twisting, looking up at the ceiling, passed away

Question

Bunny Rabbit   QUESTION: I am still perplexed aboout Bunny Rabbits death.
Mini Rex, female spayed, 3 years old. She sat quietly for two days she was a little off her food. But not much. On the 8th at midnite she started corkscrewing around in her cage. Her eyes were looking up towards the ceiling as if she was upside down and she was trying to right herself. That corkscrewing lasted for about a minute then another twisting to right herself after about 5 minutes. The vet emerency did not have a vet that did rabbits. So I had to wait until a.m. to take her to the vet.By the a.m. Bunny Rabbit was listless. I gave her Metacam at midnie that nite. I gave her .7 of a .30 syringe that came in the box of 15ml metacam. The vet said I gave her too much. The vet said her eyes were non responsive, the xray showed a little enlargement of her heart, touching the trachea a little, some pneumonia in one of her lungs. She was our only bun. The vet gave her a shot of baytril, but as soon as I got home with her she passed away.  She was trying to right herself to orient her to the floor. What causes this ? The vet said she did not have an ear infection. I will never forget her eyes so wide looking up at the ceiling. She was breathless from fright.   Too much metacam? The vet said I didn't harm her ??. But ..... Bunny Rabbit by a.m. was almost gone by then. Help please, Mary Grace

ANSWER: Hi Mary Grace,

I am sorry for the loss of your beloved bunny.  Unless she had some sort of strange allergic reaction to the metacam this is not what caused her death.  Studies have shown that bunnies can have a much higher dose of metacam than cats and dogs.  It sounds like your bunny was dizzy which can be caused by E. Cuniculi.  This is also one of the causes of wry-neck.  She also could have had a stroke.  Without a necropsy it would be impossible to tell but you definitely did not kill her with a metacam overdose.  

Again I am sorry for your loss.  I know how difficult it is.

Pam

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------


Bunny Rabbit   QUESTION: Hi and Thank you for your answer to my question
Does E.C. get into the brain then. I know it to
be a protazoa. So what is the damage it does to
the brain?
Thanks.
mg

Answer
Hi,

Yes it can get into the brain and there is no cure for it.  Once the damage is done there is no recovering.  It can cause seizures, strokes, wry-neck and eventually it can cause other organ damage too.  I wish I could help you more but I just don't have the answers.

Pam