• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

  • Please Note - Medical Advice

    Please keep in mind that posts on this forum are from members of the public sharing personal opinions. It is not a replacement for qualified medical advice from a veterinarian. Many illnesses share similar symptoms but require different treatments. A medical exam is necessary for an accurate diagnosis, without which appropriate treatment cannot be given.

    You should always consult your vet before following any suggestions for medication or treatment you have read about. The wrong treatment could make your rabbit worse or mean your vet is unable to give the correct treatment because of drug interactions. Even non prescription drugs can do harm if given inappropriately.

    We are very grateful to members who take time to answer other members questions, but please do be clear in your replies that you are sharing personal experience and not giving instructions on what must be done.

    Urgent Medical Advice: If you need, or think you might need, urgent medical advice you should contact a vet. If it is out of working hours phone your vet's normal number and there should be an answer phone message with instructions on what to do.

Kiki has a head tilt

R

Rab-bit

Alpha Buck
It's been a rough time bunny wise, Moley's hocks got sore, but thanks to Cpaynes post about the talk with the specialist we wrapped his hocks and he seems to be doing much better. We also had to dig out his and Poppy's run because the mesh under the ground had rusted away and they were caught digging under the shed :/
I rescued a bun from a free add, her name is April, during her spay last week she arrested, and the vet had to resuscitate, the vet is my boss so he told me as soon as they had finished. She went solo skinny afterwards and now i am feeding her up. She is a sweet bunny much friendlier then my 2 girls and I am supposed to be fostering her but I really went to keep her lol.

Now Kiki has developed a tilt this happened last Thursday, as soon as I saw it I took her to work and we started her on a course of Baytril, Panacur and Metacam. Her eye seems to be very bulgy on the side which she isn't tilting. She was given a thorough health check and nothing obvious was found on examination. I suggested blood tests but we are going to medicate and see how she gets on. She is eating fine and inquisitive she seems fine in herself just the tilt. It's not getting any worse but it doesn't appear to be getting any better either.
Please can I have any advice from the wonderful world of RU for caring for her and experiences and vibes she can get better soon.
 
Poor Kiki :cry: Has the Vet checked the intraocular pressure in the bulging eye ? Has the Vet mentioned the possibility of a retrobulbar abscess and a middle ear abscess ?

Diagnostics such as skull radiographs/CT scan could shed some light on what may be going on. Head tilt can involve many weeks of ongoing treatment, but trying to identify the precise cause early on is usually the best option. Obviously the Vet will weigh up risks versus benefits when considering whether it is appropriate to risk a GA for any diagnostics which cannot be done consciously.

Does Moley have some problems with arthritis in his previously fractured leg ? Arthritis is one of the primary causes of sore hocks, so just thought I'd flag that up. I expect the Vet has already mentioned it.

I hope that April will do well now after her recent traumatic experience, it must have been very scary for everyone.

Sending a bucket load of vibes for all the Bunnies xx
 
Thank you Jane those are some really interesting points and if we decide to investigate further which I am sure we will if there is no improvement we will discuss the options of skull x-Rays. The problem with my vet is he isn't rabbit savvy, he has a friend from vet school who is so we can consult with her at least.

I have thought about the arthritis problem with moley but I think it was because he didn't have access to his run for a couple of weeks and was living on hard flooring in the shed. In addition he was running on concrete/grass when he was out and about in the garden. If he starts to change behaviour wise and is struggling I will get him x-rayed I just worry about him under sedation :/
April seems fine now she has really come out of her shell :)

Thanks for the vibes and i hope all your little buns are doing well.
 
Rab-bit said:
It's been a rough time bunny wise, Moley's hocks got sore, but thanks to Cpaynes post about the talk with the specialist we wrapped his hocks and he seems to be doing much better. We also had to dig out his and Poppy's run because the mesh under the ground had rusted away and they were caught digging under the shed :/
I rescued a bun from a free add, her name is April, during her spay last week she arrested, and the vet had to resuscitate, the vet is my boss so he told me as soon as they had finished. She went solo skinny afterwards and now i am feeding her up. She is a sweet bunny much friendlier then my 2 girls and I am supposed to be fostering her but I really went to keep her lol.

Now Kiki has developed a tilt this happened last Thursday, as soon as I saw it I took her to work and we started her on a course of Baytril, Panacur and Metacam. Her eye seems to be very bulgy on the side which she isn't tilting. She was given a thorough health check and nothing obvious was found on examination. I suggested blood tests but we are going to medicate and see how she gets on. She is eating fine and inquisitive she seems fine in herself just the tilt. It's not getting any worse but it doesn't appear to be getting any better either.
Please can I have any advice from the wonderful world of RU for caring for her and experiences and vibes she can get better soon.
Click to expand...

I certainly agree with the regimen your vet has put Kiki on - that's what my vet did when my own bunny developed head tilt not so long ago :thumb:

If it's an ear infection, which it may be as it's a common cause of head tilt, a blood test may not show up the infection. It would be a good idea to see how she goes on the abx and perhaps change them after 10/14 days if there's no significant improvement.

A GA is always risky, and I try to avoid it with my buns, so I can understand your reluctance. My vet also doubled the Panacur dose for my rabbit's recent head tilt, and also extended the course from 4 to 6 weeks ....

I hope this helps a bit :) Good luck!
 
Rab-bit said:
Thank you Jane those are some really interesting points and if we decide to investigate further which I am sure we will if there is no improvement we will discuss the options of skull x-Rays. The problem with my vet is he isn't rabbit savvy, he has a friend from vet school who is so we can consult with her at least.

I have thought about the arthritis problem with moley but I think it was because he didn't have access to his run for a couple of weeks and was living on hard flooring in the shed. In addition he was running on concrete/grass when he was out and about in the garden. If he starts to change behaviour wise and is struggling I will get him x-rayed I just worry about him under sedation :/
April seems fine now she has really come out of her shell :)

Thanks for the vibes and i hope all your little buns are doing well.
Click to expand...

You're welcome.

Maybe you could ask for a referral to a specialist for diagnostics if they become necessary for Kiki ?

With regards to Moley and his hocks, sometimes a Rabbit who has had a fracture surgically repaired may have a slightly unbalanced gait even in the absence of arthritis. This can contribute to the development of sore hocks. Hopefully his issues are now well controlled and he will not have any more problems xx
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

A
Need help treating head tilt!
Replies
4
Views
261
bunny momma
bunny momma
B
Sneezing/sniffles, head tilt and gagging?
Replies
4
Views
469
Shimmer
S
O
Hind leg weakness
Replies
2
Views
249
InspectorMorse
InspectorMorse
Back
Top