Head tilt timeline

[jakeadair2]

So my girlfriend and I have been reading up on this forum for a long time, just need to ask a few questions, everyone here has a lot of expertise it seems. Last Saturday we noticed one of our two bonded rabbits had the most minor head tilt, got worse last Sunday and we took her to an emergency vet with some rabbit experience. Got baytril and panacour to treat the ear infection or parasites and asked for some nausea meds. We crush those up and syringe them with baby food.

Last Tuesday we got into our normal vet. He said to cancel the parasite meds because it is uncommon and her symptoms make ear infection very likely. She was sneezing earlier this month and has horizontal as opposed to vertical nystagmus and he swabbed the ear and found infection. So no we do twice daily baytril and an antibiotic and anti fungal ear flush as well as the nausea meds once a day.

That started a week ago, and we haven’t noticed much improvement overall. Some days are good, some are bad, and it seems like she gets really bad if we stop the nausea meds. Last night was her worst, could barely stand and rolled some, mostly laid on her side. Then today most of the day she is great, active and grooming herself, but tonight it is back to just laying on her side.

She eats pretty well most of the time and especially will go for her greens whenever she can stand.

Our question is what can we do to make it better, and how long before we need to start seeing improvement? If two weeks pass and she hasn’t gotten better (she actually seems a little worse at bad times, though better at good times). Should we be asking for new antibiotics? Any reason to start up with the parasite meds again or to up the dose of nausea meds?

Thanks in advance guys.

[Megabunny]

I would say you are more the norm to not see a response to the Baytril. They have to try, though.. These darned buns don’t let us know they have these problems until they’re really bad. While there seem to be a BUNCH of people on here whose rabbits get better with treatment, my vet has told me that once the infection goes to the brain and causes the head tilt it’s often too late. I’m sorry, but I do want to prepare you for that possibility.

I don’t know about nausea meds. My rabbit’s infection was a random find during a trip to the vet, so although his ear drum was gone, he hadn’t had the infection go to his brain. We just had pain relievers.

Tobyluv has told me they use…um…I want to say erythromycin…but don’t quote me one that…at their shelter with good results. But I don’t know how long they’d want to keep the Baytril going. Seems like two weeks would be enough time to know if there’s going to be SOME sort of improvement.

A problem with the anitibiotics orally is that they don’t have good blood vessels going to their ears to deliver the medicine where it needs to go in their system. If your rabbit’s ear drum is ruptured, then you can help to flush the pus out, though it’s still a tiny hole and my vet explained it to me, like, a plastic tub of cream cheese with a very small hole in the top and you trying to clean it out through that little hole.

We have a member here who you’ve probably been following (with Zeuss) whose rabbit responded right away to Baytril, which is next to amazing.
I’m probably not helping much here. Just giving you bits of what I’ve learned over the past months with my own experience. But you’re right. everyone has had such a different experience it’s tough to know what to do. I’ll be watching this thread closely and hope you post soon that there’s some improvement. Poor bun must be so dizzy!

[jakeadair2]

Thanks for the response, a few questions. When you say too late, do you mean to correct the head tilt or to save the life. My vet is pretty experienced and said he has never had a rabbit die from an ear infection. Said that was highly unlikely, only a 2% chance if she stopped eating.

I have been following Zeus, will continue to look for those updates. It makes sense that the rabbits are tough to treat, especially from the outside, and the vet has mentioned surgery as well if this or another type of antibiotic doesn’t work.

Thanks for your response and I will keep updated, tosay seems like a good day but usually she is worse at night. Anyone know if turning off the light or leaving it on would make a difference? Seems I would be more dizzy in the dark..

I will post a picture tomorrow too, Buster (the healthy male) has been very good about trying to groom and take care of Binky (sick female), but also leaving her some space when she is very dizzy.

[Megabunny]

I guess I’m not sure what is meant by too late. But sounds like your vet is much more optimistic, which is great. Hope tonight is better than the last few for him. Does your vet do the surgery?

[jakeadair2]

He does do the surgery, did both of our last two spay/neuter as well. Very knowledgable and I know he is the vet that our local house rabbit society uses so I am
Sure he has done plenty before.

[Megabunny]

Please post as things move along. It seems like this ear infection issue in rabbits is an evolving situation and folks are trying to find a good solution or preventative. Also curious…is yours a lop?

[Samicles]

How often are you giving him the nausea meds? I’m thinking it might be wearing off which is causing her to be dizzy again at night. Maybe split the dosage, some in the morning and some at night?

[jakeadair2]

We are just doing the nausea meds in the morning right now, splitting the dosage may be a good idea. I will ask the vet. Yes mega she is a lop, a rather large holland lop. She just started sneezing again lately too, don’t know if that is indicative of anything? Otherwise has had a pretty good day and a half since I posted this, eating well and mostly standing and walking.

[Megabunny]

I’d let the vet know abou sneezing and if any discharge as I’d be worried about that being related. Apparently lops are notorious for ear infections. Just wondered.

[jakeadair2]

There doesn’t seem to be any discharge, and it makes sense the lops would get the infections more often.

 Update from today: she was decent most of the day, on her feet and eating anything near her, but not very mobile. Stayed in the corner mostly with her head pressed against the wall, maybe it helped her feel less dizzy. Not much sneezing at all, but around 8:30 she started to have trouble walking and standing and is currently laying on her side. Going to have to see about either splitting or increasing the nausea med dosage, and probably schedule a two week check in early next week at the vet.

[Little Lion Head]

When Boston had head tilt (not an ear infection, but same dizzy, tilting symptoms) we kept her in a portion of her cage with minimal space to keep her safe part of the time and set up a little area of the living room floor for her part of the time. It doesn’t sound like your bunny is doing the rolling thing, so you might not need to do this. But just some ideas if it gets worse.

What’s your bunny’s name? Did I miss it in the thread?

Anways–how is he/she eating? We hand-fed a lot to make sure Boston was getting enough to eat and we gave lots of wet greens b/c she couldn’t use her water bottle with the tilt.

((((((vibes)))))) for a quick recovery! Please keep us posted!

[jakeadair2]

Her name is Binky, and her mate’s name is Buster. She is eating well, even when she is laying on her side and dizzy, she will eat any greens put in front of her. We are giving her a lot and soaking them in water each time, she has bowls and water bottles, but I haven’t seen her use either. I am not sure she even knows how to use the water bottle.

 She only rolls after we pick her up to give her meds, and it is mostly to get into a corner or against a wall where she seems to be more comfortable, although we have laid down a few towels and such to soften things up. Mostly she either lays on her side or is standing, and during good times of the day (like now) she will be up and walking and perusing for hay and pellets and grooming or being groomed by her partner. 

 Another thing we have been doing is leaving the lights on, I read in one forum here that that may help, but I am not really sure. Anyway, I will update tonight and get pictures at some point.

 Thanks for the well wishes!

[Little Lion Head]

So happy to hear she is still eating. Sounds like you’ve got a good set up!

[Megabunny]

Wow! Poor thing! Good she’s still eating.
Middle ear infections are behind the ear drum, so if that’s what your dealing with, you won’t see any discharge. All the best through the weekend

[jakeadair2]

Hey all, today was a good day for Binky, she was up and active all day, eating everything and interacting with Buster. Going to attach some photos from today, them grooming and hanging out. Hoping she has turned a corner but I am wary it may just be a good day followed by a bad one.

Edit: never mind on photos, can’t seem to shrink them as small as is required for posting..

[jakeadair2]

Here we go, got two but not great quality.

[jakeadair2]

 

 

 

Well, good news everyone. The last two full days Binky has been great. I don’t think I have seen her roll or lay on her side a single time, even after meds. She is up and moving around and her head is mostly un-tilted. Maybe the slightest tilt when she rests, but almost seems back to normal. It was a very quick turnaround, Thursday or wednesday were not good, Friday was pretty good, Saturday and Sunday she is basically normal.

 She goes into the vet today for her two week check-in with the vet, hoping the carrier and car ride don’t make her too dizzy, and hoping that she is fully on the mend, though we will obviously finish out the final two weeks on her antibiotic course. She fights the meds a lot more now that she is mobile and active. I will try one last time to include pictures from last friday. 

 So a recap, head tilt truly started March 14, emergency vet the 15. Got panacour (parasites) and baytril (antibiotic) as well as nausea meds. Gave those until vet visit on the 17, where vet said it was unlikely to be parasites. Continued baytril and nausea meds, added twice daily antibiotic and antifungal ear flush. Continued that for 11 days and then she started to look normal again. So overall, our timeline with Binky was around two weeks for good, noticeable improvement. Hoping it stays better.

 Thanks everyone

[Little Lion Head]

Thanks for the update! Glad to hear Binky is on the mend! Those two are adorable together!

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