My rabbit has E. cuniculi. Is her urine contagious, and for how long?

So sorry to hear this happened :( E. cuniculi is a protozoan parasite. Encephalitozoon Cuniculi Facts: * E. cuniculi are shed only in the urine. * Infectious period lasts only a few days to a few weeks. * The infected animal is not contagious after the E. cuniculi leave the kidneys. * E. cuniculi are carried in the blood to other parts of the body, particularly nervous tissue. * Spores from infected urine can remain in the environment for a month. * The parasites can infect and be shed by many other animals but seldom cause clinical disease in other animals. * A high number of rabbits have been infected at some time during their life, but few come down with the clinical disease. * Animals who are compromised are more likely to manifest clinical disease. * Neurological damage can be evident long after the parasites leave the kidneys. * Necropsies (autopsy) seldom show active parasites in the kidneys but may show scarring where the parasites have been. * Testing positive to the parasite only means that the animal has been exposed and is putting forth an immune response. It does not mean that an otherwise healthy animal will show symptoms of the disease. * Serology tests recognize immune response but do not distinguish early infections from long term or chronic infections. So, as you can see it is a very complex disease. Likely all your rabbits have been exposed already so whether or not you use her cage is a moot point. My suggestion is that if you want to use her cage I would bleach it before using it for others just to be on the safe side. I would use a 1:32 dilution of bleach to water. Soak the whole cage and leave it sit for at least 10-15 minutes before rinsing thoroughly. Here is a good article about E. cuniculi: https://www.petcha.com/treatment-and-prevention-of-e-cuniculi-in-rabbits/ Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hello. This is a tough one because 80% of all rabbits tested for ECUN will test positive. However, this does not mean a rabbit will come down with clinical signs. Be scrupulous in your cleaning of environments & prior to handling of your rabbits. Make sure they are eating an excellent diet as the healthier a rabbit is, the more likely that it can remain asymptomatic. At the first signs of a head tilt make sure your rabbit receives immediate treatment. Even if one does show symptoms, early treatment can be the difference between recovery & death. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Pasteurellosis (snuffles) is a contagious disease transmitted by contact or by air. In fact, some rabbits will carry the pathogen without showing clinical signs. Accordingly, it is likely that, if this is Pasteurella then Flower and Nia have the same disease. Since Pasteurella can cause septicemia which may result in sudden death, it is important that you have Flower and Nia seen by your veterinarian. I am not sure what antibiotic you have on hand but treatment is often difficult and needs to continue for 6-8 weeks. Also, many antibiotics are ineffective against this disease because of an increase in resistant strains. Culture and sensitivity testing is therefore recommended to determine the best antibiotic to use. Keep in mind that there are other infectious diseases that can cause the same or similar clinical signs including some viral diseases. Your veterinarian will be able to examine Flower and Nia, diagnose what is going on and recommend appropriate treatment.

Thanks for reaching out about Chloe. Not all antibiotics work on all bacteria. Were any diagnostics performed? A bacterial culture will help identify the bacteria and to which antibiotics it is sensitive. Could the vaginal discharge be from the urinary tract? Calcium sludge is common if feed too much green vegetables or alfalfa hay. A re-visit to the veterinarian is recommended, a confirmed diagnosis will aid in a treatment plan. Good luck.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It does look like urine infection. Mochi most likely will need a course of antibiotics to get better. Please, take him to your regular vets today or tomorrow as the medications he needs are prescription-only. If you mange to collect a urine sample from the bottom of the cage that would be very useful. Typically urine test gives instant answer if a rabbit has cystitis, or if there is anything else to worry about.

I am assuming your rabbit is being treated for an E. cuniculi infection. A 28-day course of oral fenbendazole, once a day, is the general treatment of choice, plus anti-inflammatory drugs such as corticosteroids. You may see improvement within 2 weeks, depending on the severity of the infection. Rabbits can also die from this. Keep hand feeding him and syringing water. This can take 4 to 6 weeks or turn into a chronic condition.

Usually these signs are compatible with a neurological disease caused by a parasite called E.cuniculi. Once a rabbit has E.cuniculi it passes on the infection through spores in its urine. Other rabbits pick up the disease by eating these spores in urine-contaminated food and water. Unborn kits — baby rabbits — may also be infected during pregnancy. 50mg/kg of panacur once daily for a month is the standard treatment but once signs are evident the prognosis is guarded to poor despite the treatment. I would recommend to isolate sick rabbits and maintain hygiene standards very high. Please find further informations about the disease here: http://www.rabbit.org/journal/3-2/e-cuniculi.html Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.