The hardest decision of my life........

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whoo go chip, your so lovely :smitten: please get well soon x x x
 
I wish i had seen this before, i had my rabbit pts just 2 days ago for this, that's why i haven't been on but if i tell you what happened with us it may help you, and what i know from research that i did. My Harley started having a weak back leg a week after i got him, i left it for a bit because i thought he has just sprained it but a weak later suddenly overnight he had lost use of both hind legs, they just stuck out to the sides, so that day we took him to the vet and got diagnosed with EC because he had a slight head tilt too. He was given an injection and wormer to use for the next month, the next day he would use his legs again normally and we thought it was a miracle, but 2 days later he lost the use again, but he was happy enough dragging himsself around, eating and drinking as usual so we left him as he was. Unfortunately on monday he started bleeding from his boy bit, from kidney failure and at that stage there was nothing that really could help.

I asked my vet about my other rabbits, especially as he lived with another rabbit too, but they said it can only be transmitted by urine, and my others weren't close enough to be affected, but he said we could treat them with wormer just in case if i wanted to but there wasn't a need really, and as for the one he lived with, the vet said that 50% of rabbits have the parasite within them anyway and some become ill with it and some don't, and that's why his hutch mate wasn't ill. So there is hope for your other rabbits, but it is your choice and not your vets to treat the others.

I asked about the EC on a good rabbit forum i am on, and lots there have had experience of it, some rabbits get better and never suffer again, some get better but have relapses, and some like mine unfortunately just can't fight it. Let's hope chip comes under the first category. good luck you guys.
 
*chants* CHIP! *clap clap clap* CHIIIIP! *clap clap clap* come on chip! You can do it! :D:D:D
 
Thank you Scruffy for sharing your story with me...I'm sorry you lost your bunny to it :( It is very upsetting that there is no vaccination for this as it seems to be so common, i really do hope someone out there is working on one!

Chip isn't yet like your rabbit was, she can still make a run for it when she doesn't want her wormer! She has no other signs other than the head tilt, like your bunny she is happy within herself and i do hope i have caught it early enough for it to be at least controlled. She is just adjusting to her head tilt as she thinks she can still do the things she used to, stand on her back feet which when she tries she goes wobbly and stumbles.

I am now pleased i gave her the chance to fight it as when the vet said the best option was to be pts, i almost told him to do it there and then, but i just looked at her face and thought there must be something that works....so I'm keeping my fingers crossed she keeps on like she is now!

Chip says thank you to all of you for the healing vibes ;D She will try her best to get better for me and all of you too O0

I am sad for Kimmie though (her friend) He sits all alone and moping :( I am keeping him in quarantine for a while and then i have little lady friend lined up for him! ( i thought he was a girl...thats why he has a girls name lol)
 
Guinea-Tia-Flossie said:
Thank you Scruffy for sharing your story with me...I'm sorry you lost your bunny to it :( It is very upsetting that there is no vaccination for this as it seems to be so common, i really do hope someone out there is working on one!
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This is why they brought out panacur rabbit (and another lesser known one called Lapizole) They are designed to use regularly (at least twice a year) to prevent EC. Its usually a 9 day course for preventative or 28 day course for active infection treatment.
O0
I am sad for Kimmie though (her friend) He sits all alone and moping :( I am keeping him in quarantine for a while and then i have little lady friend lined up for him! ( i thought he was a girl...thats why he has a girls name lol)
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Does that mean you have seperated them then? I would't seperate a pair if one appeared to have EC. Chances are he has it anyway so it would be a bit pointless seperating them. You just worm them both at the same time ?
 
so is EC curable then Cheryl? I always thought it wasn't. My friend has EC bunnies and keeps them on a different patch of grass to the other Buns, they all have their own equipment etc.
 
sorry if this might hijack the thread but i have to ask..

About 4-5 years ago i had a rabbit called milky bar...one day i went to feed her and she was laying on the floor, i carefully picked her up and she was totally limp and felt kinda skinny...her paws were just all laying out flat and her face was in the sawdust....I cant remember why..(i think bank holiday) but i couldnt take her to the vet...i seperated her from her friend, and sat up for hours all through the night handfeeding her and gently rubbing her legs (probably a stupid thing to do, i dont even remember why i did it but i was about 16 at the time ad didnt know too much about health issues etc) I hade her a little bet in the cage and stayed in to look after her...I had to clean her every couple of hours as she couldnt move and basicaly pooed herself....at the time i didnt think she was in pain but looking back maybe she was...she was just very quiet and still...

Over the nest 2 days i was forver feeding her with my hand (nothing special, just her food) and then her front legs started working...in the next couple of hours she was sitting up normally and all her legs seemed fine and she was hopping around like normal...

She didnt die until just over a year ago, and id had her a fair while when this happened with the limp body, so i dont think it was fatal...but looking back its strange...do any bunny people know what could have happened?

After that she was the tamest rabbit ive ever seen, so cheeky and loving :smitten: I think she being totally vunerable and me looking after er, even wiping her butt (literally) she just got used to me and i like to think realised i was trying to help her...but i really want to know what could have been wrong...?? :-\
 
Milky Bar didn't have EC, if she had EC she wouldn't of made a recovery as it would have lead to kidney failure. Sounds like she was in shock or had gone lame for whatever reason. Can't really say on the information or without seeing what she was like. O0
 
Only just caught up with this thread. My 2 bunnies have EC. One was diagnosed, and I got a 28 day course of Panacur for her. I was told to give the other one 9 days. Then the one who'd had the 9 day course went down with exactly the same symptoms. My bunnies still aren't right, and my vet isn't certain whether the EC is emerging quicker (it can come back), or whether it's just permanent damage.

Anyway, I would therefore recommend that the other bunny gets a 28 day course too. As others have said, the other bunny will no doubt already have it.

Good luck with Chip! :)
 
sgprescue said:
Does that mean you have seperated them then? I would't seperate a pair if one appeared to have EC. Chances are he has it anyway so it would be a bit pointless seperating them. You just worm them both at the same time ?
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Yes i have separated them as my vet told me too. So you're saying i should put them back together? That would be good but what if Kimmie hasn't got it and then does catch it because i put them back together?

They have now been separated for 4 days and Kimmie has shown no signs of EC yet, and you know what rabbits are like....they might not remember eachother!
 
I'm really sure that Kimmie will have it - the infectious stage is supposed to be earlier than the symptoms-showing stage. I would give her the 28 day course too, whilst keeping them together. You can reintroduce them in a neutral area - had to do it quite a few times with my 2.
 
Thank you Pelicano, i will try and introuduce them today! I have ordered 12 tubes of Panacur for my rabbit, 2 for Kimmie's 28 day course and 10 to share out between the others (i have 22 rabbits so take away kimmie and chip makes 20 so 1 tube between two as intrusted by the vets earlier)

I hope the rest will be alright :-\
 
I am sure they will be, at least you can now recognise the signs. The only other thing you can do is blood test them all, which will tell you what rabbits have been in contact with EC and keep them and their equipment and runs separate from the ones who haven't. However, this will be extremely costly and like it has been said the others may already have the parasite. Fingers crossed Chip makes a full recovery and none of your other rabbits full ill with this horrible parasite. :( :)
 
Glad Chip is on the mend, I hope the others all turn out ok too! :)
 
Cavy Crazy said:
I am sure they will be, at least you can now recognise the signs. The only other thing you can do is blood test them all, which will tell you what rabbits have been in contact with EC and keep them and their equipment and runs separate from the ones who haven't. However, this will be extremely costly and like it has been said the others may already have the parasite. Fingers crossed Chip makes a full recovery and none of your other rabbits full ill with this horrible parasite. :( :)
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It would cost me £800 to blood test them all :o I have disinfected their runs which is the only thing the rabbits share, and I'm not putting them out for a few weeks, it's kind of cruel but it's for their on good i think :-\ The wormers are on their way, so my days are going to be very busy...giving worming paste to 22 rabbits :o lol

Chip is still good today, she's still happy :)
 
£800 :o I said it would be costly.

So happy she is good today. Fingers crossed, come on Chip keep it up girl, you will be back to normal in no time. O0
 
Cavy Crazy said:
£800 :o I said it would be costly.

So happy she is good today. Fingers crossed, come on Chip keep it up girl, you will be back to normal in no time. O0
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£800 would be for 20 rabbits excluding Kimmie and Chip!

I have just put Kimmie and Chip back together and seeing them together again is great! As soon as Chip saw Kimmie her eyes lit up, she ran around the room in excitement and even tried to do a binky.  ;D

I am collecting as much info on this as i can and as it's all splashed over different websites i think it would be great to set about making one purely about EC. A website where there is info on what it is, a diary of Chip to see how she copes with the disease and also stories and tips from other people, whether it be sucess stories or otherwise.

More needs to be know about this disease and it's a shame there isn't one specific website for it! What do you reckon Cavy Crazy?
 
I think that would be a brilliant idea. O0 All the websites I have been on has minimal information, the information is unclear, the information is just peoples opinions and so on. That would be wonderful it would help so many rabbit owners. One rabbit forum I went on where most of the members where breeders and exhibitors hadn't even heard of the condition. :o Once again brilliant idea. O0
 
Chip is still doing great thank you! Eating lots of veg, grass and dandelions....still by herself! :) She has gone off her dry food a bit but i think it' because I'm spoiling her with veg lol. She kept me awake all last night fidgeting ::) I got all my wormers today so I'm just about to go and start all the other bunnies on them...although non have shown any signs of it yet O0

Thank you for asking CC :)
 
That's brilliant news, she sounds like she is doing extremely well. I am keeping my fingers crossed she will make a full recovery and none of the others go like she has done. Keep us updated. O0
 
How is Chip doing? I hope she has been making wonderful progress. When you have got a minute I would love an update. :)
 
She's still great! ;D We were watching Spongebob the movie and she nicked half my popcorn lol ::)

All the others are fine, no signs of EC in anyone else...not even Kimmie (her cagemate) O0
 
Put her to sleep :'( i cant believe I'm saying it but it will save 20 other rabbits. I am sorry you are in this position hun :'(
 
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