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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

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Forum DIET & CARE Head Tilt Update: much better now

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    • Zombie-Sue
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        Tank is having some balancing issues. Last night I was panicing because he was acting so crazy, and I called a 24 hour emergency clinic and they said that as long as he is sitll eating and drinking then he probably won’t die and doesn’t need emergency care.

         

        So, I took him to the vet this morning who said he was having some kind of balance issue, the most common problem being an inner or middle ear infection, so now I have some antibiotics. Taking them is… not his favorite thing in the world, but we got his first dose taken today.

         

        Anyway, is there anything else I can do for him? He isn’t really tilting his head, but he’s turning it. He’ll turn his head to the left, then quickly correct it, then turn his head to the left again, like he can’t help it, and his eyes keep moving back and forth. Is he going to get dizzy? Also, he’s kind of disoriented when he hops around. Should I keep him in his cage for a while?

         

        The vet said he wouldn’t prescribe any medicine for motion sickness as long as he was still eating, and to give him more pellets because he needs a little more weight.

         

        What can I do to keep him comfortable? He seems so confused and sometimes even a little scared, like he’s seeing things I am not. I want him to be happy.

         

        Update: He is much better now, eye movement has stopped and he doesn’t stumble around so much anymore. What’s even better is that his appetite is returning. Whew.


      • LoveChaCha
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          Did the vet take a culture swab? And also, what is the name of the medication?


        • Zombie-Sue
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            Nope.

            it says, uh, Baytril


          • jerseygirl
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              Are his eyes moving rapidly or just following his head when it turns back? Rapid eye movement is a symptom that accompanies head tilt (torticollis)
              This article is long but really informative. http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/tilt.html

              As it says, tilt it’s very treatable and can be caused by several different things but vets often put rabbits straight on baytril. I’d be taking him back in if your not seeing an improvement soon though. It might require something different to baytril.
              (((Vibes))) for Tank !


            • Zombie-Sue
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                Yes, he moves his eyes back and forth all the time like he is reading something.

                Thank you for the article. Goodness, it talks an awful lot about euthanasia though… o.O I wasn’t… anywhere near ready for that yet. He appreciates your vibes.

                A sick rabbit is such a scary thing. I had no idea what was wrong with him, and when I first saw him doing it, I was sure he had brain damage or something, because he looked so strange, looking all over the place and stumbling around. The vet said that the first day is usually the worst, and I think he was right, because now he just wants to lay in one spot and rest instead of jerk his head all over. I wonder if the antibiotics make him sleepy.


              • Sarita
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                  No baytril will not make him sleepy. It’s probably the infection and the headtlt that is causing him not to be as active. I’m sure that must take alot out of him.


                • LoveChaCha
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                    A lot of rabbits that have head tilt are able to live normal lives


                  • Zombie-Sue
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                      What? Does that mean this is never going away!?


                    • LoveChaCha
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                        Head tilt can be treated thoroughly with antibiotics, and there are many treatments. I am glad that you caught it early. Rabbits are fighters. Is he eating alright?


                      • Zombie-Sue
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                          He is eating, but less than normal. I feel very boohoo about this.


                        • Sarita
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                            Do you have critical care to try to hand feed him?


                          • Zombie-Sue
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                              What’s that?


                            • Sarita
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                                Here’s a link that explains it and you should be able to purchase this from your vet:

                                http://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/products/type/detail

                                 


                              • Zombie-Sue
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                                  Giving him his medicine is so tough, I can’t imagine if I need to force feed him too…


                                • jerseygirl
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                                    Goodness, it talks an awful lot about euthanasia though… o.O I wasn’t… anywhere near ready for that yet. He appreciates your vibes.

                                    Ah, but it emphasises NOT to euthanise because it is a treatable condition. So don’t let your mind go there. It’s great he’s getting meds straight of the mark. It can come on rapidly but with early treatment it can resolve quickly also. 

                                    What? Does that mean this is never going away!?

                                    Some cases leave rabbits with a slightly tilted head, sometimes barely noticeable. It can depend on the cause I think. For Tank, it might be like clearing an ear infection with no side effects. It’s early days. 

                                    I can’t recall how old Tank is? Is he eating vegetable yet?  You could hand feed him when he’s willing to eat. Veg would be good to keep him hydrated. Also hay and pellets could be hand fed. If he has trouble putting his head down to get the food, try placing it in something like a hay rack and his head height.  Does he drink from a bowl or bottle?


                                  • Zombie-Sue
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                                      I see. I can’t imagine why anyone would look at a bunny with a sideways head and think “WELP, I give up.” But I guess if they have misinformation, they don’t know what else to do.

                                      Thanks for making me hopeful. (: Tank is approximately 5 years old. I see what you mean about having trouble getting his head into the bowl to eat. I’ll try holding it out to him. He drinks water out of a bowl, although not as much lately Am I going to have to syringe his water to him too? I make sure his vegetables are really wet when I give them to him.


                                    • LoveChaCha
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                                        I read some of the articles and it looks like syringe feeding will get Tank’s nutrients that he needs. I felt very bad force feeding chacha her baytril but I kept telling myself “this is for her own good.”


                                      • jerseygirl
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                                          Any improvement with Tank?


                                        • Zombie-Sue
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                                            He doesn’t turn his head any more, but it does tilt slightly now, true to the name of the symptom. He eats and poops, but I’d say his appetite has been cut in half I’m going to pick up some smellier greens to night to see if he finds it more enticing. I put carrot juice in his water too to make him drink more.


                                          • jerseygirl
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                                              How long is he on the baytril for? Has he still got the eye movement happening?
                                               


                                            • Zombie-Sue
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                                                We’re on day five, and this is the first day I’ve not seen him move his eyes back and forth like a crazy person.


                                              • Zombie-Sue
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                                                  I think he’s on the right track now, thanks. (:


                                                • Kokaneeandkahlua
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                                                    Moving eyes is nystigmus. Side to side is better then up down. Up down indicates brain involvement (cerebellum is the balance centre) and side to side is inner ear (balance centre) so that’s GOOD news it’s side to side

                                                    Just ask for motion sickness drugs if you like. The one we used was meclizine-and we had it compounded as strawberry and Chuck loved it. It dries them out so you must get a tear gel to put in his eyes if you use it. But its the best and what the specialist recommended.

                                                    I’ve had/have three tilty animals-from ear infections-and the key can be antibiotics, quickly and for a long course. So ensure you keep up with the antibiotics even if there is improvement and give them at the correct time of day. Don’t hesitate to ask for more meds if you think he needs them.

                                                    I also gave pain medication -metacam-as neck pain or referred pain can be common.

                                                    One thing I did when Chuck rolled was put him in a tupperwear bin lined with towels-for the first 48 he was bad. As he got better we graduated to a doggy bed and then a crib. Having sides that are close by helps them get up, and then just to have less room to move to get food and water.

                                                    Also for appetite-Chuck was basically only eating greens-when he was tilty it was hard for him to eat out of a bowl or grab hay-so I was at the grocery getting greens three times a week-that can help keep him eating.

                                                    {{{Vibes}} Keep us posted!


                                                  • Zombie-Sue
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                                                      Tank is only into Cilantro, bananas, and applesauce right now… xD He doesn’t seem to want to eat his pellets, either, but I am confident that he’s getting better. I don’t think I’ll ask for more meds. I’ll continue to give him his antibiotics for 14 days as prescribed, but I think after that we’re done.

                                                      I’m glad to know that I am not alone… I’d never seen a head-tilty animal before (Tank is my first small pet) so this was so bizarre!

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                                                  Forum DIET & CARE Head Tilt Update: much better now