please help me :'(

hi,

just got back from the vets. buster hasnt eaten his breakfast and needs his dental. however, he is disorientated and is all wobbly and falls over sometimes. this has only started today. got another appt sat am with another vet but his dental isnt until monday. the vet told me he was wobbly cos he is old, but he wasnt like this yesterday. please help me, i dont know what is wrong with him or what to do. thank youxxx

Wobbly could be a few things and if it has just suddenly start is unlikely to be old age it could be EC an inner ear infaction, nerve damage etc. I would maybe get a second opinion

Did the vet prescribe anything? How old is the bun. I have never heard of a rabbit being wobbly because they are old.

It could be a number of things. Wesley was like this when he had EC or it could be an inner ear infection. Are there any vets you could try to get a second opinion.

both vet and i agreed his ears are clean. need a second opinion urgently, will take him to another vet asap. he is 6 (and a half!) my usual vet who i trust with his life has left that company and isnt in a surgery atm. he keeps falling to the right. i am so scared

all i have is recovery to build him up ready for surgery but it is only his breakfast that he hasnt eaten. ate all of his dinner last night

busterandme said:

both vet and i agreed his ears are clean. need a second opinion urgently, will take him to another vet asap. he is 6 (and a half!) my usual vet who i trust with his life has left that company and isnt in a surgery atm. he keeps falling to the right. i am so scared

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6 and a half isnt that old for a bun they can live til 9 or 10. You might not be able to see anything just looking in his ears. If he keeps falling thats very serious and he needs to see another vet very quickly before he gets worse ideally tonight.

I wouldn't suggest putting a bun that keeps falling over though surgery without knowing why

Poor Buster. I agree with the others, a second opinion is needed. E. cuniculi or an inner ear infection are possible causes amongst other things and he needs to start treatment asap. I would expect the vet to check his temperature and if no obvious cause can be found treat for e.c. with panacur or lapizole plus an anti-inflammatory (possibly even a steroid) and antibiotics to cover all the bases.
Good luck xx

webble said:

6 and a half isnt that old for a bun they can live til 9 or 10. You might not be able to see anything just looking in his ears. If he keeps falling thats very serious and he needs to see another vet very quickly before he gets worse ideally tonight.

I wouldn't suggest putting a bun that keeps falling over though surgery without knowing why

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Same here.

He needs immediate vet attention. I would try to get him to the vet as soon as you can.

I'm hoping for the best. xxxxx

I do hope you can get bunny seen today.

Where abouts in Surrey are you ?

It sounds as though your Rabbit is displaying neurological problems. These can be caused by a *middle* ear infection (cant be seen with the naked eye) or possibly a parasite that can effect the brain and central nervous system.

I feel sure your Rabbit needs more than just supplemented feeds.

been for a second opinion somewhere else, will let you know asap

ok, second opinion MUCH better. my little boy has head tilt, we have been given panacur, baytril and moxodon. he is circling his head now and his eyes are flicking. please help me to know what to do. it is very distressing, he wont move from his little hidey-house and he cant seem to settle and be still :'(

busterandme said:

ok, second opinion MUCH better. my little boy has head tilt, we have been given panacur, baytril and moxodon. he is circling his head now and his eyes are flicking. please help me to know what to do. it is very distressing, he wont move from his little hidey-house and he cant seem to settle and be still :'(

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You need to keep him in a small place with blankets or something soft. You will need to syringe feed if not eating. Is the bun inside. If I remember from when Wesley was I'll it took him a while to get better. Have you got any fibreplex or probiotics.

busterandme said:

ok, second opinion MUCH better. my little boy has head tilt, we have been given panacur, baytril and moxodon. he is circling his head now and his eyes are flicking. please help me to know what to do. it is very distressing, he wont move from his little hidey-house and he cant seem to settle and be still :'(

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okay, sounds like EC or an ear infection. Panacur is for EC and should be a 28 day course. Does that sound right? The baytril is an antibiotic so would be to combat any infection. Not sure about moxodon. He should also really have a painkiller (unless moxodon is a painkiller ).

I have no experience with EC but I know other people have and will be able to give you some good advice. Well done for getting a second opinion. You should be able to get him treated and back to his old self now.

These links may be helpful

http://www.onthewonk.com/

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/tilt.html

Hi :wave:

So sorry your bun has head tilt, my bun Mimi had it last year so I know how distressing it is

Unfortunatwly, whether it is due to EC or an ear infection (as Mimis was) it is likely to get worse before it gets better But please keep up your hope because they CAN make a full rdcovery

All i can tell you is my experience. One day Mimis eyes started flickering and she became slightly off balance. A few days later her head yilted considerably and over the next couple of days she lost her balance completely, she couldnt stand up atall

My vet put her on Marbocyl (antibiotic), Metacam and Meclozine (a human anti vertigo drug to hekp with the dizzyness.) My vets personal opinion was that it is rare for EC to cause head tilt without showing other symptoms like a high temperature, so he went ahead and treated for an ear infection even though none was apparant on sight.

Mimi was completely incopacitated fir 5 weeks before she started regaining her balance. I had to confine her to a padded cage and rither myself or my boyfriend had to be with her 24/7 to stop herfrom continously rolling. It was a very hard time

After 5 weeks she one day began attempting to walk by herself. Over the bext week she gradually and gingerly regained her balance, altgough her head was still tilted at 90 degrees. Over the next few weeks/months her head righted itself back to normal. I gave her gentle neck massages every day which I believe helped alot.

Please feel free to ask me any questions that might be useful to you and your bun. Its so horrible, i was in tears alot with Mimi but it was SO amazing when she recovered

By the way, if your bun is very unsettled it might help to support her head gently with your hand for a while. I found Mimi would rest her head gratefully in my hand and settle for a sleep. I used to gently massage her neck and back at the same time to help ease the tension that would have built up from the tilt :wave:

My bun Storm went through something similar last year. It took a couple of months, but she made a complete recovery. I know it's very upsetting to see right now, but I hope that gives you hope! Sending lots of vibes for Buster xx

thank you for the replies.

i have recovery to syringe feed him, a packet a day until he can have his dental.
panacur for 10 days to kill the parasite. (1 pump a day)
maxolon in case he goes into stasis. (0.4ml 3x daily)
baytril (1ml 2x daily)

should he be having painkillers too? and an anti vertigo drug?
i have a smaller cage, should i put him in that and pad it out to minimize movement?
the panacur directions say he should have 28days doses if ec is suspected, so yes i will go get some more. he loves head massage, will give him a massage as often as i can as long as he is comfortable with it.
thank you for the links also.
i am so sad. feel like i could have prevented this if i'd have wormed him.

gemmapookie, can i pm you if i need to chat? thank you xxx

Great news that he has been diagnosed and is being treated and well done for reacting so quickly. Good luck with the treatment