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Head tilt urgent advice needed please

Zigzag

Alpha Buck
Hello all,

You've all been very helpful before, and I'm hoping you can help again. My rabbit was slightly off this morning, and when we came home from work he was disorientated, confused and tilted to one side.

We took him to the emergency vet- the vet was not a rabbit specialist but said the diagnosis was likely to be head tilt e cono - I'm sure you know what it is. The vet couldn't find any infection in the ear. My rabbit's pupils were very slow at dilating, which he said pointed towards the parasite.

He didn't have the medication for the parasite, but said my rabbit might now have brain damage. The vet gave a steroid to reduce swelling, and a pain relief. He kept on emphasising that it's unlikely he will survive.

My partner is hoping to take my rabbit to the vet (rabbit savvy) tomorrow. We've brought them home
, but it's horrible seeing him so disorientated. He's also not eating much at all.

Can any of you give me any advice on what to do tonight?

Sorry if I sound slightly unfriendly, and demanding- I'm in tears right now.

Thanks

Rumaana
 
Hello all,

You've all been very helpful before, and I'm hoping you can help again. My rabbit was slightly off this morning, and when we came home from work he was disorientated, confused and tilted to one side.

We took him to the emergency vet- the vet was not a rabbit specialist but said the diagnosis was likely to be head tilt e cono - I'm sure you know what it is. The vet couldn't find any infection in the ear. My rabbit's pupils were very slow at dilating, which he said pointed towards the parasite.

He didn't have the medication for the parasite, but said my rabbit might now have brain damage. The vet gave a steroid to reduce swelling, and a pain relief. He kept on emphasising that it's unlikely he will survive.

My partner is hoping to take my rabbit to the vet (rabbit savvy) tomorrow. We've brought them home
, but it's horrible seeing him so disorientated. He's also not eating much at all.

Can any of you give me any advice on what to do tonight?

Sorry if I sound slightly unfriendly, and demanding- I'm in tears right now.

Thanks

Rumaana


Many many hugs Rumaana. I am sorry for your little one.

As I'm sure you know, there are several differential diagnoses for head tilt etc, and I had three vets pronounce different diagnoses for my rabbit when she had head tilt.

Sometimes fluid moves in the inner ear, not always infection, and if that's the case it's a sort of 'labyrinthitis' which can clear up easily on it's own.

Note that an inner ear infection won't show through a look with an otoscope though. You would need either a CT scan or an X-ray to confirm whether or not it's inner ear infection.

The sooner you can start on the treatment for E.Cuniculi, with a 28 day course of Panacur for *both* rabbits, the better :)

You would also want to discuss with your vet when you can put him onto Metacam. You can't give it whilst he's still getting the benefit of the steroid so you'd have to ask about the time lapse after it. Metacam is necessary to prevent the eruption of E.C. spores into organs such as the brain and kidneys which are particularly vulnerable, and where they would cause an inflammatory response. It might be a good idea to talk with your vet about having a full blood profile taken, because E.C. can cause issues in the kidneys. Your vet can then weigh up the pros and cons of prescribing Metacam, which it's believed can be particularly hard on the kidneys.

http://www.dechra.co.uk/therapy-are...cs-antifungals/disease-information/e-cuniculi


A couple of links about possible causes of head tilt:

http://www.rabbit.org/journal/3-8/head-tilt.html

http://www.rabbit.org/health/tilt.html



There's some info on this link about ear infections, but there are some graphic images:

http://www.exoticpetmedicine.com/article/S1557-5063(16)30173-2/pdf
(it also takes a while to load!)


What about joining this group to get some support?

https://www.facebook.com/groups/HelpforHeadTiltHoppers/


There's also some good info here:

http://www.disabledrabbits.com/head-tilt.html

I hope that there's something there that will give you some ammunition to take to your rabbit savvy vet tomorrow.

I am wishing you loads and loads of wonderful good vibes :wave:
 
EC is treatable but may take several weeks or months to resolve. The standard treatment is 28 days of Panacur (oral anti-parasitic to reduce the active infection), and anti-inflammatory (eg oral metacam to reduce the neurological damage done by the parasite) running at the same time. Often an antibiotic is given at the same time as the diagnosis may not be definitive for EC and this covers for eg inner ear infection which may give similar symptoms.

As your rabbit has already had a steroid, you will have to seek advice regarding whether to continue with steroids or move to ant-inflammatory meds - they cannot be used together. It is essential that one or the other is given as the symptoms are signs of neurological damage done by the parasite. Just eliminating the parasite does not relieve these symptoms.

At home, you need to make sure he is eating normally. You may need to change how he is fed if he is unable to reach the food or is struggling to eat. There are various options if it comes to it - just make it easy for him to eat and drink as normally as possible. Syringe feeding of his usual pellets mashed in hot water (or use a commercially available powder eg Oxbow Critical Care) is an option for top up feeds (or total feeds for a while). The pouches of veg based baby food are also useful.

You also need to monitor output - normal wee and poo indicates that he is eating and drinking OK.

If he is unable to move about as normal, he may appreciate an extra heat source (eg a Snugglesafe heat pad).

Rabbits with EC often have a rollercoaster ride - they get better for a while and then worse again. This is normal. Just keep him comfortable, fed and medicated.

The EC parasite is shed in urine, so it is recommended to fully disinfect everything they have contact with on days 21 and 28 to interrupt the parasite's lifecycle and prevent reinfection of any rabbits sharing the same area.

Many rabbits recover completely from this common parasite. Some have a residual sign such as a head tilt, but it doesn't often bother them. They may also relapse in the future and require the same cycle of treatment again.

There is a lot of advice on here if you use the search facility. EC is far from a death sentence, although it can take a lot of your time to nurse them through the first few weeks. If caught early, it can dramatically improve in a week or so. The help of a rabbit-savvy vet and nurses can be invaluable. If you need a recommendation, ask in a new thread for 'Rabbit-savvy vet needed in *your area*'.

You have been quick to get treatment for you rabbit, and I hope any info on here also helps. Many of us have been through this and come out of it OK. Take it a day at a time and look for improvements week by week. Often the rabbits seem to cope better than we do.
 
Hi Mighty Max

Thank you again, you are so, so, helpful. This isn't the first time you've helped me, and I'm sure many other millions of others!

Can you provide me with any advice around what to do tonight? Will his behaviour affect Zigzag (not showing signs)? Is there anything I need to do with Harrison? He's currently free range in the front room, and I don't want him to fall into anything

Thanks again ! You're super helpful :)
 
Hi Mighty Max

Thank you again, you are so, so, helpful. This isn't the first time you've helped me, and I'm sure many other millions of others!

Can you provide me with any advice around what to do tonight? Will his behaviour affect Zigzag (not showing signs)? Is there anything I need to do with Harrison? He's currently free range in the front room, and I don't want him to fall into anything

Thanks again ! You're super helpful :)


You are so welcome :) This is a horrid thing to encounter and you are not alone.

Zigzag may be a little confused by it all, but as far as Harrison goes I would try and confine him. This is something you will have to try before bedtime and see whether it works. For one of my rabbits this really freaked him out, but when they have a tilt and confusion it's often a good idea to put up a small area, padded around with towels and cushions.

Make sure he can get to his water bowl and encourage him to eat. If he doesn't eat on his own, then mix some critical care or ground up pellets with some juice, baby food (Ella's Kitchen) or water and get him to take it. By syringe if necessary.

With my bunnies I have used something like those cot bumpers for small babies, but any sort of cushioning will be a good idea to prevent himself harming if he falls over. You may have to check on him during the night - see how he goes nearer to bed-time.

Hugs xxx
 
Hello mightymax and shimmer- thank you for your advice. It's so helpful to get support here.

I searched the forum and found lots of things on head tilt, so I feel a bit bad posting a whole new thread. I put cushions all around him, but he stayed in the litter tray all night. Every time I went into the room last night he was on his side. I have tried to syringe feed him, but haven't been very successful (this morning) - his body is twisting round and round. I've only been a rabbit owner for 6 months, and this will be our 9th vet visit. That's partly why I'm not great at syringe feeding. He did however have some critical care last night.

It's awful seeing him like this, he looks like he's in so much pain. He's usually so greedy so it's horrible to see him refuse food as well

X
 
Hello mightymax and shimmer- thank you for your advice. It's so helpful to get support here.

I searched the forum and found lots of things on head tilt, so I feel a bit bad posting a whole new thread. I put cushions all around him, but he stayed in the litter tray all night. Every time I went into the room last night he was on his side. I have tried to syringe feed him, but haven't been very successful (this morning) - his body is twisting round and round. I've only been a rabbit owner for 6 months, and this will be our 9th vet visit. That's partly why I'm not great at syringe feeding. He did however have some critical care last night.

It's awful seeing him like this, he looks like he's in so much pain. He's usually so greedy so it's horrible to see him refuse food as well

X


It is very distressing to see, I agree :(

I'm glad you posted a new thread, because then you can ask questions specific to what's happening with you and Harrison :)

What time is your vet appointment? x
 
My partner took him to the vet (CJ Hall) this morning. The vet said it's either the ear infection or parasite- which you've both outlined. He doesn't think it's the ear infection (but isn't sure), and he'll be treating Harrison for both. I'll be calling later on to get an update. He's staying at the vets for 2 nights. I'll keep you updated.

I had to deliver training today, which wasn't easy. How's your little one?

X
 
My partner took him to the vet (CJ Hall) this morning. The vet said it's either the ear infection or parasite- which you've both outlined. He doesn't think it's the ear infection (but isn't sure), and he'll be treating Harrison for both. I'll be calling later on to get an update. He's staying at the vets for 2 nights. I'll keep you updated.

I had to deliver training today, which wasn't easy. How's your little one?

X


He will definitely be in good hands with Matthew :)

Thank you for asking after my wee boy. Hopefully time will bring him back to us :)
 
Just sending my well wishes and sympathies Zigzag, I'm going through exactly the same thing with my bun at the moment, it's just horrible to see & really very distressing. I know exactly what you mean by the twisting round & round....just horrible!
 
Hi Mighty Max

Thank you again, you are so, so, helpful. This isn't the first time you've helped me, and I'm sure many other millions of others!

Can you provide me with any advice around what to do tonight? Will his behaviour affect Zigzag (not showing signs)? Is there anything I need to do with Harrison? He's currently free range in the front room, and I don't want him to fall into anything

Thanks again ! You're super helpful :)


Zigzag - I was thinking of you last night, and wonder how you are your bun are doing?

Is Harrison home? x
 
Hello all,

Unfortunately I was told yesterday that Harrison wasn't making the progress that the vets had predicted. But he's been able to prop himself up today, which is positive. He is still twisting a bit though. We visited him and Zigzag today which was great. Although Harrison was in a C shape he ate lots of the veg we brought him. He also managed to keep himself up a few times. The nurse was lovely.

I'm going to get a further update on Monday. The nurse said that we could potentially nurse him at home (as long as his condition improves). We work full time, and I'd want to be really clear about what this involves. I really want him to get the best quality of life.

On another note, Zigzag is at the vet as well, but is being kept in a separate enclosure. When I saw the two of them today they seemed less bonded (not sure how to explain this, but Zigzag was definitely less attached to Harrison). Is this likely to improve? This is another thing I'm worrying about! Any advice would be appreciated

Thank you

X
 
Hello all,

Unfortunately I was told yesterday that Harrison wasn't making the progress that the vets had predicted. But he's been able to prop himself up today, which is positive. He is still twisting a bit though. We visited him and Zigzag today which was great. Although Harrison was in a C shape he ate lots of the veg we brought him. He also managed to keep himself up a few times. The nurse was lovely.

I'm going to get a further update on Monday. The nurse said that we could potentially nurse him at home (as long as his condition improves). We work full time, and I'd want to be really clear about what this involves. I really want him to get the best quality of life.

On another note, Zigzag is at the vet as well, but is being kept in a separate enclosure. When I saw the two of them today they seemed less bonded (not sure how to explain this, but Zigzag was definitely less attached to Harrison). Is this likely to improve? This is another thing I'm worrying about! Any advice would be appreciated

Thank you

X

I am sorry to hear that Harrison is so unwell. It sounds as though he needs constant supervision at the moment so perhaps it will be best for him to remain at the Vets if you and your OH are at work all day. The care Harrison may need at this stage could be very intensive. Unless of course Harrison's condition improves a lot by Monday. It is very hard to predict how EC/Otitis Media related symptoms evolve. I would discuss the situation with the Vet tomorrow.

As for his bond with Zigzag. Try not to stress about that for now. A protracted separation can effect a bond, but it isn't inevitable. Harrison sounds to be very incapacitated at the moment and that scenario could equally have a negative effect on the bond even if the Rabbits remained together.

I really hope that Harrison will show some signs of improvement soon. As he is at CJ Hall he is in the care of Exotics Specialist Vets and hopefully he is receiving all the correct medication to address both EC and Otitis media.

Not sure if you have joined this FB group, many people caring for Head Tilt Rabbits find the Group to be extremely useful

https://www.facebook.com/groups/HelpforHeadTiltHoppers/
 
Hello all,

Unfortunately I was told yesterday that Harrison wasn't making the progress that the vets had predicted. But he's been able to prop himself up today, which is positive. He is still twisting a bit though. We visited him and Zigzag today which was great. Although Harrison was in a C shape he ate lots of the veg we brought him. He also managed to keep himself up a few times. The nurse was lovely.

I'm going to get a further update on Monday. The nurse said that we could potentially nurse him at home (as long as his condition improves). We work full time, and I'd want to be really clear about what this involves. I really want him to get the best quality of life.

On another note, Zigzag is at the vet as well, but is being kept in a separate enclosure. When I saw the two of them today they seemed less bonded (not sure how to explain this, but Zigzag was definitely less attached to Harrison). Is this likely to improve? This is another thing I'm worrying about! Any advice would be appreciated

Thank you

X


Hi there and thank you for reporting back. I was worried how you all were ..

For a start, please try not to worry about their bond at the moment. First things first, and health is important. I think you are very sensible to get the low down on exactly what his care will entail before bringing him back home for nursing. It can be emotionally draining looking after a sick bunny - I've been on that patrol myself just recently as you know ..

Will you be going over to the vet on Monday to discuss the situation?

I mentioned this Facebook group in my first post to you, and wonder whether you might find them helpful and supportive. A lovely member here, Roxyroller has been there and lives to tell the tale. If you want to contact her I am sure she wouldn't mind a bit.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/HelpforHeadTiltHoppers/

Sending you and the buns continued vibes and hugs xx
 
Hi both, thank you for your posts. I'll be calling the vets on Monday to see how he's doing, I'm happy for both of them to stay there as long as it takes for Harrison to get better. I completely trust my vets judgment. He's currently having a daily injection (pain killer), panacur, and something else I think.

Unfortunately I'm not on Facebook (I hate it!). But my partner is, so I'll get him to look at the group you recommended. It would be good to get more advice.

I will keep you updated. It was lovely to see them both yesterday. I am a worrier, the bond is just an additional thing to worry about...!
 
Hi both, thank you for your posts. I'll be calling the vets on Monday to see how he's doing, I'm happy for both of them to stay there as long as it takes for Harrison to get better. I completely trust my vets judgment. He's currently having a daily injection (pain killer), panacur, and something else I think.

Unfortunately I'm not on Facebook (I hate it!). But my partner is, so I'll get him to look at the group you recommended. It would be good to get more advice.

I will keep you updated. It was lovely to see them both yesterday. I am a worrier, the bond is just an additional thing to worry about...!


I think the Facebook will be supportive, so good you have access :)

I agree, I would totally trust your vet, knowing him as I do :)
 
Hi All,

I spoke to my vet today. My vet is concerned about Harrison's long term prognosis, but has said we can bring him home to see how he gets on. Harrison managed to sit and stay up this morning, but then got worse as the day went on, he got more twisty and was on his back a few times. He's also wearing puppy pads

He is eating, which is positive. I happen to be off work this week, so will either pick him up tomorrow or Wed. I am nervous as I've only owned rabbits for 6 months, so it all feels quite intense. I'm also quite upset.

If you have any nursing tips, let me know. I'm also a bit worried because we'll both be at work next week, so I won't be able to monitor him closely.

Thanks x
 
Hi All,

I spoke to my vet today. My vet is concerned about Harrison's long term prognosis, but has said we can bring him home to see how he gets on. Harrison managed to sit and stay up this morning, but then got worse as the day went on, he got more twisty and was on his back a few times. He's also wearing puppy pads

He is eating, which is positive. I happen to be off work this week, so will either pick him up tomorrow or Wed. I am nervous as I've only owned rabbits for 6 months, so it all feels quite intense. I'm also quite upset.

If you have any nursing tips, let me know. I'm also a bit worried because we'll both be at work next week, so I won't be able to monitor him closely.

Thanks x


Hey - let me know if you need any help. I can PM you my phone number if you're at home with him and need advice.

Take care and best vibes for Harrison xx
 
Hi All,

I spoke to my vet today. My vet is concerned about Harrison's long term prognosis, but has said we can bring him home to see how he gets on. Harrison managed to sit and stay up this morning, but then got worse as the day went on, he got more twisty and was on his back a few times. He's also wearing puppy pads

He is eating, which is positive. I happen to be off work this week, so will either pick him up tomorrow or Wed. I am nervous as I've only owned rabbits for 6 months, so it all feels quite intense. I'm also quite upset.

If you have any nursing tips, let me know. I'm also a bit worried because we'll both be at work next week, so I won't be able to monitor him closely.

Thanks x

I think it'll be a case of taking things one day at a time. With head tilt it can be very hard to predict how a things will evolve and how Harrison is today may be very different to how he is this time next week.

With regards to his Nursing care, there may be some useful info on here :

http://www.disabledrabbits.com/head-tilt.html

https://onthewonk.co.uk/headtilt-help/how-to-make-your-headtilt-bunny-comfortable/

https://onthewonk.co.uk/headtilt-help/food-and-drink-the-essentials/
 
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