sick rabbit

[ViVi]

my rabbit is very sick. we just got back from the vet and he put my rabbit on a month long treatment. i was feel bad that my bunny is so sick and i want to make him as comfortbable and happy as possible. how do you guys make your bunnies more comfortable when they’re sick? i’ve already put blankets in his wicker basket bed and placed it near the spacer heater. he’s currently sleeping.

[KatnipCrzy]

what is wrong with your bunny and what are you treating the bunny with?  Did the vet recommend putting the bunny by the heater?  If you give us more details we might be able to make some suggestions.  If the bunny has an upper resp infection URI- dry heat may not be as comforting as moist heat to keep breathing easier.

[ViVi]

he has parasites. the vet gave him panacur suspension 10% and told me to keep his butt dry. he got diarrhea and his butt is all wet. im devestated and want him to feel better. i dont know how. i want to make him as comfortable and happy as i can, and id like some suggestions. this is the first time my rabbit has ever been sick and i dont know what to do.

he’s also about two feet away from the heater.

[BinkyBunny]

Is he eating okay? And what kind of parasite? Panacur makes me think of e.cuniculi but it can also me worms.

I think by giving him rest, watching to make sure he is eating and pooping and keeping in contact with your vet for any downward changes is what you can do right now.

How is your bunny acting right now?

[ViVi]

He’s actually eating his pellets right now, but he keep falling onto his side. I guess I was just wishing that someone here could recommend something that would make hin instantly well again. I can’t stand seeing him like this. He’s eating normally, but he’s not drinking. I’ve been forcing about 5ml every 1/2 hour into him.
He does have e.cuniculi. I tried to adopt another rabbit off craigslist, but she was very sick. I told her owner to take her back, but I guess it was too late. My baby got infected. It’s the first time in the two years I’ve had him that he’s been sick. Its the first time any of my pets have ever been sick, with the exception of spay/neutering recovering. I try to take good care of them so this doesn’t happen. My rabbit, Siggy, gets his water changed twice a day and his food and litter box are changed daily and his cage gets cleaned every other day to avoid bacteria. His food is always fresh and his water is filtered. I don’t know what i’m doing wrong.
I just want him to be okay right now, but I suppose I have to wait.

[BinkyBunny]

I’m sorry. It is hard to watch them struggle through it. E.cuniculi is actually common – 1 in every 4 rabbits is estimated to carry it, however only a small percentage show symptoms. I had two rabbits with e.cuniculi and one lived perfectly fine while the other struggled for many years. There is no cure but it is important to treat any symptoms very quickly to prevent further progression and offer more hope from healing from that damage. It sounds like that is just what you did.

And so it will take time. But the amazing thing about rabbits is many times they end up adapting to it and living happy lives. The fact that your bunny is eating is a good sign that he’s dealing with this okay.

How did your vet come to this diagnosis? Did he do a blood test or ??   The only reason I ask is sometimes ear infections can cause an imbalance. 

So the symptoms your bunny is having right now is not able to balance well or is it that his back legs are not working properly?   If he is not balancing, thenI would line is pen/cage with soft towels to lean up on and fall against.  

Also, check out http://www.onthewonk.com.   A very helpful website for people who have bunnies with “head-tilt”.  Though not all bunnies experience head-tilt as a symptom of e.cuniculi, it still is a great site to learn more about e.cuniculi and tips on how to handle your bunny. 

Healing vibes to your bunny.   I know this is rough, but know that e.cuniculi does not come from not taking proper care of your bunny. It can be passed from mother to babies and rabbit to rabbit even in the cleanest best environment—, and so many bunnies have it that you could have brought in a healthy looking bunny who showed zero symptoms and it could have still been passed.  It’s just one of those things that can happen.

[ViVi]

his back legs aren’t working properly he has trouble getting up. my vet didn’t run any tests. he said that based on my bunny’s symptoms he was sure it was E.cuniculi. He also said that my bunny is having trouble with his vision.
I’m so worried that it’s very advanced. I took siggy to a different vet about a month ago because he was having trouble getting up. That vet told me that he was having a bad reaction to his fleas. He was fine for a while. Every once in a while he had trouble getting up, but I figured it would go away because I got rid of his fleas. Then a few days ago Siggy started having diarrhea and I took him to the vet and they said there was probably too much sugar in his diet. They gave me some medicine and I stopped giving him vegetable and it seem to be working well. Yesterday his butt was still moist but there wasn’t any poop sticking to it anymore. Then this morning I went I get him out of his cage and he was covered in poop and he couldn’t move. I freaked out and called his vet. They gave me an emergency appointment and some medicine thats suppose to kiil the parasites. He can move now, but he’s still having trouble getting up. It’s his back legs. He doesn’t seem to be able to move them well.
Thank you for your respond. I feel a little better. I’ve been feeling like the worst people in the world. I feel like this is all my fault. I guess it is, but I didn’t know.
I actually put in him cage with a wire bottom. He isn’t moving much so I didnt want him to have to sit in his pee all night and make his urine scald worse. I put a towel under his upper half to make him comfortable and some hay nest to him so he doesn’t have to move much.

[Barbie]

Hmm… my first reaction to all this is are you taking your bunny to a rabbit savvy vet? Lots of vets aren’t specialized enough to properly treat rabbits. So if you don’t already have a rabbit savvy vet, I’d suggest finding another vet and getting his opinion.

I’m sorry that your bunny is sick and having so much trouble. I do want to say that generally, it’s not greens that cause poopy butt (though certain veggies like celery can cause runny stools – iceburg lettuce should NEVER be fed for that reason). It sounds like you’re doing all you can for your bunny. I understand feeling like an awful person, it’s never fun to see your beloved furbabies sick or in pain, but by taking him to the vet, and giving him his medicine, and keeping him clean, and giving him lots of lovings to reassure him, you’ll be doing all you can to help him though this. Just follow your vets instructions and give meds as directed. I’d be careful with the heater – unless your vet said to put him near a heater, it may not be doing him any good. Bunnies have a thick fur coat already and are prone to overheating, so definitely ask your vet about that. And I’d recommend going to a different vet if you don’t already go to a vet that specializes in rabbits.

(((vibes!!!)))

[BinkyBunny]

First — it is not your fault. It really isn’t. You were just trying to get a bunny friend for your bunny. And even the person who you got the bunny from is not to blame. There really is no way to know what bunny will exhibit symptoms and even pass on the disease. Rucy and Bailey were both e.cuniculi positive and lived with Jack who remained negative. It really is just one of those things that just happens…and no one is to blame.

Though I am glad your vet treated right away for e.cuniculi as it can take a couple of weeks for the tests to come back, it still would be a good idea to be tested. So that IF your bunny tested negative they could look for other problems. Note though: even though a bunny is tested positive doesn’t mean that the symptoms aren’t related to something else.   Also, even with a e.c positive result,  it would be good to get a baseline titer level that later can be compared to another blood test.  In layman terms the titer level will  help identify how active the parasite is in the body.   Later if the panacur is working, the titer levels should lower.   Panacur and other medicines can kill off some or most of the parasite population, but so far it hasn’t been able to kill them all.  The idea is that it will kill enough to stop the destruction that the larger numbers are causing, and the bunny’s own immune system then can help keep the rest of parasites under control.  

With that said my bunny Bailey’s e.c symptoms were also hind leg weakness and had chronic “poopybutt” which I had to rinse pretty much on a daily basis, but she got so used to it, I could put her bum under a gentle stream of water and she just hung out calmly.

She did make improvements due to combination of things:

1. She did her round of e.c meds – that latest one was Ponazuril (a new drug that showed promise at the time)

2. I did Physical Therapy with her which included leg massages and leg circles to keep her muscles from stiffening up. The hind legs not working can cause them to not fully extend and that can cause future flexibilty problems.

3. Once the medicine started to help and she seemed to somewhat stabilize, I started a small obstacle course for her that got bigger and increased with her strength. NOTE: The hind leg weakness is not caused by muscle-weakness but due the brain connecting to how her legs are supposed to move (which then can cause muscle weakness later) The course forced her to make turns, and though at first she would slightly tumble on particular side,she got stronger. I did this pretty much every day. She never got full leg extension, but she got good enough to hop pretty fast! (I have video of that so I’ll try to dig it out and post it her improvement.)

4. I created a small (not steep) ramp to her litterbox (you may need to cut an entrance if yours can’t even do a ramp). If I didn’t do that for her, she would get her front have into the box, put she would get her legs stuck on the other side.

5. ETA: I forgot about this but I actually had acupuncture done on Bailey which actually seemed help.  I am kind of a skeptic – but an open skeptic so when my vet said she would do it for free because she was trying to get enough credits for her animal acupuncture class, I was happy to agree to free sessions!  Bailey was very relaxed during the whole thing and she seemed to get even more strength and coordination! She had been through many sessions and was making amazing improvement.    

If I were you, I would cover all of the wire flooring as he will be sitting more than ever now and he will be more at risk for getting sore hocks that will be very difficult for her to heal from. So though you will have to be doing more washing with towels, it will keep him comfortable and it will also prevent more vet bills as you try to treat sore hocks.

How long has he been on the Panacur now? I did start to see some improvement in Bailey after about a week.  She was never back to normal, but she was a spunky spirited bunny who’s mood recovered quickly from the setback. 

I know each bunny’s recovery can be different but at least have hope that there could be a good chance that things will work out. 

[jerseygirl]

Healing (((vibes))) for Siggy! E.Cuniculi is common and so complicated (at least to me!) He could even have had this from an earlier age and symtoms are only just now presenting. It would be really hard to know for sure. Important thing is what you are doing for him now.
The other vet said his earlier mobility issue was due to fleas? How did you get rid of his fleas? Did you use a topical flea treatment?

[Beka27]

((((Healing vibes for Siggy!)))) I’m sorry you are having to deal with this, but like everyone said, EC is not uncommon and with a good vet and treatment, many buns can recover. It is not your fault that this has happened, and it may not have been the other bunny that gave him EC.  EC can lay dormant in buns for their entire lives and some never show symptoms.  Keep us posted on how he does with treatment.

[RabbitPam]

You love your baby and you’re doing everything you can to take care of him. I’m glad you posted, so we can help make him more comfortable and give you the support you need. It’s scary, and it’s going to be a slow recovery, but you are really helping already and with BB’s advice I am sure he will be happy at home in no time.

I would not use the heater, though. Bunnies like to be on the cool side rather than warm, so it isn’t necessary. Also a soft bed is more comfortable than wire. A bed of hay or soft litter can be easily dumped each morning, so if he poops he can push it aside and not lay in it too much.

But when my Spockie lost the use of his back legs (old age, he was 8) I bought several rugs from palace pet beds. You can actually get a large one and cut it to pieces only a few feet long and wide. They absorb moisture so puppies, old pets or ill pets can stay dryer because they absorb well. You just toss it in the washingmachine and swap for a clean one. You can order it online. Their saleswoman was very nice and told me when they had a clearance sale happening so i could get a cheaper piece and cut it.

Also, I did what BB suggested, which was hold my bunny gently under the chest while sitting his back end in the sink. I ran a stream of warm water over his back end only, then wiped his butt with a soft warm cloth until he was clean. It felt good to him. I towel dried him. A hairblower on very low and only warm can help dry too.

Your vet sounds pretty good. If you want a second opinion from a rabbit savvy vet, you can find one by using the Vet Finder on the House Rabbit society website, http://www.rabbit.org. Just search for the nearest city to where you live in your state.

Here’s the pet beds website. You can also try it with fleece though it won’t absorbe as well. But you can get a big swatch of fleece and cut it into squares to swap also.

http://www.palacepet.com/

 

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I’m so sorry-I have been just going through this and after lots of treatment Chuck is still slightly tilted but is great on his feet. It takes a few days or even a bit longer but they do learn to stop using their head for orientation (Which is what causes the rolling) and instead listen to their feet.

I posted here about our journey.

I also loved this website http://www.onthewonk.com/ It was absolutely fabulous and they have a yahoo group you can join too, so you can post to many others who’ve gone through the same thing.

First off I want to say this in big bold letters Make Sure You Unplug That Space Heater Anytime You A Not Home They are a BIG fire hazard-do not leave it on when you aren’t home.

**Buy ‘puppy training pads’ they are like a large flat diaper. I lay those down underneath towels and that keeps my boy very dry. Shop around I pay about 16$ for 50, but I’ve seen them as expensive as 56$ for 50 so look for a good price.

Even though he still got a bit of wee in his fur I held back from giving him a bath on his bum because it is so stressful and a sick bunny doesn’t need that stress. Instead I used cornstarch-just grab a handful and work into the fur and softly brush out-it absorbs the moisture and is safe to use.

I kept him in a small sized tuperware container for the first period here-it was about twice the size of him. That way when he rolled over-he was never far from a ‘wall’ and could get up. It also made him portable so I could bring him to bed with me and I’d wake up if he rolled over.

We upgraded to a doggie bed that was bigger with room to stretch but still had ‘walls’ closeby so he could get up when he fell over. I padded the sides with rolled towels to so that made a difference in helping him get up.

We then moved to a baby crib-the kind with soft sides not bars- like a portable playpen. At that point he was good on his feet and I was able to put a litter box back in and a water bowl.

**You’ll want ot make sure your bunny stays properly hydrated which is KEY -give LOTS of fresh vegetables (kale, parsley, cilantro-all your bunny favorites) and give them when they are still wet from washing them.

I fed alfalfa hay as well as a sick bunny does not want to eat his health food (hay) so I bought a bag of alfalalfa. My bunny lost a noticiable amount of weight during his sickness, but the alfalfa hay loads of veggies and some rolled oats (a teaspoon a day) brought him back up to a good weight.

I’ll try to remember any other good tips I have

[ViVi]

Posted By jerseygirl on 02/21/2010 02:08 AM
Healing (((vibes))) for Siggy! E.Cuniculi is common and so complicated (at least to me!) He could even have had this from an earlier age and symtoms are only just now presenting. It would be really hard to know for sure. Important thing is what you are doing for him now.
The other vet said his earlier mobility issue was due to fleas? How did you get rid of his fleas? Did you use a topical flea treatment?

I didn’t like the other vet. She didn’t really seem to know what she was doing. I treat Siggy with advantage. She said he was having a bad allergic reaction to fleas. Good rabbit vets are very hard to find! I’m very satisfied with his new vet. He was highly recommended, but a bit pricey. His new vet gave him some anti inflammatory shot and Siiggy seems almost back to normal. The vet said that most of siggy’s symptoms were due to an imnflammation in his brain. His diarrhea has stopped and he’s moving almost normally. He bumps into objects sometimes. He’s lost some weight which saddens me. He was able to hop into his litter box this morning and he followed me around trying to nibble on my shoes. He does seem to tire fast. Poor bunny. He really seems to like his butt cleanings though. After he gets better I’ll try to get him a companion again, but I think we’ll go to a shelter this time.

The vet does think that Siggy could have contracted it from his mother. Siggy’s mother was an outdoor bunny and she was kept in the best conditions.

Thank you for all the replies! It meant a lot to  me. This is my first time owning a rabbit and the first time any of my pet has been so sick. I really panicked.

[ViVi]

I’m sorry about Chuck! Poor baby. I liked that website too. I don’t think Siggy has head tilt. He randomly shakes his head. He has stopped using one of his paws. It’s so sad. Bunnies are very delicate creatures. I don’t how they use to survive without us.

[ViVi]

Thanks for the link RabbitPam. This was exactly what I need! I just ordered a hunter green one for Siggy. This is a lot better than putting his in a cage with a wire bottom. I just didn’t want him laying in his urine. Even though he seems better, his vet says he might go through a relapse. I really, really hope not! I’ve been sanitizing like crazy to make sure there are no spores to recontaminate him.

[bunnytowne]

Thats so sad.   Poor bunny.   I know you love him dearly.  Healing vibes to pull him through this.  E.C.  is not fun to watch

[TARM]

Ugh. I treated a whole litter of babies for this and lost two. It’s horrible watching them struggle to fight this bug. Healing vibes to your bunny.

[Bren]

<<<>>>>>>>  That is what is so great about this forum, you truly get not only great advice, but friendship and advice from others that have gone through what you are right now. I have not gone through this myself, that I am aware of. Perhaps that is how our first baby passed away? The vet only said that they can die from all kinds of parasites. Either way, you love your lil guy and would do anything for him! Understandably so.  Please keep us updated!

[Bren]

darn computer…lol….that was suppose to say <<<<<>>>>>>

[Bren]

ok, I give up…any words I put in there….disappear. lol

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I don’t think Siggy has head tilt

It is confusing but Head Tilt is E. Cuniculi-so judging by what you posted here

but he keep falling onto his side …He does have e.cuniculi

that he is falling and has E. Cuniculi-that’s head tilt-it’s just a common term for E.C.

[BinkyBunny]

Oh, I think I misunderstood. I thought he was falling because of hind leg weakness. This would happen to Bailey – her head wasn’t tilted, but the symptoms of e.cuniculi for her came as hind-leg weakness.

So, does is your bunny spin or just fall to the side due too a lack of balance or is your bunny having problems with controlling the back legs. Either can be symptoms of e.cuniculi.

So can you just clarify your bunny’s symptoms. One thing with head-tilt is that head-tilt can happen due to ear infections etc, but the fact your vet gave you panacur makes me think your vet suspected that it was e.cuniculi and head-tilt DUE to e.cuniculi can be caused by the parasite causing issues in the brain, so an anti-inflammatory may have also helped with the symptom e.cuniculi. So confusing I know.

[Author]

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