Gastric obstruction and chronic Encephalitozoon cuniculi infection in an 8 year old female spayed mixed breed rabbit

Abstract

An 8 year old female spayed mixed breed rabbit was presented to the Cornell Exotics Service with for evaluation of abdominal distention, severe weakness and unwillingness/inability to use both hind limbs. Past pertinent history included breeding, living in an outdoor hutch, and testing positive for Encephalitozoon cuniculi antibodies. On initial assessment, the patient was minimally responsive, extremely weak, and exhibited clinical signs of systemic shock. The abdomen was severely distended and a taut stomach was palpable in the cranial abdomen. Hind limb withdrawal reflex was completely absent. Two view abdominal radiographs revealed a stomach that was severely distended with fluid and gas -- displacing the abdominal viscera caudally. A presumptive diagnosis of shock secondary to gastric obstruction was made. A sterile orogastric tube was passed into the stomach in an attempt to alleviate the gaseous distension of the stomach. Shortly after passing the tube, a 6/6 cardiac murmur was detected and the patient subsequently went into cardiac arrest. A post-mortem investigation revealed lesions in the kidney, brain, spinal cord, and liver indicative of a chronic Encephalitozoon cuniculi infection.