Six weeks ago, mom came home to find that I had left my dinner untouched. I wasn’t in my room (as a creature of habit, I always spend my evenings in my room) so she went searching for me. She found me upstairs, hiding under her bed. It was the beginning of a very long night.
After coaxing me out from under the bed, Mom used a syringe to feed me Critical Care. She keeps a fresh bag of it for emergencies like this one. That night, she fed me Critical Care every 4 hours and that kept me from going into a serious case of GI stasis.
The next morning, we went to the vet. My regular vet was not working that day so I met the new vet. The new vet examined me and took some x-rays. When we looked at the x-rays, it seemed like I was simply having a difficult time passing something — perhaps a hairball. I was given IV fluids and pain medication to prevent me from getting sicker. Pain management is very important when bunnies fall ill. If we are in pain, it makes our recovery extremely difficult.
By the afternoon, I seemed to be getting worse. We returned to the vet for another dose of pain medications and scheduled an appointment to return the next day. For 4 days, I was given IV fluids, metacam to manage the pain, and 4 feedings of Critical Care.
I started to show improvement but then, I developed a new symptom. I started to fall over onto my left side. At first, mom and the vet thought that this was due to all the fluids pooling to one side of my body. Perhaps I was just having a hard time because the weight in my body had shifted. But even after I stopped receiving IV fluids, I was still falling over.
I am NOT a fan of Critical Care. A lot of it ends up on my face because I refuse to eat it!
After another thorough exam, my vet found that when held upside down, my eyes begin to tick from side to side. This symptom, combined with my tendency to fall to my left side, led my vet to suspect I had been infected with E cuniculi. My blood test results seemed to confirm this diagnosis. (Please note that a blood test cannot detect an E. cuniculi infection. The blood test can only tell us if the bunny has been exposed to it.)
Once my blood work came back, I was put on a 28-day dose of Panacur. My vet considers Panacur a risky drug. It can suppress the immune system and make the bun more susceptible to infections. For this reason, while on the Panacur, I had to return to the vet for weekly blood tests to make sure my white blood cell count was still within a normal range. Fortunately, I am a fighter and I never showed signs of a compromised immune system!
Unlike Baytril, Panacur is not a tasty medication. At first, I fought mom but after a few tries, we both figured out how to make the process a little more tolerable. Rather than wrap me in a bunny burrito, she put a towel on the kitchen island. She put me on the towel and since I am not used to be in high places, I felt obliged to behave. Here is a video of mom giving me my medication. I think I should be a role model to all sick buns!
Since starting the Panacur, my symptoms have improved significantly. My final blood test came back and everything looks good! I am also full of renewed energy. My appetite is very healthy, I’m playful, and I’m even showing more appreciation towards mom.
If you suspect that your bunny is suffering from E. cuniculi, please visit a bunny savvy vet. Your vet will be able to make a proper diagnosis and prescribe the right treatment for you. As I learned, although it is a serious illness, E. cunculi can be successfully managed.