E.Cuniculi- Bunny Hygiene- why is it so vital?

And I’m back with part two about EC- honestly I could fill far more pages on EC but I’m trying to keep these blogs informative without getting too technical and dull. So I’m hitting now on a really important factor if you have a bunny with EC. My current bunny baby used to be negative for EC until her partner died so we attempted re-bonding at a number of different bunny rescues. Shorty after she became poorly and bloods showed she had a massive EC spike. Now it’s a really tricky business for rescues and anywhere that sells animals as there all in very close proximity but the likelihood is that my bunny

caught it from one of the rabbits she was exposed too at the rescue. There are certain rescues out there that will inform you first what EC status the bunny is that is about to be exposed to your bun (if they know) but this is all still fairly new and a lot of rescues sadly don’t have the money to do blood tests on all their buns. I believe in some places it is an option to offer to pay for bloods to be done if you find a bunny you like first before mixing with yours but this is still a logistical and financial nightmare. Now if you know your bun is EC positive or a carrier then being responsible you would not mix it with any other bun, knowing that they might then develop EC. It’s different when you already have a pair of bonded buns or you bought them together as they are already exposed to one another. A lot of pet owners won’t have a clue what status their bun is and that’s okay as long as they know what EC is, what the symptoms are and basic good bunny proper hygiene rules. It is however fine to pair up two buns with negative or two with positive but this is all relative to the unique case and needs judging carefully

to weigh up risks and pro’s and con’s.

But as a small pet care provider, I’m going to bring it back a little to focus more on hygiene in your home and hygiene for boarding pets. So you want to deep clean your bunnies space at home and you want to make sure any EC is killed. Well firstly EC can live up to one year on a surface which is kind of shocking so cleaning is key. Second most of the disinfectant sprays you can buy in the pet stores don’t actually kill EC- the recommended spray that we use and all leading vets use is called Anigene and is the

only spray that actually kills EC. You need to follow the instructions correctly as its strong stuff and always dilute with water if using to clean down toys and surfaces. EC is mostly caught when buns come into contact with urine traces from the infected bunny so you can see why it’s such a problem if you’re bringing different buns into the same space. This is why my preference is always to have bunny pens in totally different spots rather than right next door to each other.

So how do you pick a good pet service for your bun that has EC knowledge …well I always think the best way to do it is to speak to them on the phone and ask what their EC policy is, out of the blue. You’ll think twice about using them. By talking to them on the phone then they don’t have the opportunity to look EC up on google. I was always horrified at how many so called small pet care services I came across that really didn’t understand EC at all. Ask them what measures they put in place to stop EC from being

caught from bunny to bunny. Especially if they are boarding rabbits then they must have good no how about EC otherwise their pens may potentially be infecting many pets that are going there to stay.

Which is not what any pet parent wants! But let’s do this one at a time…so first, if I am doing house calls then what are the steps that your chosen pet carer should do?

Well I am at your most extreme on the scale when it comes to hygiene, probably because I have OCD (has to be useful for something right?!) and because I have seen the suffering EC can inflict on bunnies. I know most pet services are not as a strict and would not reach my standards but here is what I would do to ensure EC isn’t a problem. So when I know I have house calls to bunnies, I take a pair of over shoes with me in a plastic bag which I put on when in the bunny zone and then take off when I’m back out of it. I have one pair of over shoes per bunny client and label their name on the bag so I don’t get mixed up. That way I don’t transfer any urine traces from that bun to the next bun I’m visiting or back home to my own bun. It should go without saying but washing hands well before and after is key when dealing with multiple animals. Most pet companies don’t understand just how sick they can make a bunny client by simply walking into their area with the same shoes they had on in another pen. Alternatively if I only have a few bun clients then I just use different shoes and then clean the bottom of them when home with anigene. If you need to groom or medicate the bun or you’re just having some cuddle time then I either use disposable aprons so that my clothes don’t come into contact or I wear a certain set of clothes that I then remove as soon as I get home and keep separate from any of my own bunny stuff. I then wash the clothing on very high heat with anigene once I’ve finished the booking.

Boarding is a whole other kettle of fish, you’ve got a lot of small pets in close proximity. As the pet carer, you are going on the word of the client that the rabbit is healthy however often as I have found, the client isn’t aware that there rabbit has mites or worms etc…..(I’ve accidentally diagnosed problems many times) therefore making sure that nothing is passed between fury visitors is vital.

Basic rules: they shouldn’t mix anything! Anigene should be used to disinfect between clients coming and going. I don’t recommend that pet companies offer toys at all but instead ask clients to bring their pets favourites, this is key to avoiding accidentally spreading EC. Pen spaces for rabbits should not in my view be done in a classic kennel sort of layout. The reason for this is that they share dividing walls and

it’s all too easy for some urine or poo or spray to get flicked or leak under the divider and straight into the pen next door. Therefore for rabbits at least, they should have at least a little gap between them.

Rabbits can also flick their spray over 30cm away so while I understand pet services want to cram in as many places as they can fit, hygiene needs to be key to happy healthy clients. It is extremely rare for guinea pigs to suffer with EC therefore piggy pens can be closer together. Piggies also don’t flick spray like buns do and due to the size difference, you don’t need to be quite so OCDIC.

And on a final note- for bunny owners and for pet services- I always recommend for your pet bun that toys are either wooden or hard plastic as these are easy to clean and disinfect. For bun parents- Edible toys made of herbs/grass, willow, apple wood, weaved hyanithe etc are all great as they are consumed and safe. I strongly recommend always avoid using fleece, knitted or woolen items for rabbits and guinea pigs for both owners and pet companies. Shop bought towels and blankets are fine as they tend to be very smooth and can easily be replaced once they’ve chewed holes in it ( they don’t last very long though so I try to avoid too in less the specific client is used to them . However more Corse items like knitted blankets and toys are a safety risk- not only will they require regular washing and replacing but bunny and guinea pigs claws can get caught up in the wool and knitted fabric. I have seen claws get so caught up that they catch and snap off. And if tiny amounts are chewed and ingested by accident, they can cause gut blockages, requiring emergency vet care and often surgery to remove the blockage,

costing thousands of pounds for just one rabbit. So no matter how cute, avoid knit wear and wool items,it’s too risky.

So that’s EC in a nut shell……………

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