Pebbles Head Tilt

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Joined
Jul 9, 2004
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Location
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
I gotthis pm from Stan this morning :(

<<<< Some time Saturday, Pebbles head started to tilt left. It was just slight, but at night she didn't finish her pellets and stay under her stool. Sunday, the head tilt was more evident. She eats OK when I hand feed her, is active and still pooping (smaller poops).

I know Dr. Goble is closed today. I am going to get my wife take Pebbles in to Dr Steel this morning with no appointment.

Got to go to work now.>>>>>

I am going to phone him now to see what's happening. Please keep Pebbles and Stan in your thoughts

Jan
 
Oh nooo not Pebbles!!!!!! :pray:

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:pink iris::pink iris::bestwishes::pink iris::pink iris:

:hearts Get better soon Pebbles!
 
Oh wow - I'm definitely keeping Pebbles in my thoughts and prayers.

Its good Stan caught it this early....I'm betting Pebbles can get over it pretty easy since its so early and she's in such good health....
 
Oh gosh! I hope sweet little Pebbie will be okay! I have to go to work soon, but I'll be thinking of her until I get home and can read an update. I hope everything turns out okay. Poor girly, and I'll bet Stan is really worried.
 
Shes in my prayers.
 
Oh no...poor little Pebbles

She's in my thought's and prayer's

Cheryl
 
Thank you Jan for phoning andposting for me. :hug:

Some how bunnies sense the sadness in us and it affects them. I was so shaken with (Jans) Pernod passing on Friday. I cuddled my bunnies on Friday night, knowing how fragile and so quickly they can be gone. Pebbles continued to lick my face in my sadness. Bebe loves to be held and would lay in your arms forever. Later in the night Bebe ended up with mushy poopy butts, and her hair got all matted that I had to cut some of her fur away.Lately the warm weather could also be a factor, as we suddenly got hot summer days, but my bunnies live spoiled in an air conditioned house.

Pebbles developed a tilting head on Saturday where she would lean to her right. She was still very much herself, but I worry when the slightest things go wrong. Sure enough, on Saturday night, when I feed my two their pellets, they would run around like I never feed them for days until I gave them their pellets. But that night Pebbles wasn't excited about her food. And in the morning (Sunday)the bowl of pellets was still there. So most of the day I would hold out food for Pebbles to eat. Her teeth seems fine as she would chew on the Alfalfa cubes that I hold for her. I have several different types of hay in front of her, but she only nibbles on them before turning her back on it. I'm not sure if she drinks out of her water bowl, but I give her vegetables soaking in waterfor her intake of fluids. She is hungry for the oats and flaxseed.I have Critical Care and Nutrical on hand.


Week ends are terrible to find a Vet. Being a long week end holiday, Dr Goble is closed.

This morning I got my wife to phone Dr Steele. She is on holidays and the other Rabbit doctor (Simmonds)was in surgery. Only Dr (Gaynor) wasavailable as a fill in over the summer. With Head Tilt, I didn't want to delay, so we took the earliest appointment this morning, and I went in during work. The doctor had little experience with rabbits, so I had to prompt her about her knowledge about antibiotics. She didn't want to go with Zithronmax, and she wasn't familiar with Ivomec for rabbits.At least she knew Baytril was ineffective as it never worked forPebbles. So we agreed on using the same medicine I had for Pebbles last year for her sneezing (Pasteurella strain). This antibiotic was made up from a culture test we had from Pebbles before. So later in the day I will run over to the lab (they have to make it up) and pick up the Doxycycline so I can start treating Pebbles. In 48 hours, I should know if this medicine works or not.

I did not want Dr Gaynor to check her teeth, ears and temperature as I didn't want to have Pebbles stressed out more.

Right now Pebbles is resting comfortably under her stool, but her head is tilted at the 11:00 clock position.Her poops have shrunkenand aresmall anddried out. There is no ear flicking, no loss of balance or dizziness, and her eagerness to push food away from me when I try to feed her.

Thank you all for replying and keepingPebbles in your thoughts. I am about to head outto pickupthe medicine.

Stan
 
Sending prayers and good thoughts your way.

:pray:



I wish your regular vet was available.
Keep the status quo until you can talk to your regular vet.

Use the time to research.
Try not to let her pick up on your stress..... sometimes easier said than done.

I think you're right about the necessity of something like a Z-pack treatment.
Aggressive antibiotics seem to be the best treatment.

We'll be keeping you and Pebbles in our thoughts.

Keep us updated.

~Jim


Chippy sends prayers, too!

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Oh I just spotted this! :( I am keeping Pebbles and you Stan in my prayers. I hope everything turns out ok. :pray:

Why do these things always have to happen on long weekends? :sigh:
 
I am a bit concerned with the treatment protocol here....I have just been thru so many tilters and know what it takes here. Doxycycline is an excellent drug...not so sure it's the best choice here based on what traditionally causes vestibular infections....but I am not a vet either. A culture would be the real way to diagnose and treat this concern. We have assumed pasteurella for years but we are seeing both new pathogens coming into play along with pasteurella becoming resistant. Zithromax is the drug of choice of most exotic specialists. I have used it extensively here. Other drugs that are usually effective are Penicillin or Chloramphenicol. A drug just approved for dog/cat use in the US is showing great promise. The drug is called Convenia. This drug is in a family of drugs that work like penicillin so it should be considered as an injectable only. A huge benefit of this drug is that it is only dosed one time and the drug is effective for two weeks. Interesting. Best wishes to Pebbles.

Randy
 
ra7751 wrote:
Zithromax is the drug of choice of most exotic specialists.
All the Vets here seem to balk at Zithromax. The vet I saw was just a fill in, and didn't have any confidence in rabbits. She wasn't sure what to prescribe Pebbles and is relying on the last treatment from a culture test we did in September.

Because of the holiday and long week end, I have gone ahead with Doxycycline and will be syringing .1 ml twice a day for the next two weeks. I will be contacting Dr. Steele (the doctor I wanted to see) in two days to report any changes, and will take Pebbles back for a full check-up.

If I waited, Pebbles wouldn't of had a chance to see any Doctors until Wednesday at the earliest, and medication wouldn't be ready until Thursday.
 
Oh no, Stan, Im so sorry you and Pebbles are going through this again.

They say bunnies can have EC and have absolutely no symptoms until something else causes their immune system to weaken. I wonder if this could be the case with Pebbles. You say her poops are small and such, was it like that last time? Im wondering if maybe some small infection or GI problem could cause that and the head tilt is a byproduct of her immune system being weakened?

Im glad you got her in and I hope the medication works again.

Please give Pebbles a kiss from me. I'll be worrying about your little one all week :?

Sending lots oflove andprayers up to Edmonton this week.

Haley
 
I see your problem quite a bit. Many vets are afraid to get "outside the box" for various reasons. I have used Doxycycline successfully in dealing with a peptostreptococcus bacteria in a rescue. It is in the tetracycline family. I'm not all that keen on using that family of drugs in rabbits as I tend to use more aggressive abx due to the situations I see. Considering the situation with the vets and the holiday and stuff.....I agree with you that it is better than waiting. Discuss with your doctor the drugs I mentioned in my earlier post. I have dealt with some very serious ear infections so I am very familiar with treating them. Keep us posted,

Randy
 
I hope to see quick improvement in Pebbles! How quickly can we hope for her to start feeling a little better?
 

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