Qu about rabbit with occasional tilted head (non urgent)

[jerseygirl]

My sisters boss had asked her if I would be able to cut their rabbits nails which I happily agreed to do. I love to meet new buns!

Anyway, we went last night and Cupcake had what I think was her 1st ever nail trim.  Her nails were loooong. She did well and I was able to do most while she sat in my lap. I did turn her on her back to do a couple though & clean the glands. I held her right way up for sometime before setting her down. She stumbled a bit and was tilting her head so I was immediately concerned.  I *think* it was because she was stressed.

I mentioned her tilt and the owner said she does that sometimes. We checked on her later and she still had a slight tilt but seemed to be behaving normally. By the time we left, she was straight again and back to snoozing in her fave spot.

I know KokaneeandKahlua mentioned Noot would get tilty when stressed and thought this might have been what was going on. So I am wondering if it’s something to be concerned about and should bring to their attention or not? I know there are a lot of things that can cause head tilt and am worried this occasional tilting is a precursor to a condition.

[MimzMum]

I have seen all my rabbits tilt their heads at one time or other, and hold the head in a tilted position with eyes wide open, but usually it is when they are relaxing, not when they are stressed. I wish I had some help for you here, but the only posture I have ever seen in a stressed bun is the head straight up and usually the ears flattened back.
It might be nothing, but if it were me, I’d get the rabbit checked out just in case. Better safe than sorry.

Ahem…can I schedule a nail trimming appointment please? I could stand to take the buns on a nice vaca in your neck of the woods.

[mocha200]

I have seen Lulu do it. I thought I saw her do it when she was alert or curious. But I can’t really remember. I caught it on camera.

[Allie2620]

My bun has done something similar occasionally – almost looks like a neck spasm where she stretches her neck out horizontally and tilted slightly to the side while walking, but it goes away. My roommate was thinking maybe she gets dizzy from bopping around since it’s usually after she’s sprinted around the room a couple of times with some binkies, which got me all worried about a legit head tilt. I was at the vet a few weeks ago for her first check up, but failed to mention anything since I really didn’t think anything of it. I’ll be going back in 3 months for her spaying. It hasn’t changed at all in the last 5 weeks since I got her, it’s always the same motion and goes away within a few seconds and she’s back to normal (also, she’s never fallen over or anything). Do bunnies get muscle spasms?

[jerseygirl]

Allie, I would think they can have muscles spasms… they can have seizures.

Ahem…can I schedule a nail trimming appointment please? I could stand to take the buns on a nice vaca in your neck of the woods.

Absolutely! Come on down!

@ Mocha200, Lulu is looking straight at you! I think it was BB that said if the have head slightly to side and sort of cocked, that’s when they are looking most direct at you. Cupcake sort of did this when we got on the floor with her and it did appear she was checking us out. Earlier though, it seemed more unintentional while she was hopping around.

I think they’ll keep an eye on it. Bun has had a false pregnancy and is cage aggressive now so they’d concluded it might be good idea to get her spayed. Fingers crossed. So if they go ahead with this, she’ll be checked over before surgery.

[BinkyBunny]

I think the part that bothers me more is that she stumbled and seemed off balance. I know some bunnies that are white with red eyes do a type of scanning behavior that makes them look tilted and unbalanced at times (more so when they are stressed).

I know you said that your friend noted that her bunny does this sometimes. Did she say for how long it has been going on and when does it happen the most?

There are bunnies that do get used to the tilt that e.cuniculi can cause and function very well. I am not saying that is what it is but it’s not out of the question.

Also, could be something to do with a sore limb or ??. Really hard to know without a vets expertise.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I know KokaneeandKahlua mentioned Noot would get tilty when stressed and thought this might have been what was going on. So I am wondering if it’s something to be concerned about and should bring to their attention or not? I know there are a lot of things that can cause head tilt and am worried this occasional tilting is a precursor to a condition.

Yup-he was almost normal most of the time but if he was runnign for food or had been picked up he tilted. I wonder if he didn’t have the tendancy as a ‘left over’ from a previous infection earlier in life? If there is damage done by the infection, clearing the acute infection won’t erase the damage so that would explain his occaisional tilt. And might sadly explain how Chuck was exposed-always the risk bringing home a new bunny. They enjoyed each others company tremendously and I don’t regret it but I wonder often who exposed the other and if his slight tilt was related.

So in short yes I saw occaisional tilt with no acute infection or the major symptom follow through-full on tilt, rolling etc. But what that means I don’t know.

My major finding with my life full of tilty animals (My parents dog with her inner ear infection after a cancer that caused the same symptom, Chuck & Noot) through reasearch and my vets research and her specialists research, well and talking with the disabled rabbit group people-

That studies have shown even without treatment -the same percentage of bunnies get better and the same percentage don’t
The sooner meds are given the better the recovery chance
It could be EC but her specialist agreed that it usually isn’t a protist infection, but rather an internal ear infection in the bulla; If the infection rages long enough that the infected area is soupy-you are not going to clear it with antibiotics but surgery-a teca bo-total ear canal ablation and bullo-ectomy (sp?) which is what Mandy had.
And that the tilt is not hazardous to health-i.e they aren’t going to die from it, they can adapt to a reduced tilt if they don’t recover fully (In Chuck’s case his came back and did not respond and he was completely sideways and had to be in discomfort)-and really when they are acute-rolling etc-you just make sure they are safe-like a towel lined play crib or kidie pool.

(with the caveat that this is my research, what my vet and her specialist friend said, and what I read with disabled rabbits; there are different thoughts out there)

[mocha200]

@ Mocha200, Lulu is looking straight at you! I think it was BB that said if the have head slightly to side and sort of cocked, that’s when they are looking most direct at you. Cupcake sort of did this when we got on the floor with her and it did appear she was checking us out. Earlier though, it seemed more unintentional while she was hopping around.

Really?!? I never knew that!

[Author]

Messages