Red eyed rabbit was suffering from parasites
ABUNNY who developed red eyes and began biting its owner after apparently turning evil almost overnight in Runcorn turned out to have a parasite infection.
White rescue rabbit Poppy went from being loving and sweet natured to attacking her adoptive owner and enthusiast Deb Hough, who had taken Poppy in after she was abandoned in some woods.
The unsettling transformation saw Poppy going from being ‘loveable and friendly’ to being ‘on high alert’.
And in a scene like something from a horror film, ‘the whites of her eyes turned red and she started biting’ Deb and her partner Chris.
Poppy’s problem turned out not to be demonic possession though, and vets at The Laurels in Runcorn discovered thought she might have contracted the E Cuniculi parasite, which can cause brain lesions and dramatically change personalities.
Following treatment, Poppy returned to being her loving self.
The initial transformation happened not long after Poppy
had undergone surgery to have an abscess removed.
Deb, a 52-year-old customer care co-ordinator from Runcorn, said: “A few weeks later, her personality suddenly changed in the space of an hour and she went from having cuddles to not being able to settle down
“It was as if she was on high alert, standing on her tip toes with her ears pricked up.
“She just went a bit blip blop, the whites of her eyes turned red and she started biting our ● hands. The vets discovered she had developed a parasite infection that had quite literally changed her personality.”
Claire Worrall, vet, said: “When Poppy came to us as a stray, we treated her for the abscess on her back but when she came in to be neutered, the whites of her eyes had turned red so we decided not to go ahead at that time.
“We treated her for E Cunicul, which mainly affects rabbits, mice, guinea pigs and rats, after her owners reported a change in her personality over a few weeks.
“She became a completely different rabbit, biting their hands and being aggressive, which can happen with this condition, but she soon started responding really well to the treatment and is now completely back to normal.
“Poppy is such a lovely rabbit and we’re so pleased Deb has taken her in.”
Deb and her partner Chris now have five rabbits and two dogs with Deb admitting her ultimate dream would be to retire and run a rabbit rescue sanctuary full time.
Deb added: “Poppy is the sweetest rabbit I’ve ever known, so loveable and friendly she’s a real character.
“She lives in the house and has free roam when we’re at home and loves to run around the sofa making a noise that sounds like a lightsaber.
“The thing we love about rabbits is that they are cheeky little characters and each one of them is different.
“We spend quite a lot of money buying them play tunnels, ball pools, chewing sticks and large hutches and we have lots of rabbit ornaments.
“My dream would be to have a house full when I retire.”