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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Early signs of head tilt?

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    • Celamentum
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        So my bunny Milky has had a rough year fighting off a URI and now pneumonia… but he’s been doing a LOT better this last week, hardly sneezing, discharge from his nose is decreasing day by day….

        … but recently I noticed something weird with his head.

        I’ve been paying close attention to his head since he had his URI since I know respiratory infections can lead to head tilt… 

        Today I was observing him and noticed his head tend to sorta lean left with a little tilt… and then when it leaned a little too far, Milky would seemingly correct his head position so it was straight and pointing straight a head, but it would eventually slide back to the left and he would adjust his position again. This would happen every few seconds or so. 

        At first I thought maybe he was just nodding off to sleep while he was relaxing… but I’m still worried whether or not it might be early signs of head tilt and nystagmus? Although not sure about nystagmus cause his eyes aren’t moving back and forth… it’s just his head that moves back and forth.

        It seems to only be present when he’s relaxing, when he’s alert his attention doesn’t waver.

        I’ve been constantly checking his ears and they’re clean and clear of debris. They don’t look red or irritated inside either.

        He’s seems fairly alert and responses very well. I don’t think i’ve seen any issues with his balance? Occasionally when he’s bending over eating cecotropes from his butt and lean forward a little too far and lose his balance but I don’t know if that counts. Sometimes when he’s stretching out he loses his balance too but… i haven’t seen him stumble when he walks or hops around.

        He’s shakes his head but that occurrence has slowly been growing less since his treatment for pneumonia… he used to shake his head so hard his ears would slap loudly against each other but I haven’t seen that happen recently at all. He still scratches them occasionally as well.

        I’ve also noticed a little drop in his activity. He was becoming pretty active, going back to his ankle bitter ways but lately he doesn’t want to play and seems a bit more jumpy than usual too… Today he also ate less than he has been for the past few weeks as well. :/ I’m hoping it’s just an off day.

        He has been grinding his teeth a lot but it might be just the back teeth spurs in his mouth that are causing him discomfort (I’ll have to get that fixed as soon as I have the money to and as soon as he’s better)

        He’s taking 0.8ml/cc of enrofloxacin twice daily for his pneumonia right now.

        I feel like I might just be paranoid??? I really hope I’m just imagining things… The vet didn’t check his ears last time i visited… I’m going to try making an appointment with my vet… just to be safe. He’s due for another follow up anyway. 


      • jerseygirl
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          It’s good you’ve got a check up booked for him. I’d go with your gut on this and get him looked at. You’re not paranoid. With his history, he would be at risk of developing inner ear infection.

          When my rabbit developed head tilt, the first signs were very subtle. She remained hiding away in a hidey-house and had very small head movements. She did develop nystagmus but it was slow movements of her eyes. It progressed from there.

          I wonder if Milky has a bit of positional vertigo? So that when he puts head in certain positions, that’s when he loses balance? They can get positional nystagmaus also, so when you see him stumble, do take a close look at his eyes then.

          It would be good if you can film the tilting to the left you are seeing now, as well as those times when he reaches toward his hind end. That would be really useful for the vet to see.

          It’s good he is already on baytril at least. If the vet does suspect ear infection, they might start him on an anti inflammatory/pain med and possibly another antibiotic to work alongside with the oral one he is already taking.

          {{{Vibes}}} for Milky! Do keep us updated.


        • Celamentum
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            Haha I still feel like i’m overreacting a little bit… T_T

            Yeah that’s why I’m worried and been looking for little signs… just because I know it can start off so subtle and suddenly turn worst. :S

            Thank you for the tip! I actually just took my cellphone camera light and looked into one of his eyes and his eyes are definitely slightly going back and forth horizontally… :S

            I’ve been trying to get a video but he’s not making it easy….. if he sees the camera he’s like “what is that!!” and won’t do that. I sat in front of him for 15 min with no luck.

            I still have some left over metacam that the emergency veterinarian gave me. They gave me a BIG bottle for something i was only supposed to use for 3-5 days… there’s so much left over… not to mention it’s expensive. Should I give him some of that? I know metacam is an anti-inflammatory/pain med.

            Thank you!! T___T


          • alcyone
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              I don’t think you’re being paranoid, it sounds exactly like how Marley started out. We’ve been battling head tilt for about two weeks now, and that’s not including the time I spent questioning whether or not I was being paranoid. As a bunny parent, definitely trust your gut! It seems when I second guess myself with Marley I always end up wishing I hadn’t.

              When he first started developing head tilt the tilt was so very subtle, I thought maybe I was just imagining things. It got more and more noticeable rather quickly. His ear also seemed to be bothering him. I didn’t notice loss of balance until days after the initial sign of tilt. I would definitely recommend having him looked at for head tilt.

              I’ll be keeping Milky in my thoughts, I hope his road to recovery is as comfortable and stress free as possible from here on out!


            • Celamentum
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                Thank you alcyone!! I’m glad that I don’t seem like I’m just being paranoid… T___T being a Bun Parent is so hard cause they make it so difficult to tell if something’s wrong!

                I think I at least I think I got a decent head start with him being on medication already + seem to have caught it pretty early. I actually haven’t made the vet appointment yet. One of the nice things about my vet is that they’re usually open on weekends? Except they’re closed tomorrow… so I probably won’t hear from them till Sunday…if I’m lucky, they’ll be able to sneak me in. Worst comes to worst, there’s Monday too. I think he should at least be okay till then….


              • jerseygirl
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                  If it helps, this is what Maple’s eye movements looked like. You can see her moving her head side to side slightly also. 

                  I still have some left over metacam that the emergency veterinarian gave me. They gave me a BIG bottle for something i was only supposed to use for 3-5 days… there’s so much left over… not to mention it’s expensive. Should I give him some of that? I know metacam is an anti-inflammatory/pain med.

                  Having metacam on hand is not a bad thing. But i know, expensive! I hope it has a long expiry date at least.

                  What strength metacam did they give you? What dose did they prescribe at the time?  Did he react okay to it last time?

                  Is your normal vet in currently? Maybe you could call and ask about giving some until you go in to the appointment. 

                  I give mine meloxicam in situations where I think it will help and my vet does give me enough when prescribing it for one rabbit as he knows I have 5 rabbits. So he is okay with my using that for them if needed, but I usually follow up with an appt to confirm it’s okay to continue and to get the bun checked out for whatever is causing the discomfort. 


                • Celamentum
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                    Hmm yeah Milky’s eye movement isn’t that rapid or as obvious… it’s only obvious when you look at his eye in a light and is fairly slow. There’s about 6 seconds between every head movement.

                    Argh!! He keeps doing it when i have my back turned and as soon as I notice and grab my camera he’s like !! and stops…

                    It’s only been 3 weeks since they gave me the metacam. The expiry date on the box says 10/31/18 so I think it’s still good. It says here that there’s 1.5mg/ml of meloxicam and the prescription they gave me was 0.25ml/cc every 12h with food. The bottle it’self is 10ml.

                    Well, where I live it’s currently 2am in the morning, they’re closed….  My reg. vet is also closed today/Saturday, even though they’re usually open. Other vets that see rabbits are on the other side of the city and are closed on weekends… so all I can do is wait :S

                    I’d take him to the emergency vet again but I simply can’t afford it… it’s way too expensive (Last time it was 400$ for a single trip and all they did was do a check up, prescribe him enrofloxacin and metacam and send me on my way.s) And after all the vet trips I had to make these past weeks, I basically have no money. I did get paid recently but it’s like… if i took him to the emergency vet again, that would be all gone and I wouldn’t have anything left as a back up.

                    I gave him some metacam and at least now he looks more comfortable. He was kinda sitting in a hunched position…

                    Hmmm I was reading about middle/inner ear infections… and it says ear infections are usually visible on x-rays? He had a head x-ray done about two weeks ago when the doctor wanted to check his teeth…. Can middle/inner infections develop that fast?

                    I’m also looking at other causes for head tilt… one of them being vitamin deficiency. I know one of the concerns my doctor has with my rabbit is vitamins. He did a blood test earlier this year and did say something about Milky having slight vitamin deficiency. 

                    Admittedly, I don’t give him as much veggies as I’d like to, mainly because he’s so small, it’s hard to keep a large selection of veggies fresh before he can eat it all. He’s dwarf and less than a 1lb in weight and i know the recommended serving of veggies for a bunny is 1cup for ever 2lbs (or 4lbs?) of bunny… usually all of it goes bad before I can finish giving it to him :S. 

                    I also have to worry about fridge space since I live with my family and my step-mom gets annoyed when I take up a lot of fridge space. He’s also a very picky bunny!!! Milky hates mints and spinach and will leave them to shrivel up and dry if i put them in his cage but he loves cilantro and romaine lettuce though. He’s not too keen on kale and parsley but will accept them. I have yet to try other veggies since they’re usually not in our fridge for him to try and i’m not about to go out and buy a whole bunch only for him to not eat it. He so picky, he even made the vet go out and order a different type of flavoring for his medicine because he didn’t like their strawberry flavor.

                    The vet did tell me to go find him a multi-vitamin… I’ve been giving in oxbow supplements for digestive support, immune support and vitamin C. None of the local pet stores carry their other supplements, even the immune support supplement is becoming increasingly hard to find…. I could try and get someone to help me order their multi-vitamin off amazon…

                    But I’m not sure this case has a chances of it being a issue with vitamin deficiency… 


                  • Celamentum
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                      Managed to take a video! Sorry for the camera quality, it doesn’t like dark settings very well and butchered the quality when i adjusted the levels.


                    • jerseygirl
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                        Oh yeah, this very much reminds me of Maple the 1st night. He is holding his ears oddly also.
                        Because your bun is already on an antibiotic and you have anti inflammatory meds, I think you are in a better position then most. I can understand not wanting to see e-vet too, when often they don’t have a rabbit savvy vet on board. It’s a gamble and may cause some undue stress for the bun. Id go that route if you see a greater deterioration.

                        Cost wise, if you are prescribed more meds from your regular vet, you can save some money by purchasing them online. So you’d need a script from the vet (they may charge for that) then you can shop around. It means waiting a little while to get the medication but a good option when your medicating for weeks or months. There are also cheaper brands of meloxicam, like loxicom for example. I’d check out assistance like CareCredit/Veterinary or insurance with Pet Assure which will cover pre-existing conditions. It might take the pressure off some. It doesn’t sound like you are out of the woods with your little guy yet – poor thing. And with dental issues, the vet bills continue.

                        {{{Milky!}}}

                        It’s good the e-vets gave you the 1.5mg/ml strength meloxicam at least. If your rabbit is about 1lb, that dose is about 0.8mg of meloxicam – so it is in the higher range but given it was only for 3-5 days, quite safe. It’s thought rabbits can tolerate even 1.5mg though that high would not be for over a long period.

                        Many rabbit vets work on maintanence range of 0.3-0.6mg/kg.
                        Here is a really informative page about Meloxicam for rabbits, if you are interested. http://vgr1.com/metacam/


                      • Celamentum
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                          I think i’m pretty lucky with the e-vet in my city at least since many of their doctors have studied pocket and exotic pet medicine and surgery. They say they don’t have a specific rabbit specialist on board their team but they have plenty of experience with them and know an outside rabbit specialist they can consult to for cases that are especially tricky. Their staff in general is also also been really good at handling rabbits as to reduce the animal’s stress as much as possible… which is experience the staff of my regular vet lack… 

                          Yeah, I think so too T_T at this point… all I care about is whether or not he’s still eating, drinking, pooping and peeing. As long as those factors are still present, I think he’ll get by.

                          Hmmm I live in Canada and every time i’ve looked at pet insurance, I can’t find a company that offers a plan that will covered rabbits. My vet recommended me petcard which is something to do with vet financing but I’d have to get my dad to co-sign for it since I don’t have a line of credit… and I know he won’t be too happy about me asking either. But it definitely might have to come down to that…

                          Pet Assure seem have some Canadian vets participating in their insurance plan but it doesn’t look like mine is included… I also don’t think i can apply since they don’t accept Canadian zip codes…..

                          Ohhh! Thank you, that’s very useful! I know rabbits generally need a higher dose than dogs or cats for pain management… 


                        • Celamentum
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                            It doesn’t look like Milky ate a lot of his pellets last night, but i see him munching on his hay frequently. Hie;s still drinking on his own too, but i’ve been syringe feeding him water just to be safe. I might also start feeding him a little bit of critical care just to be safe…

                            His balance definitely seems more off today as well. When I wake up, i usually immediately open his cage door and he hops out as soon as he can and leaps on my bed to run around. Today he was hesitant about jumping out and took a little longer to leap on my bed. He jumped off my bed too and it sounded like he stumbled when he hit the ground… i think I’m gonna have to watch him when he’s on my bed and put him down myself when i see he wants to jump off so he doesn’t hurt himself. He also almost fell off my bed last night too… :/ I’m wondering if i should just keep him in his cage to be safe. It’s good to see he’s still have some energy though.

                            The tilt in his head is also more obvious today…. I really hope the vet can squish me in tomorrow.


                          • jerseygirl
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                              Try giving a thick mix of critical care in a dish first. Its great he’s eating hay!
                              Allowing him time out of the cage is good, IMO. Exercise keeps the tum moving and it will give you an idea of how he is feeling. Hang out on the floor with him so he’s less inclined to make jumps up and down from the bed.

                              I think i’m pretty lucky with the e-vet in my city at least since many of their doctors have studied pocket and exotic pet medicine and surgery. They say they don’t have a specific rabbit specialist on board their team but they have plenty of experience with them and know an outside rabbit specialist they can consult to for cases that are especially tricky. Their staff in general is also also been really good at handling rabbits as to reduce the animal’s stress as much as possible… which is experience the staff of my regular vet lack… 

                              That’s great! So many times we read that people get told on the phone that clinics dont/wont treat rabbits. So frustrating! I would just turn up, I think. Surely they’d at least look at your animal then…


                            • alcyone
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                                If it makes you feel any better, Marley has continued eating normally throughout the whole thing. Hopefully Milky will do the same! That’s exactly what Marley’s eye has been doing too, but it seems like it only does it when he gets worked up or nervous. That’s so great that you have metacam already, it sounds like you’re on the right track. For reference the vet currently has Marley on Albon, and they gave him a steroid shot called Vetalog. It helped a lot but it’s worn off now and I’m not comfortable getting him another, so I’m going to try to get him some Metacam Monday!

                                I really hope this gets resolved quickly for you guys, but don’t be alarmed if it’s a process. I lack patience so this has been hard, but I think bunnies are stronger than we give them credit for. He’ll bounce back!


                              • Celamentum
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                                  Unfortunately it definitely looks like he’s eating less. He probably only ate about 1/8 of his pellets today, he had 1/2 of it yesterday and almost the entire thing the day before. I realized he most eats the hay that is laying on the ground and not held up in his hay basket, so i dumped it all out for him.

                                  He’s usually pretty good about eating CC from a syringe for me, has rarely ever given me a really hard time while I try to feed it to him at least. I’ll try soaking some of his pellets later and leave it out for him to see if that helps…

                                  I do plan to let him out so that he can still get some exercise but i’ll definitely have to strictly monitor him. He actually fell off my bed when i went to the washroom for like two minutes… my room is pretty small and our house is mostly hard wood floor… I’ve laid foam mats and blankets all over my bedroom floor just for him to run around… the most room is on my bed though so he likes hanging out there the most.

                                  I don’t know about other bunny owners have found that their buns have a particular schedule they tend to follow. Right now Milky is in his down-time… I found that he’s mostly active and eats the most between 6am to 4-6pm for me. He’ll stop eating and drink infrequently after that and usually stop pooping as well (but will continue to pee) until around 11pm-12am when he starts pooping again. He’ll continue to take it easy and keep dozing off until 6am. When he was healthy, his schedule isn’t as noticeable because he’s more active….

                                  It’s 11pm right now so he looks like he’s resting. I saw him nibble a bit of hay though and when I offered him his digestive support tablet, he quickly grabbed it out of my hands and ate it. So at least he’s still eating. It might be a while longer before i see him drink any water.. so i might syringe feed him a bit, he’s feeling a bit dehydrated.

                                  I noticed that Milky’s head is definitely in a more downward position than it was yesterday… I’m thinking instead of waiting for the vet to give me a call, I’ll wake up early and call them as soon as they’re open. They’re only open for a short period on Sundays, only 9am-12pm :S

                                  T__T Milky has been sick all year though… i’m glad he’s held up for this long at least. He got sick in February with a URI, the vet finally said that was gone in July but then he came down with pneumonia last month… and now this…. the chances of it being a ear infection from his respiratory infections seem relatively high… I was hoping to have him better before winter came around because this year is supposed to be extremely rough and I would hate to have to take him out to see the vet in bad weather.

                                  To be honest… I’ve been feeling burnt out as of late. I cried a bunch today just from the stress of this whole ordeal. I’m taking care of him by myself all this time because my family doesn’t really want to have anything to do with him… it’s been… extremely rough going through this all alone and now with it seemingly getting worst, I’m starting to feel defeated.

                                  I just wish I had more time and more money to invest into his care. Life hasn’t been making it easier because my workplace is becoming more stressful due to bad sales. I’ve been trying to find little ways to make a little more money on the side…. but time I spent earning money for his vet bill is time away from him I can’t keep a close eye on him… I just can’t win.

                                  Haha I don’t blame you for not being patient alcyone…. it’s stressful watching things progress so slowly. Rabbits need so much patience though… not going to lie but, when Milky passes away (which I hope won’t happen for a while still), I probably won’t keep another pet for a long time. As much joy as they bring you… as much as I love bunnies and animals, I feel like I’ve exhausted my energy to be able to commit myself to their care. But in the meantime… I can’t give up now.

                                  I hope the metacam helps Marley!! I’ve read your thread and will look forward to your updates on his progress ;~; we can do this! If there’s anything I’ve learned about dealing with infections in rabbits is that persistence is key… Lots of healing vibes from me to your!!


                                • Celamentum
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                                    So after crying a bunch last night and waking up feeling sorta refreshed, i gave the vet a call and unfortunately they couldn’t see Milky today but they’ll be able to see him tomorrow…

                                    I also noticed but it looks like the metacam has helped a bit with his head tilt!

                                    He was leaning and titling his head very noticeably to the left when I called the vet around 9am. I gave him his metacam about 3 hours ago (around 1pm) and he looks to be holding his fairly normally and I haven’t observed his head lean to the left as prominently as before. 

                                    Also checked his nystagmus and his eye doesn’t seem as severe as before either!

                                    So that gives me a lot of hope… T__T

                                    edit: I don’t think his sense of balance is still entirely there though… he just went to lay on his side in his sleep and i guess was effected by vertigo and freaked out, :S


                                  • LittlePuffyTail
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                                      Wishing you all the best at Milky’s apt tomorrow.

                                      Several years back, my Bindi, after a severe stasis, came up suddenly with a slight tilt and nystagmus. Vet suspected EC brought on by the stress of the stasis. We began treatment right away (Fenbendazole) and he was back right as rain in just a little over a week.

                                      It’s sometimes a good thing to be a little paranoid. My vet credited my early detection and getting him starting on treatment so fast to his super recovery. 

                                      Just wanted to share my story with you, even though your bun may be afflicted with something different, to give you hope.  

                                      (((((Healing Vibes for Milky))))))


                                    • Celamentum
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                                        Thank you!

                                        @LittlePuffyTail: I’m glad Bindi got better so quickly!! Yeah, i don’t think there’s necessarily anything bad with being paranoid, especially with our little fluffy-butts… I suppose I didn’t want to panic and it be nothing because I’m so tight on money right now :S It’s been this precarious financial situation to get him the care he needs and be able to eat…. but thank you!!

                                        Just got back from the vet, the doctor told me to keep giving him enrofloxacin and gave me a course of doxycycline as well. He told me to keep giving him metacam as well and supplied me with a bit more… but it’s the 0.5mg/ml version, not the 1.5mg/ml version with a dosage of .3ml ever 12h. He also told me to tell him if it got worst because he will give me ear drops.

                                        He also said something about his respiratory infection coming back? I sure hope not… he’s been sneezing less and having less discharge. I think it might’ve just been stress? I know it’s pasteurella that’s affecting him him and i know from the fact that he’s been sick for so long that I can probably only control it at this point, not completely get rid of it. And well, Milky sorta hates his doctor and gets really stressed out when he has to deal with him… I haven’t heard any bubbling or rattling noises from his chest these past few weeks but did hear a bit of a rattling noise while the doctor was listening to his breathing….

                                        Also, Milky was on enrofloxacin/doxycycline earlier this year for his URI and it was not super effective… the enrofloxacin has been working well for his pneumonia though.


                                      • alcyone
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                                          Thank you so much, that really means a lot! and it sounds like your little guy is on the right track, I’m so glad! I hope these medicines do the trick! How much does Milky weigh? We got Metacam today, they gave us the 1.5mg/ml version and said said to give him 1ml/cc daily. He weighs 5 pounds. I don’t know, but that sounds like a bit much to me from what I’ve read. I’m terrible at math and all of these numbers confuse me, plus I’m so paranoid that I double, triple, and quadruple check everything!

                                          Most people don’t realize how much care goes into having a bunny. I know I didn’t when I first got Marley. I’ve had him for five years and it’s been such a learning experience. It’s amazing to me how smart and loving bunnies are, I honestly had no idea before I got him! But so many people just stick them in a cage and treat them like a hamster or something; they don’t give them the love, attention, and care they deserve. When I first took Marley to the vet (just for a checkup when I got him) people thought I was so strange for doing so! “Why would you take a rabbit to the vet?” Because he’s a pet just like a dog or cat, and I want him to be healthy and taken care of!

                                          I guess my point is, I know Milky is a lucky little bun to have you taking care of him. Anyone that goes through what you’re going through: all the vet visits and expenses, all the stress and worry about him, you’re doing right by him, and he knows that. Keep doing what you you’re doing and I think you’ll have a healthy bunny on your hands soon enough!


                                        • Celamentum
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                                            When I took him to the vet, they weighed him at 0.81lbs, he’s usually around 0.86lbs though! He’s a tiny little guy being a dwarf

                                            Hmmm… well usually vets only put rabbits on metacam for a short 3-5 day course… my only concern is that extended period of use can lead to liver and kidney complications. The dose really depends on the condition and needs of the rabbit… but I’ve read that rabbits can tolerate dosages of 1.5mg/ml! If the doctor thinks that his case needs it that high :S it might be necessary…

                                            Well, in my humble opinion, a lot of people don’t know how much care goes into keeping any pet at all. Even animals like fish require a lot of work — pet stores just advertise a lot of their animals as being low maintenance just to sell them to you… and the sad reality is that once those people realize there’s more work involved than they thought its the animal is the one who suffers…

                                            I also believe it’s only been fairly recent that rabbits have been taken more seriously in veterinary practices at all…? Partly due to them becoming more popular a pets and also due to more research having being done that we know more about rabbits and how to better take care of them. I’m fairly certain that people didn’t realize that rabbits can live over the age of 5 and can even live past the age of 10-15 years of age. I mean, when my mother got a rabbit about 10 years ago, she was told by both the pet store AND vet doctor she saw that he would only have a lifespan of about 5 years… (unfortunately she gave him away when she moved across the country because she didn’t want to stress him out by enduring the long trip there so I don’t know what became of him…)

                                            It’s also terrible when people compare rabbits to a cat or dog… “why should you spend so much taking care of an animal that only cost you $50 where as a dog or cat can be $500-$1000?” Just because rabbits are more affordable doesn’t mean they are undeserving of the same care and treatment…. ~___~ i hate that argument so much….

                                            Anyway, as rabbits become more popular pets, lets hope people become less ignorant about them! ;u;

                                            But yeah… thank you ;u; I’m actually quite hopeful. He’s actually doing really well after his vet visit! After just one dose of the doxycycline, his head tilt looks a lot better? He’s not holding his head down as much and I haven’t seen it lean as far to the left as it was before. His balance is still off though…. I’m kind of shocked at the quick improvement…. I hope i’m not just imagining it. He’s also been eating more!

                                            Marley is a lucky bunny to have you too!


                                          • LittlePuffyTail
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                                              Anyway, as rabbits become more popular pets, lets hope people become less ignorant about them! 

                                              Amen to that!!!!!


                                            • joea64
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                                                I honestly don’t think there’s any such thing as a “low-maintenance” pet. That’s just pet-store marketing bunkum and codswallop. Even dogs and cats need regular feeding, watering, vet care, housing, grooming and human interaction. Every bunny owner has their own story but in all candor I haven’t found Panda and Fernando particularly onerous to care for thus far; I’ve established a daily routine (twice-daily feeding and watering and refreshing of hay, substantial evening playtime and socialization) and they appear to be thriving and happy so far!

                                                I think you’re right that the whole field of rabbits as indoors pets on the large scale is still very new in the grand scheme of things. While building up my rabbit library, I’ve noticed that older books published up through the early 1980’s, so up to about 35-40 years ago, still talk of rabbits as being happiest outside in hutches and such, and we didn’t really know at that time how much rabbits kept as pets need human interaction. Actually, it was a lot more difficult to keep rabbits as pets up until that time not least because safe, effective anesthetics for rabbit surgery weren’t developed until the 1970’s, so that spaying and neutering didn’t become routine operations until then. I’d say that that development, as much as any other, made the phenomenon of the house rabbit a practical reality.


                                              • Celamentum
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                                                  I honestly don’t think there’s any such thing as a “low-maintenance” pet. That’s just pet-store marketing bunkum and codswallop. Even dogs and cats need regular feeding, watering, vet care, housing, grooming and human interaction.

                                                  When I talk about other animals as pets, most people think dogs and cats are worth the time and effort because they either usually cost so much or are ~more intelligent~ as animals and can be trained and such… it’s just more ignorance in my opinion. There are so many pets that can be trained just as well as a dog and be just as silly and fun to interact with as a cat. The value of an pet is not in its cost at all… but the richness it brings into your life and a lot of pet will do that. But that’s good! I hope you’re buns never encounter any health problems ;u;

                                                  Yeah, most information I’ve read and studies done on rabbits date around the 70’s and 80’s… oh wow, I didn’t know that about anesthetics… that’s pretty neat to know!

                                                  On another note, Milky has been doing a lot better. He was a little wobbly this morning but once I came back from work, he balance seems to have been restored! His head sometimes still looks to be a little tilted but he’s now running around and acting more like his normal ankle nibbling self. Not to mention his eating habits seems to almost be back to normal! He still sneezes occasionally but I haven’t seen any discharge today and it’s so infrequent now.

                                                  I’m so glad…. I really was feeling a bit hopeless there, with him constantly getting sick. when that happens, if feels like you’re doing a horrible job at taking care of them even though you’re putting 120% into their care…

                                                  The vet wanted me to get him more vitamins, like the amino b-plex, to help support his immune system… but instead of paying $40 for 30ml, I bought 120ml for $40… also got him some of oxbow multi-vitamin supplements. I wish the multi-vitamin and immune support tablets aren’t so hard to find and available locally :/ sometimes I hate waiting for things to arrive by mail.

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