Need help with rescue & also one of my own.

[Mrs.Mae]

Ok so the first one! I rescued a bunny from someone who didn't know how to take care of a bunny or had time for him. They said he was molting, but when I got there he had really bad dandruff too! I have looked into it and found out that it could be walking dandruff, a fur mite. But Im really stumped. He has some fur missing and gets frightened easily. The previous owners had a dog that would play with him all the time, he would also hop around the house a bit. IF he has fur mites, wouldn't the dog have them and there be an infestation in the house? The owners HEAVILY smoked, so I guess I am wondering if maybe he was stressed, maybe the smoke didn't help much?

I just picked him up yesterday so he is still getting used to me, about the only thing he allowed me to do was spray him down with a rabbit flea spray. Im hoping today he will allow me to take a closer look and give him a bath but I doubt it. Thoughts?

Ok and my other bunny that is not a rescue, she's my baby! For the past few months she has been really sick, we found out she came down with E.C. We tried a few things to get her to feeling better and finally found something when she was on her death bed. Really, I am so surprised she is still here. She is all better and full of life but she still cant hop straight and falls over a lot. I'm assuming this is permanent now? Anything I can do to help her?

Sorry, really long post! Ps. I have been to the vet and that is why for now on I take things into my hands. The vets here apparently don't know how to deal with a rabbit. They looked at me like I was crazy and said "sorry cant help you, we don't deal with exotic animals". Exotic? omg. lol

 

[Watermelons]

Please dont bath him.
Where are you located?
Can you get your hands on some Revolution (selamectin) or Ivermectin?

As per the other rabbit... What have you tried? What medications were used and how long were each ones used for?
What tests have been done?

 

[JBun]

Also, that flea spray, what was it exactly? Some cat and dog flea medications are poisonous to rabbits. There are only a couple of things that are going to be effective against fur mites, that are also safe for rabbits. That is what it sounds like your new rabbit has.

With EC, often the damage can be permanent, and there really isn't anything that can be done to fix that damage. Sometimes daily massages can help with the tightness in the muscles, so you could try that to see if it helps any.

 

[Mrs.Mae]

I'm located in Bellingham, WA. Im not sure on the two medications, I will have to check to see If I can get my hands on them.

as for the other rabbit, I believe she battled it for 2 or 3 months? We tried a recommended cattle dewormer. obviously in small doses for rabbits. That helped a little. She got increasingly worse, I talked to a rabbit expert and she directed me to go and pick up a deworming shot that is again used for farm animals. Super small dose. and she was better within a day or two. I kind of figured it was permanent. I just wanted to see

Oh and the flea spray, It is specially made for rabbits. I even asked the lady helping me if it was safe, I knew he would most likely lick it off. Im looking into vets right now. I was already turned away from one..

 

[Watermelons]

Ivermectin should be able to be found at most farm supply stores, not sure if laurel farm and supply has it but the country supply store you guys have all over down there should have something in the large animal section, cant remember what I saw at the one on the Meridian. Unsure on proper dosage for Ivermectin
Revolution at vets dosage at 18mg/kg
But remember, like you even said, if one bunny has it, you should treat them all.

As per the EC rabbit, how long did you treat the rabbit for with each medication? And at what dose, a "smaller" dose isn't that specific. The thing with EC is it needs to be treated for a long time not your standard 1 or 2 doses and at a strong enough dose. Often per lb of weight a cow or horse doesn't need as much as a rabbit would so dosing with product like that can be deceiving. Knowing how many mg/kg or mg/lb you gave the rabbit will help.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Sometimes if you have a bare spot with waxy looking edges it's ringworm, a fungus. Some pics would help.

 

[JBun]

You will want to be cautious about using that flea spray. Some people think some things are safe for rabbits, and they aren't. Frontline(fipronil) is toxic, as are many things that are commonly used for cats and dogs. You may be able to just call into your vet and see if they will let you pick up some Revolution(selamectin) to treat your rabbits. Ivermectin can also be used but if you are treating yourself, you need to be very careful to get the dosage right. The the liquid ivomec cattle wormer is easier to get the correct dosage than the paste. Be aware that if your rabbits have dutch ancestry or are Blue eyed whites, they can be sensitive to ivermectin, and it could be toxic to them.

http://www.medirabbit.com/Safe_medication/Anti_parasitics/safe_antiparasitic.htm

Here are some rabbit vet listing. You may be able to find one near you. Or not as desirable but something you could try as a last resort, you could try a large animal vet, to see if they can help, as they are accustomed to seeing farm animals, but always double check to make sure any medication you are given, is rabbit safe.

http://www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/f28/finding-vet-13366/

I'm guessing that the first dewormer that you used for the EC, was fenbendazole(Safeguard or Panacur). It can work but has to be given at the dosage of 20mg/kg for 4 weeks. So if you only used it for a few days, then it wouldn't have been very effective. The second deworming shot sounds like it might have been ivermectin, as it is faster acting but may not be effective long term. Just be aware that these most likely aren't a cure(especially with the ivermectin) and that the EC is likely to reemerge at some point. So you will want to keep an eye out for signs that it might be coming back. You may find these sites helpful if you find that you have to deal with the EC again.

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/tilt.html
http://www.barbibrownsbunnies.com/ecuniculi.htm
http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/treatment.shtml

This is also an interesting article on someone's personal experience with it.

http://chiefio.wordpress.com/2011/06/16/encephalitozoon-cuniculi-rabbits-cure/

 

[missyscove]

Many parasites are actually species specific so the rabbit with the skin issues could have a parasite that only affects rabbits.
Ideally a vet visit is in order to take a look at her and likely do a skin scraping. Revolution (selamectin) is my parasiticide of choice as it is safe for use in rabbits and treats fleas, ticks and mites. It also prevents heartworm which is why it is only available as a prescription from your veterinarian, but if you have an existing relationship with a vet who knows you and your rabbits, they may prescribe it to you without having to do a physical exam.
These are our rabbit savvy vets in WA. I'm not sure how close they are to you, but they'd be a good place to start.
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/f21/wa-rabbit-savvy-vets-10111/