Head tilt, not responding to meds and getting worse

My bunny has had balance issues (including occasionally falling over unable to get up) and a weepy eye for over 7 weeks now. The vet could see torticollis but no sign of any ear pus or anything to culture.

We did a month of panacur and put her on 48 hour bicillin injections (0.25ml). Then two weeks ago added in 1ml baytril twice a day (she is 1.2kg). She is already on 0.4ml metacam twice a day for her arthritis, she turns 12 next month. Also twice daily eye drops, two different kinds. The eye weep went away about a week ago finally.. Touch wood it won't come back.. It did before.

So it's been 7 weeks now of bicllin and 2 weeks of baytril and since last week her dizziness and falling over is getting worse and her head tilt is more pronounced. She seems less able to get up as well now.. Before she would only get stuck once every few weeks, now it's every day....At this point the vet is at a loss. He checked her teeth and they look good, she is eating well and no signs of pain.

Any ideas what to do now?i am wondering if it's not actually an infection,., maybe a stroke?

Wendy

Hello

I am sorry that your Rabbit is not responding to treatment. There are other causes of Vestibular Disease (Head tilt etc) aswell as a bacterial middle/inner ear infection or EC. There is the possibility of a brain lesion or a Cerebrovascular Accident (stroke). Or there could be the development of an encapsulated abscess in the inner ear or brain. The latter may be hard to treat with systemic antibiotics, the antibiotics may just not get to the core of the infection.

Without further diagnostics (CT Scan/blood tests etc) it is impossible to know precisely what you are dealing with. But then one has to consider how much a 12 year old Rabbit can cope with as far as diagnostics go ( a GA would be required). Even if a definitive diagnosis such as a brain abscess was obtained, would it be in the Rabbit's best interests to subject them to very, very high risk surgery. That is something only the Vet and the owner can decide. Personally I cant envisage a situation where I would agree to a 12 year old Rabbit in my care under-going a lot of stressful and high risk procedures. But each case needs to be judged on it's own merit by those most closely involved and suitably qualified.

There are other medications which can sometimes help with severe balance issues. I assume that as your Rabbit is having Bicillin you are in the US ? Bicillin is not legal here in the UK. I believe that a drug called 'Meclizine' is used in the US as part of the treatment of Vestibular Disease.

http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00Chem/ChComplex/Meclizine.htm

Or there is a similar drug called 'Procloperazine'

http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00Chem/ChComplex/Procloperazine.htm

Maybe you could ask your Vet about trying one of them to see if they help relieve some of the vestibular symptoms.