Remlit has suspected E.C =( What can I do? /UD RIP Remlit =(

Hi, I found this via Domino's youtube channel, who is recovering from EC at the moment! =) Best of luck to him!

My rabbit (5 months old lionhead) was diagnosed on Monday evening with EC, although has had no blood tests to confirm. He was tilting his head and uncomfortable eating (he was at a rescuer's house, being introduced to her rescue female, so this is all the information I have right now, sorry)
He was given Panacur that night, and by morning was very perky again, so the vet assumed he was caught early enough to be fine on a continuation of the medicine.

He seemed to improve through the day and was eating again til that evening. He hasn't really eaten since (24 hours) bar slight nibbling of hay, apple and parsley this morning. =(

He's now being syringe fed and been given metacam, but hates it, (although he enjoyed it earlier! =( and certainly this evening, I thought I was going to lose him, as he wasnt moving, eating or showing any interest in life.
He's still similar now, but slightly perkier after his first two wee's today...

He is also grinding his teeth, and there's possible drooling. And his front right leg is limp =(

It's been very stressful and upsetting, as I've never had a rabbit like this before! Although earlier this Summer, our other rabbit died despite intensive care within a few hours of finding him listless in his hutch. Could it be related?
I've considered it not being E.C, and maybe dental problems or ear infection - but the panacur seems to help the head tilt for a while, and helped get him back onto food the first evening, he has no sign of ear infection, and it came on suddenly unlike most teeth problems, plus he's been kept on a high fibre diet - he really loves his hay! =)


I'm sorry for the long post, but I'd really like some help! I feel like it's all my fault!

he sounds to me as if he may be in a little pain and the drooling could be teeth, but tuckerbunnies would probably know she has a vast wealth of experience in all things bun,
has the vet checked for spurs etc...
might be an idea to see if you can see a vet for him,
sorry not much help mega vibes for him
are his poos normal and is he drinking

Many thanks! =)

His syringe feed is allowing him the liquids >.< I just don't think he's getting enough food, as his poos are really small today =(

The vets haven't checked for spurs as they believe the anesthetic they want to use to check his back teeth might lead to problems with the possible worms. He's due back Friday if he hasn't improved as I took him in this morning as well to ask about the teeth.

Btw, should I keep up hourly syringe feeds through the night, or let him sleep "for it's the best medicine" and he always seems better in the morning?

not sure hun i personaly would maybe try feeding some more with fluids but sarah jane has been dealing with her domino with ec maybe she could advise better than me

Thanks =) I will carry on until told otherwise then... Or he starts eating!!! :fingers crossed:

the general concensus is to syringe feed until star eating for themselves but all cases are different,
if he's taken what you consider is enough then maybe not hourly but every few hours but keep a close eye on him rabbits tend not to show too much how unwell they are they are such a worry at times,
i hope he starts eating independantly soon x

I'm so sorry Wizzy to hear about your Lionhead , was he diagnosed at all by a vet because he may need to see one, as it could be e.cuniculi or an ear infection and he could very well have a dental problem as well if he is drooling and he sounds as if he is in pain if he's grinding his teeth. He may have the start of a spur on a back molar which if not removed will grow and dig into his gums this is usually when they stop eating when they have a spur. So I would certainly get him to a vet and let them have a good look at him and check his teeth at the same time.
He should be on a 28 day course of Panacur for e.cuniculi.

Is he eating anything ? 24 hours without food is not good as he does need to keep eating to keep the gut moving if not you may have to syringe feed him every two hours day and night. He is very young Bless him to go through all this.

So sorry to hear about your other rabbit as well, had he been poorly at all or off his food without knowing how he was I can't really say why he may have died, it could be a number of things, but sorry you lost him.

Sending lots of Vibes and hope your Lionhead starts to eat soon. I would certainly make an appointment at the vet's for him ASAP.

Please feel free to ask any questions as that's what we are all here for to help each other

Oh and Welcome to the Forum Wizzy

Oh just seen your avatar photo he's gorgeous and what a beautiful colour

Many thanks Tuckerbunnies =)

He's been to the vets twice already, both mornings he's been ill. They dont want to put him under anesthetic to check his teeth properly though, due to risk with the worms they already believe are there.

He will definitely be on panacur for 28 days, and every bunny hereafter 3 times a year for nine =P I haven't heard of it before, but never want to see it again >.<

He's currently on recovery syringe food, taking between 5-10 ml every hour, very diluted; slowly and not very surely he seems to be picking up, so fingers crossed!

Wizzy wrote:Many thanks Tuckerbunnies =)

He's been to the vets twice already, both mornings he's been ill. They dont want to put him under anesthetic to check his teeth properly though, due to risk with the worms they already believe are there.

He will definitely be on panacur for 28 days, and every bunny hereafter 3 times a year for nine =P I haven't heard of it before, but never want to see it again >.<

He's currently on recovery syringe food, taking between 5-10 ml every hour, very diluted; slowly and not very surely he seems to be picking up, so fingers crossed!

They don't need to give him an anesthetic to check his teeth and what makes them think he has worms, has he been losing weight ? have you seen any worms in his poop?

You could always add a tiny bit of honey to the recovery as it makes it a bit sweeter and nicer for the bunny to take.

Hope he will be ok, let us know how he goes on .

Haven't seen any worms in his poop, but no ones asked me that yet, so I assumed that maybe I wasn't meant to.

Maybe I should try a different vet's opinion?

He doesn't seem to be swallowing the mixture any more either >< How do I know I'm not just pumping it into his lungs?
I'm doing it as far to front of the mouth as I can, and very gradually (0.2 ml at a time, tops)... But I'm worried I could still be pushing him too hard?
I've tried massaging his tummy too to get things moving...

I'll let you know how he gets on, and will call another vet tomorrow for further advice.

Thank you!

Wizzy wrote:Haven't seen any worms in his poop, but no ones asked me that yet, so I assumed that maybe I wasn't meant to.

Maybe I should try a different vet's opinion?

He doesn't seem to be swallowing the mixture any more either >< How do I know I'm not just pumping it into his lungs?
I'm doing it as far to front of the mouth as I can, and very gradually (0.2 ml at a time, tops)... But I'm worried I could still be pushing him too hard?
I've tried massaging his tummy too to get things moving...

I'll let you know how he gets on, and will call another vet tomorrow for further advice.

Thank you!

I think I would certainly get another opinion as if he had worms he would be losing weight and you would see tiny white pin like worms in his poop.

You sound as if you are syringe feeding correctly but if you possibly can try to syringe feed him every two hours and give him time to digest what you are feeding him.

Is he still drinking if not after every fourth syringe give him 1ml of water as he could need more fluids. What size syringe are you using as the 1ml syringes are the easiest to use.

It's a 5 ml syringe, and the mixture is very diluted - But I'll give him some pure water too - although he already feels like a water barrel =/

He has been losing weight though, but I haven't noticed any worms or eggs.
I thought a dental problem may be more gradual though?

Im so pleased you found us here Wizzy, that was the whole idea behind the videos - to help others and the fact you joined here and now we can support you makes it all very worthwhile.

They generally need panacur AND baytril as an antibiotic because both an ear infection and E.C will present themselves in the same way, although the head tilt does direct more to e.c in my opinion.

Domino is very picky with his food at the moment despite him having a great appetite, hes not eating pellets at all. but he will eat anything he likes (spoilt!). So try offering his favourites.

I think I understand what you mean by worms, its not like with dogs and cats with worms, its more of a parasite with e.c even though panacur is a wormer, people generally say parasite which is whyi think maysie was confused when you said worms - if that makes sense?


The problem with E.C is that is can present stasis (not eating) as a secondary issue so then you have a stasis bunny who wont eat as well as E.C and that makes the whole process difficult. What is his movement like, is he wobbly?

thank you for joining here, we will try our absolute best to help you x

Wizzy wrote:It's a 5 ml syringe, and the mixture is very diluted - But I'll give him some pure water too - although he already feels like a water barrel =/

He has been losing weight though, but I haven't noticed any worms or eggs.
I thought a dental problem may be more gradual though?

Don't make the mixture too diluted

The weight loss could be due to his teeth and the pain and stress could have brought on Gi stasis/ileus. Has he been doing any droppings?
Dental problems can be gradual but the teeth grow so quick before you know it you have a sick bunny.


We have had two this last two weeks with dental spurs and one ended up with ileus and the other stopped eating after her dental as she has to have a spur and a tooth removed.

Duhhhh of course 'Parasite' I thought they meant worms ( well it is late)

My fault Wizzy ! I thought the vet had said your rabbit had worms. ( you will get use to me )

I agree with much of what has been said already.

E.C. is a microscopic parasitic worm but it doesn't live in the intestinal tract instead it tends to go for the brain and it can affect the central nervous system leading to head tilt and muscle weakness.

Panacur and and anti biotic such as baytril is essential along with metacam. One of the things you may find is that your bun is objecting to the syringe rather than the actual meds. One of the ways I get around this is to put the metacam on a mini shredded wheat and feed it that way. My buns both love this. However you cannot do this with Baytril as it is horrible. If you rabbit gets very stressed by syringing meds then you might want to talk to your vet about alternatives to Baytril. Baytril is the only antibiotic licensed for rabbits but vets can give you other options off licence. If your bun gets really stressed it won't help with the recovery - stress is often a trigger for e.c.

You also need to make sure that you are getting the right dose of metacam. You need the stuff for dogs and you can have a lot more than dogs can. My florence is currently just under 2kg and she has the dose for a 15kg dog (which is right at the top end of how much she can have).

But get her checked out for other options. Current thinking seems to be that tests to prove E.C. are expensive but not really worth it. The treatment won't change. As the others have said teeth and ear problems could both be causing this. If you vet cannot see the molars using a normal otoscope then they could just use gas to quickly knock him out to take a look. Try to tempt him with food he likes to keep him eating. Also make sure he is drinking enough - this may mean offering a bowl of water if he normally just has a bottle. If he has dental problems the bottle will be hard to use.

Remeber you may not need a different surgery but just a different vet. Try asking the receptionist if they have a vet with a special interest in rabbits.

Good luck.

How is he this morning Wizzy?

After feeding and monitoring him through the night, I took him to the vets this morning to see about a drug that could have helped him get his guts moving and to check his teeth.

Sadly when the vet held him on his back ("This is how you should hold rabbits, it makes them go to sleep") to check his temperature, he has a seizure and died instantly.

I'm really gutted =(
I'm really sorry everyone, but I tried to my best!

OMG! I am so sorry I really am and he was so young

I don't really understand why the vet had to hold him on his back ( which isn't ideal) to check his temperature but anyhow I'm just so so sorry
that he didn't make it

Binky free at the Bridge little one xxxxxxxx

I'm sure you did all you could

oh no, i'm so sorry to hear this wizzy
as maysie has said i don't understand why they held him on his back, hugs and prayers to you binky free little one

Wizzy wrote:After feeding and monitoring him through the night, I took him to the vets this morning to see about a drug that could have helped him get his guts moving and to check his teeth.

Sadly when the vet held him on his back ("This is how you should hold rabbits, it makes them go to sleep") to check his temperature, he has a seizure and died instantly.

I'm really gutted =(
I'm really sorry everyone, but I tried to my best!

Oh I am so sorry, every time I do Domino's meds I am frightened he will have a seizure because they just wriggle so much you see them struggling. This has really saddened me, I am so sorry.

I am glad you found us though

I really hope Domino gets 100% better, though I'm sure he will, with such good improvement and care!
He has all my good wishes and many, many vibes, especially as he helped me so much with not giving up hope for Remlit! Please keep the videos going!

Thanks for all the good wishes

i really hope you stay with us wizzy and so sorry for your loss and sorry we could not help any more than we did x

Wizzy wrote:I really hope Domino gets 100% better, though I'm sure he will, with such good improvement and care!
He has all my good wishes and many, many vibes, especially as he helped me so much with not giving up hope for Remlit! Please keep the videos going!

Thanks for all the good wishes

Thank you, it shows what the difference makes if they stop eating, they need to keep eating to be able to fight it. I will definitely keep doing the videos though, you have made me see how worth it it was.

I will stay with you, as you have all been a great help to me over the last night! And I'd be very happy to point any other rabbit owners to the site!

I won't be getting another rabbit though for a long long while