Still having problems

Question
Hello Dr. Krempels, We are still having problems with our rabbit -  here is my previous message to you back in December:  QUESTION: HI, I have a 6 yr old spayed female dwarf lop-ear/angora bunny named Smarshmallow. About 6 weeks ago, it seems she has stopped eating some of her cecatropes, and I also noticed she started to fall over backwards more often as she was grooming. Now this past weekend, I noticed she was favoring her right hind leg, and it progressed to now kind of falling over sometimes. It seems she can still hop when she wants/has to, but in her cage more or less just kind of spins on her but around.  Now she wont even hop up in to her litter box and not urinates where ever in her cage. (I had moved her water bottle over her litter box as I thought it was leaking so much it was making the mess on the bottom of her cage, but it was the cecatropes - could this be why she wont use her box anymore?) We did cut down the front of her litter box to make it easier to hop in, but she still won't use it. I did take her to the vet today - that does care for rabbits.  She could not find anything of course without labs & xrays, which my husband does not want to put out the $$ for. So the dr said the conservative approach is to try pain med and see how she responds - the pain med she prescribed was Children's Tylenol.  But now I have read in some places never use this.  What do you know about it?  And if it's okay, do you know anything about dosage? I am concerned what the vet told me is way too much, but she said animals metabolize it way more.  She didn't think there was any fracture. Her appetite seems fine as well as her other poops.  It is so sad . . .might it be something that will recover in time?  I have also read about the Cetyl-M you have mentioned in other articles, but not sure if this is what she needs.  Thank you.

ANSWER: Dear Leona,

These signs could be associated with clinical manifestation of a parasite known as Encephalitozoon cuniculi.  Please read:

http://www.rabbit.org/journal/3-2/e-cuniculi.html

and for information on treatment:

http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/treatment.shtml

We have used both Panacur (fenbendazole) and Ponazuril (toltrazuril sulfate) with good results, and sometimes have compbined the two drugs with even better results.  

Please also read:

http://www.rabbit.org/health/paresis.html

and

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/paresis.html

for further information.

I hope this helps.

Dana


** We have been having problems with her cectropes off and on since then, she still doesn't completely use her right hind leg but doesn't seem to have a problem hopping in and out of her cage. The number of times she falls over when grooming herself has really increased.  Usually she can get herself back up, sometimes we have to help her.  This is fine.  Last week she appeared to have a seizure, and we think she might of had a smaller one previous to that.  The thing that is a problem for us in she has stopped using her litter box and in urinating on the floor of her cage, really becoming a problem.  Do you have any idea why she might have stopped using her litter box? This has been about a week now, before it was off and on, but now she pretty much has stopped using it.  Yesterday I started her on feberdazole, she made a big mess with cecatropes all over the hard wood floor, so now we are keeping her in her cage.  She has had a behavior change - but for the good.  We went on vacation back in April and had to broad her -first time using a boarder.  Anyway since coming back, she has been hopping out of her cage in the evening and 'letting' us pet her - she never did this before!  She actually has become a little annoying about it -she will head but my leg to get me to pet her...lol.  She wants us to pet her for hours it seems.  Enjoying this change in her, but amazed.  so any ideas about the incontentience?

Thank you,

Leona Karl

Answer
Dear Leona,

The incontinence could be due to any number of things, from the stress of her condition to the shock of a new medication, to name only two.  But it's good that she's started on the fenbendazole.  If this doesn't do the trick alone, then ask the vet about adding ponazuril (toltrazuril sulfate) to the mix.  We have done this with two other E. cuniculi bunnies and had very good results.

I hope she will start recovering soon, now that she's on the meds for E. cuniculi.

Dana