Rabbits have seizures uncommonly, your job is to find out why. Seizures can be a clinical sign of many diseases.
Differentials
Physiological
- Hypoglycaemia / nutritional deficiency
- Trauma
- Epilepsy
- Neoplasia
- Heat stroke
- Pregnancy toxaemia
Infectious
- E.cuniculi
- Toxoplasmosis
- Herpes Simplex Virus encephalitis – from people with cold sores!
Toxins
- Lead
- Fipronil
- Pyrethrin
Diagnostics:
The most valuable diagnostic – a history
Why? You can check exposure to lead, flea treatments, trauma, history of clinical signs, diet, exposure to heat/sunlight, other rabbits…mosquitoes etc.
Limit these with the following:
- Physical examination
- Clinical biochemistry and haematology
- CT / MRI to rule out intracranial disease, granulomas and otitis media/interna
- E. cuniculi titre testing
- Blood smears
Medications and Treatment
Diazepam is a skeletal muscle relaxant that can alleviate seizure activity. As for specific treatments, that depends on the cause. To treat epilepsy and reduce seizure activity, phenobarbitone and levetiracetam are used in doses extrapolated from canine and feline medicine.
The best method, find the cause and treat.
Check out doses here:
References:
- Melbourne Rabbit Clinic. Rabbit and Guinea Pig Emergency Manual. MRC . 2014.
Exotics Vets 