sick bunny//please help

Question
Four months ago we had a young rabbit who while we were on vacation became paralyzed.  Our rabbit sitters took her to the vet who said she broke her back and had to be put to sleep because she was not even able to eat.  We got a new rabbit(from the same breeder).  About a month after we got him one morning we woke up to him unable to move his front legs and barely able to move back legs.  We took him to a new vet(we weren't happy with the previous one because no x-rays were taken to determine trauma)  This vet thought she had a disease(I can't remember the name, but it is passed through urine and affects the brain) that would cost a lot of money to determine if that was what it was and still would have less than 80% chance of survival with the treatment.  We decided to take him home and care for him and within three days he was completely back to normal.  Now two months later he has developed symptoms again, only this time it seems to bother back legs more.  She is still able to eat and drink.  I already checked and there are no vets that specialize in rabbits within 200 miles of our house.  Have you ever heard of anything like this.  It is breaking our hearts and my young daughter is devestated.  Any response would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you in advance.

Answer
Was what the vet said by any chance called E. cuniculi? This parasitic protezoa that can cause loss of control in the hind end, a titled head, seizures, and more. They do transfer from one rabbit to the other through urine (and they are also thought to travel from an infected mother to her unborn babies), but once the rabbit is infected, the protezoa can travel to various parts of the body. In most rabbits, even carrying them does not cause the rabbit to show any signs. However, if the rabbit already is weak or has a poor immune system, it is more likely to cause problems.

If this is what it is, the likelihood of death is not actually extremely high. As long as the rabbit is stabilized, it can still live a good life. Special accomidations may have to be given if the hind legs continue to not be of much use.

However, there is not a lot known about exactly what E. cunicili does, so treatment is difficult. Some rabbits respond well to the wormer Ivermec (Ivermectin).

http://barbibrownsbunnies.com/ecuniculi.htm has an article about one symptom of E. cuniculi and how to treat it with Ivermec. This may be of help.