Baby rabbit with head tilt :(

So I have a baby rabbit at the moment, he's almost four months and I just noticed he has bad head tilt this morning. He's still active and trying to eat but sometimes rolls over and can't get up very easily

About a week or two ago he got out and my dogs chased him and licked him and played with him a bit, I don't know how rough they were with him but he didn't seem injured. Could it be caused from the trauma of that?

I know it could be an ear infection too. Does anyone know what kinda antibiotics he should have and for how long, dosage etc.? Vets around here aren't very knowledgable about rabbits at all and it's Saturday so they'll all be closed til Monday And I'm scared they'll just suggest to get him put to sleep.

Or could it be caused by some kind of bacteria and would that make him contagious to other rabbits, guinea pigs or chinchillas?

I know so little about head tilts, so trying to research now and wishing I did it before

Do you think there's hope of him recovering or getting a bit better, or should I be thinking of getting him put to sleep? If he gets a bit better and can hop around and eat and isn't suffering, then I'll do everything I can to look after him, but if he can't live a normal, happy life then I think I would get him pts

aww poor bun

i would contact your emergancy vets asap and get seen today! they would know what would be best.

In the mean time i would try and make your bun as comfertable as poss.

Sending vibes xx

There should be an emergency vet. Most vets will put that info on their answering machine.

He needs a vet ASAP. We had the same thing on a Sunday morning. Woke up, Mischa with extreme head tilt and unable to stand. We got him straight to the vet and he had painkiller, Panacur (EC) and antibiotics (infection). It took a while and quite a bit of effort from us and battling from Mischa but we got there.

I'm gonna just ring a vet now that my friend says is open. Should I get Baytril? Should I get Panacur too in case it's EC? or just try antibiotics first?

I dunno what the vet will say, or if she'll know anything, but will ask for Baytril cos I know someone whose rabbit had the same thing and she got Baytril . . .

I would contact the emergency vets asap. A rabbit that has possible trauma from other animals is one thing, but with ec , your rabbit may not even make it as this needs immediate treatment. Mine died on arrival at the vets after being diagnosed with EC and i called her out on a weekend immediately.

I wouldn't wait.

The only advice i have is...

Please do call a vets immediately. This isn't something that will wait until monday.

Sorrry about your bunny x

p.s with the right treatment ec is treatable as are most things if caught soon enough. The longer things are left the higher risk there will be further complications.

ciarapatricia said:

I'm gonna just ring a vet now that my friend says is open. Should I get Baytril? Should I get Panacur too in case it's EC? or just try antibiotics first?

I dunno what the vet will say, or if she'll know anything, but will ask for Baytril cos I know someone whose rabbit had the same thing and she got Baytril . . .

Click to expand...

It won't hurt to do both I shouldn't think but the vet will know best. Baytril might not be strong enough so the vet may decided to use a different abx.

Thanks everyone

I asked my friend and found a vet that's open who is a small animal vet and has some experience with smallies so hopefully will know. I have an appointment for 3pm, so hopefully he'll be ok.

I'll ask for antibiotics, I'm sure she'll know which ones are safe. And I'll ask about panacur too.

Hello,
I have had a bunny with head tilt, he was about 6 months old when it happened to him.

He was treated with panacur & baytril (although there are better antibiotics) for 6 weeks, he also should have had constant Metacam, but i never found that out until later. I would expect your vet to give you Panacur, Baytril and Metacam. The vet may give some Steroid shot while at the vets, then once that wears off you would use the Metacam, ask the vet all this though.

My bunny recovered, although he was left with a head tilt. Many bunnies just totally recover from this, it is not a total loss.

Is your bunny eating, drinking, pooing, peeing & getting about ok? If yes then those are all great signs.

Beware, that head tilt can cause a bunny to loose balance and roll, this is very distressing to see, but is a sad factor to head tilt.

I would also make sure that a non steroidal anti-inflammatory such as METACAM is prescribed.

NSAIDs are an essential part of the treatment for both a middle ear infection and/or EC.

If the Vet says 'well the Rabbit is not in pain so NSAIDs are not necessary' I would politely put it to him/her that the clinical symptoms of headtilt indicate an inflammatory condition within the central nervous system, caused by either a bacterial infection or EC. So a NSAID should be prescribed for DAILY administration to address the inflammation.

Thanks, I will ask for Metacam too.

He is still getting around ok but does roll around if he loses balance. He was trying to eat some lettuce and I haven't noticed if he pooped or peed yet because it happened so recently, but I'll keep an eye on that.

I will let everyone know what the vet said and how he is later. If the vet says to put him to sleep then I'll say that I want to try to treat him for a week at least and see how he is.

He is separated from the other rabbits and I'm going to move them along the grass and give them another hutch I have, just in case . . .

One of my buns Dodger has head tilt and he's been on Zithromax, panacur and metacam for over 4 weeks, he is slowing improving, it's not something that disappears overnight.

Like others have suggested I would contact a vet sooner rather than later, as he will need meds.

The vet thought it was an ear infection, so I'm giving him Baytril and Metacam, and will bring him in on Monday to see how he's doing.

She said it's not from the trauma of the dogs playing with him before, because that would most likely have affected him straight away.

So I hope it is an ear infection and nothing worse and he starts improving . . . wish him luck

I am not a vet but if it is EC, you,ll need Panacur (I always have some at home and do a course of it every 6 month as a precaution), antibiotics and vitamin B is also very important (I can't remember if it is injected or given orally). And something against.the.pain.

This list is not complete, but these are the things I know for sure.
If caught early and treated immediately and long enough, you bunny should be ok.

It is not a death sentence!

He was at the vet's again this morning, and it's definitely an ear infection. She could see pus in the ear.

So he's continuing on the Baytril and Metacam and hopefully it starts getting better soon. Otherwise I guess we'd try a different antibiotic or something.

His head is still really bad, and his balance is very bad and he keeps falling over. But he's happy and hopping around and eating.

Thank God it isn't EC

Still no improvment in the bunny after a week of Baytril but he hasn't gotten worse either.

Someone whose 2 rabbits had the same thing said that one of them didn't respond to Baytril so needed a weekly injection of Penicillin aswell and that worked. So I might ask the vet about that on Monday if he isn't improving.

Wish him luck