((((Floppsy)))))

[The Floppsy Diaries]

Good news!
She is now hoovering up dry pellets!
And seems to have a massive appetite!

She still has bad balance though,
And I’m wondering about her cage mates, should I be worried that they also have it?
I’ve seperated her but I’m watching for warning signs from both of them as well, also we keep Guinea Pigs and Hamsters obviously in seperate housing but could they catch it through handling Floppsy? Like if I don’t change what I was wearing between handling her and other animals??

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