Can I safely reuse a rabbit's E. cuniculi cage for my other rabbits?

Question

I had a rabbit with e cuniculi and severe head tilt who had to be put down a week after diagnosis and we dont know whether it was a parasite or not. Can I keep using her cage for my other rabbits who have been wormed with pancur?

Dr. Strydom, DVM · Accepted Answer

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.

Can I safely reuse a rabbit's E. cuniculi cage for my other rabbits?

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