ayami
New Kit
My bun Charlie is 3 years old and nearly 2 month ago he suddenly had a tilted head. It just came without any signs.
He was sitting on his house in the cage and started to 'scan' around, moving his head from left to right really fast and i thought what the hell is wrong. So i looked up 'scanning' on the internet and found already the whole 'tilted head' problem, so i booked an appointment straight away with my vet. While i called, he even fell off his house and i started to panic as it looked really violent. More drama started, and i found that it usually is an ear infection most common, or that ear infection gone deeper.
So i went in and my usual vet wasn't there, but her stand-in and i swear i got angry really quick, because she didn't do anything properly. Not telling me what is wrong with him, she looked into his ears but couldn't see anything, and i had to tell her what i need. So she gave him a steroid injection and i got anitbiotics to give hime twice daily.
First two days were the worst in our life. Charlie did not move, he couldn't eat nor drink nor anything else. I had him in my lap and arm for the whole time, i kept him surrounded by blankets and even covered his eyes, because that seemed to calm him down, because the whole situation really stressed him. I was feeding him and giving him the bottle and everything. Unfortunately he peed on me but that was can he or I do. Then he got a little better in moving, but he started to roll around instead of hopping and it was very violent, my living room looked an absolute mess, as they have wooden shaving and hay as bedding in the cage, and due to the rolling, it just went flying massivly. Also I have their two seperate cage put together without a barrier (it just happend as i bought them seperate, and a brand new one i couldn't afford at the time), and they usually use the right side as their toilet and left side as sleeping and eating place...Well he is not able to hop to the other side, so he started to do his business all over the 'living room' of their cages. It got so bad, that i had to clean him every day by washing him and using some special wiping tissues for bunnies. And i had to change the whole cage nearly on a daily basis. I started to buy puppy training pats and put them on the bottom of the cage to absorb the peeing, which did help a lot!!!
The whole time it was stressful for me and both my babies, i could see that Maggie was feeling helpless as well....
I went two more times to the same vet, i never got proper answers or any help, just more steroid injections and anitbiotic. I looked up online that a probiotic helps as well, but all i could find was a carrot drink that has probiotic in, and both of them loved that drink. Charlie had very little signs of changes and i started to really feel like giving up and i went to look up online again more infos and found stories about other tilted head bunnies who have a good and happy life. So i went to change my vet and the new one was more helpful. they gave me new meds (don't ask me what exactly, i don't remember the name or use >_<< sorry) and i was told if there is no change within the next week, it would be better to release him.
The following week didn't do much, no changes again. So i went in the week after, and i was close to crying and the vet said what i wanna do and i said i can't give up, he's my little baby, so she said she has one more final idea, some tablets i have to give him twice daily, and i swear he started to improve a lot. He moves around better, and just feels more active, even hopping around a little.
Now here comes the thing...he still is not able to move out of the cage himself, if i put him outside, he tries to find balance, usually is ok but he still rolls around and thats like a force of nature, Maggie usually is the one getting a right good kick and i hurt just listening to the rolling. He also still can't get to the other side of the cage as well...He practically still can't do a lot.
Then one of his front teeth is a little crooked, but the vet said i don't need to worry about that, it is still ok, but the last couple days he started to drool....i thought it's because he was just drinking, but now i see him always being wet on the side of his facce that is pointing down...I have a new appointment tomorrow afternoon and i will see what happens....
I forgot to say, i live in Ireland, in a small town...usually my vet is good with my bunnies, but they are usually more into treating farmers animals such as cows, sheep and horses and then cats and dogs! And with this i can clearly see i did not get the treatment i should have gotten and i also feel like I wasted precious time, which makes me feel guilty!!! I don't and can't give up on him, but i still feel like i am doing him more harm them help
(sorry for the long story, it was just something i needed to share and get off my chest, maybe it helps others, too)
Wish me and Charlie luck, maybe someone got a bit of advice for us...
Also i wanted to ask what you guys use for the housing of your bunnies, because the wooden shaving are just a mess, but then just hay would go mad flying too and i can't just have the puppy pads in the bottom as both Maggie and Charlie would shred it...
~ayami
He was sitting on his house in the cage and started to 'scan' around, moving his head from left to right really fast and i thought what the hell is wrong. So i looked up 'scanning' on the internet and found already the whole 'tilted head' problem, so i booked an appointment straight away with my vet. While i called, he even fell off his house and i started to panic as it looked really violent. More drama started, and i found that it usually is an ear infection most common, or that ear infection gone deeper.
So i went in and my usual vet wasn't there, but her stand-in and i swear i got angry really quick, because she didn't do anything properly. Not telling me what is wrong with him, she looked into his ears but couldn't see anything, and i had to tell her what i need. So she gave him a steroid injection and i got anitbiotics to give hime twice daily.
First two days were the worst in our life. Charlie did not move, he couldn't eat nor drink nor anything else. I had him in my lap and arm for the whole time, i kept him surrounded by blankets and even covered his eyes, because that seemed to calm him down, because the whole situation really stressed him. I was feeding him and giving him the bottle and everything. Unfortunately he peed on me but that was can he or I do. Then he got a little better in moving, but he started to roll around instead of hopping and it was very violent, my living room looked an absolute mess, as they have wooden shaving and hay as bedding in the cage, and due to the rolling, it just went flying massivly. Also I have their two seperate cage put together without a barrier (it just happend as i bought them seperate, and a brand new one i couldn't afford at the time), and they usually use the right side as their toilet and left side as sleeping and eating place...Well he is not able to hop to the other side, so he started to do his business all over the 'living room' of their cages. It got so bad, that i had to clean him every day by washing him and using some special wiping tissues for bunnies. And i had to change the whole cage nearly on a daily basis. I started to buy puppy training pats and put them on the bottom of the cage to absorb the peeing, which did help a lot!!!
The whole time it was stressful for me and both my babies, i could see that Maggie was feeling helpless as well....
I went two more times to the same vet, i never got proper answers or any help, just more steroid injections and anitbiotic. I looked up online that a probiotic helps as well, but all i could find was a carrot drink that has probiotic in, and both of them loved that drink. Charlie had very little signs of changes and i started to really feel like giving up and i went to look up online again more infos and found stories about other tilted head bunnies who have a good and happy life. So i went to change my vet and the new one was more helpful. they gave me new meds (don't ask me what exactly, i don't remember the name or use >_<< sorry) and i was told if there is no change within the next week, it would be better to release him.
The following week didn't do much, no changes again. So i went in the week after, and i was close to crying and the vet said what i wanna do and i said i can't give up, he's my little baby, so she said she has one more final idea, some tablets i have to give him twice daily, and i swear he started to improve a lot. He moves around better, and just feels more active, even hopping around a little.
Now here comes the thing...he still is not able to move out of the cage himself, if i put him outside, he tries to find balance, usually is ok but he still rolls around and thats like a force of nature, Maggie usually is the one getting a right good kick and i hurt just listening to the rolling. He also still can't get to the other side of the cage as well...He practically still can't do a lot.
Then one of his front teeth is a little crooked, but the vet said i don't need to worry about that, it is still ok, but the last couple days he started to drool....i thought it's because he was just drinking, but now i see him always being wet on the side of his facce that is pointing down...I have a new appointment tomorrow afternoon and i will see what happens....
I forgot to say, i live in Ireland, in a small town...usually my vet is good with my bunnies, but they are usually more into treating farmers animals such as cows, sheep and horses and then cats and dogs! And with this i can clearly see i did not get the treatment i should have gotten and i also feel like I wasted precious time, which makes me feel guilty!!! I don't and can't give up on him, but i still feel like i am doing him more harm them help
(sorry for the long story, it was just something i needed to share and get off my chest, maybe it helps others, too)
Wish me and Charlie luck, maybe someone got a bit of advice for us...
Also i wanted to ask what you guys use for the housing of your bunnies, because the wooden shaving are just a mess, but then just hay would go mad flying too and i can't just have the puppy pads in the bottom as both Maggie and Charlie would shred it...
~ayami