Bunny moving head up and down (not eye movement)

[MightyMax]

No the vet looked in her eyes and said they looked normal nothing she could see. Someone Elsey mentioned treating for EC and this is something I'm tempted to do although the vet didn't want to without a £120 test to see if she has EC and a £95 x-ray of her head. I personally feel it's a waste of money but from the outside their is nothing physically won't with her so don't know what other options I have

Change your vet? Second opinion?

I think treating with Panacur could be a precaution that some vets might find worthwhile.

Regard the eyes ... it's really really difficult to establish blindness in a rabbit, let alone impaired vision. As I mentioned to you (having seen your videos) I could suspect a visual problem, but the bobbing to me would indicate something other/as well as that.

[Jack's-Jane]

No the vet looked in her eyes and said they looked normal nothing she could see. Someone Elsey mentioned treating for EC and this is something I'm tempted to do although the vet didn't want to without a £120 test to see if she has EC and a £95 x-ray of her head. I personally feel it's a waste of money but from the outside their is nothing physically won't with her so don't know what other options I have

Perhaps you could seek a second opinion from another Vet. Are you anywhere near here :

http://ashleigh-veterinary-centre.com/

If so, Aidan Rafferty is great

To be honest I do not think that giving Panacur will bring about a 'cure' to the head bobbing. But some Vets may decide to prescribe it to cover for other potential damage that EC can do, should EC be involved.

[thumps_]

Hi I'm so sorry That Bailey is head bobbing.
I agree fully with MM that we must be 101% sure that there is no type of infection going on here. I also completely trust her experience to comment on your video.

I just want to add that head bobbing isn't always caused by various infections or poor eyesight. (REW rabbits are classic)
My very nervous snuffles rabbit, Benjie, used to head bob to something new, or even a shadow when his snuffles flared up - lost his sense of smell (Smell is the major way they recognise things - predators & indeed us as individuals)
There was nothing wrong with his eyesight. He was trying to get more binocular vision than is the norm for rabbits to compensate for his loss of smell.
At the bottom of the list your rabbit [B]might[B] be doing head bobbing to compensate for some loss of hearing after the middle ear infection.

I cannot emphasise enough how important it is to be sure that there isn't a recurrence of the original infections.
If transporting him is a big stress out - some people use lavender to calm rabbits down during transport.

EC was taken so seriously that when 1 ear grew minimally larger than the other & lopped he had a course of panacure in case it was the early sign of EC
He also had the full range of tests for middle ear infection (recognised complication of snuffles) etc when he started head bobbing.
We only concluded the cause of his head bobbing after all Ix were negative - still watched very closely, but there was no further deterioration.

[MightyMax]

Hi I'm so sorry That Bailey is head bobbing.
I agree fully with MM that we must be 101% sure that there is no type of infection going on here. I also completely trust her experience to comment on your video.

I just want to add that head bobbing isn't always caused by various infections or poor eyesight. (REW rabbits are classic)
My very nervous snuffles rabbit, Benjie, used to head bob to something new, or even a shadow when his snuffles flared up - lost his sense of smell (Smell is the major way they recognise things - predators & indeed us as individuals)
There was nothing wrong with his eyesight. He was trying to get more binocular vision than is the norm for rabbits to compensate for his loss of smell.
At the bottom of the list your rabbit [B]might[B] be doing head bobbing to compensate for some loss of hearing after the middle ear infection.

I cannot emphasise enough how important it is to be sure that there isn't a recurrence of the original infections.
If transporting him is a big stress out - some people use lavender to calm rabbits down during transport.

EC was taken so seriously that when 1 ear grew minimally larger than the other & lopped he had a course of panacure in case it was the early sign of EC
He also had the full range of tests for middle ear infection (recognised complication of snuffles) etc when he started head bobbing.
We only concluded the cause of his head bobbing after all Ix were negative - still watched very closely, but there was no further deterioration.

Thanks Thumps, it's good to have your valuable input

Having corresponded with bunnymummy privately I suggested in my above post getting a second opinion, but of course there's always the cost of another vet visit, starting from scratch and wondering where it's all going. There was improvement previously with abx and I hope there will be again - you are right, infection must be eradicated.

However, I found your point about head bobbing to compensate for loss of hearing really interesting, and having seen what the rabbit does, there's that possibility also. Thank you.

I hope the abx help the situation - my concern was that they would be given for long enough.

[thumps_]

Thanks Thumps, it's good to have your valuable input

Having corresponded with bunnymummy privately I suggested in my above post getting a second opinion, but of course there's always the cost of another vet visit, starting from scratch and wondering where it's all going. There was improvement previously with abx and I hope there will be again - you are right, infection must be eradicated.

However, I found your point about head bobbing to compensate for loss of hearing really interesting, and having seen what the rabbit does, there's that possibility also. Thank you.

I hope the abx help the situation - [B]my concern was that they would be given for long enough.

Hi MM you are absolutely right. Middle ear infections always involve bone. They can go quiescent with a normal course of Abx but erupt again at a later point especially with a slight dip in the immune system.

[bunny mummy 1]

Perhaps you could seek a second opinion from another Vet. Are you anywhere near here :

http://ashleigh-veterinary-centre.com/

If so, Aidan Rafferty is great

To be honest I do not think that giving Panacur will bring about a 'cure' to the head bobbing. But some Vets may decide to prescribe it to cover for other potential damage that EC can do, should EC be involved.

Ashleigh vets is where I went. Leanne is the vet I usually see here

[bunny mummy 1]

Hi MM you are absolutely right. Middle ear infections always involve bone. They can go quiescent with a normal course of Abx but erupt again at a later point especially with a slight dip in the immune system.

Hi thanks for your advice and agreement with MM.
Today I haven't seen bailey Bob at all. Potentially because I've been in and out and she's been left to enjoy her day with her boys. She is just as happy and cheeky as usual and seems to love the taste of metacam and stemetil. To the point where she comes up to me and begs for it so I don't even need to hold her to medicate those two as she happily hops over and takes it from the syringe. The antibiotic not so much but as it's a relatively out small amount is easy enough to scoop her and give it. I'm really reluctant to start sedating to X-ray (the vet confirmed she will be sedated for the X-ray) as I am seeing improvement. I would like to continue antibiotic and add panacur but it concerns me that the vet is so against panacur without the EC test. I don't think she would give it to me without the test

[MightyMax]

Ashleigh vets is where I went. Leanne is the vet I usually see here

You're seeing a good vet, but I do understand all your concerns re X-ray etc ....

I am sorry they won't start the Panacur 'just in case' without a test, though.

[bunny mummy 1]

You're seeing a good vet, but I do understand all your concerns re X-ray etc ....

I am sorry they won't start the Panacur 'just in case' without a test, though.

Me too! Not going to lie I'm tempted to just go buy some from pets at home. Bailey does seem much better I haven't seen her Bob at all lately going to let her totally free range tomorrow to check but I feel hopeful. Now just need to make sure I give antibiotics long enough so it's gone. How do you know when it's gone? The infection I mean

[MightyMax]

Me too! Not going to lie I'm tempted to just go buy some from pets at home. Bailey does seem much better I haven't seen her Bob at all lately going to let her totally free range tomorrow to check but I feel hopeful. Now just need to make sure I give antibiotics long enough so it's gone. How do you know when it's gone? The infection I mean

Very difficult without before and after scans, and probably not 100% conclusive even then.

Some info here:

http://www.veterinarywebinars.com/me...se_Rabbits.pdf