Head tilt, rolling... parasite???

[allydp]

So I have a 7 week old dwarf bunny I got for christmas, I took her to the vet to make sure she was okay, & then later that day my bf noticed she was leaning her head to her right & it kept getting worse the next day. So two days later I took her back to the vet & they said they thought it could be a parasite, so they took blood & gave me medicine to give her (which I have) but it hasn't been doing anything & idk if it could maybe be anything else. Im just scared, because she's still leaning to her right side & she rolls in a circle sometimes & rolls down from her second level of her cage. Anyone have any idea?

 

[NorthernAutumn]

I am going to re-name your topic a bit so people will know what we will be discussing

I will also move this to the Infirmary...
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_forum.php?id=16

Please fill out this form (just copy and paste into your next post): http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=44529&forum_id=16

 

[NorthernAutumn]

Also, please write out the full names of the medicine

Based on your brief description, it sounds like it may be E. cuniculi or torticollis aka head tilt.
Did the vets mention either of those terms?


For starters though, block off the second level of the cage.
She needs to be on only one level right now, so she can't fall and hurt herself. Make some bumpers out of old towels, and put them around the cage base to protect her.

Is she able to walk normally at all?

RO Lagomorph Library: Head Tilt/Torticollis
RO Lagomorph Library: E. cuniculi

 

[allydp]

All that is on the medicine bottle is panacur liquid & she told me to give her. 2cc everyday for 14 days. & she said she thinks its ecuniculi, which was why she did the blood test to double check. & the second level isn't hight at all & I already put towels on the bottom floor, because when she would jump in she would hit herself, so I also built her a ramp, but she still seems to try to jump in & out.

 

[allydp]

& her walking is normal her head just tilts to the side, she's normal aside from that.

 

[NorthernAutumn]

Sorry hon, I really encourage you to take the second level out, or block it off... even things that don't seem high should be removed in this type of situation. Don't really need to be dealing with a broken leg or other injury plus this, right?

Did the blood tests come back yet? If not, when are they coming in?

Did the bun come from a petshop or breeder?

Excellent post from one of the infirmary moderators (Randy) about E.C.: Randy's take on EC and treatment

E.Cuniculi Treatment Success Stories - Kathy Smith

 

[allydp]

sorry forgot about this.

IMMEDIATE INFORMATION:


Location

Description (Breed, color, weight) dwarf rabbit, black, 1.09 pounds.

Age 7 weeks

Sex female

Concise Summary of the Rabbit's Condition: head tilt & rolling.



ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / CHECK LIST: (Please fill in relevant info).

Fecal and Urinary Output

- are the bunny's poops and pees normal? yes,
- when did they last use their litterbox? all time.
- any unusual behavior? straining to pee? unusual litter habits? no.
- what litter and/or bedding do you use? carefresh natural

Medical History

- spayed/neutered? no.
- has s/he been to the vet or been sick before? last wednesday for a checkup& friday about the head tilt & rolling.
- is s/he on any medications? panacur

Diet

- what specifically does your bunny eat? hay from the hrs & pellets.
- when and what did s/he eat last? hat.
- any changes in the way s/he eats? (ie: not eating a particular food, odd chewing motions, etc) no.


Other

- movement - any unusual movements? Is s/he hopping normally? she's completely normal aside from her head tilt.
- is the rabbit molting? i dont know what molting is.
- any weight loss? no.
- any sign of drooling? wet face? not that ive seen
- runny eyes? no, but she has crusties on the corners of her eyes.
- wet nose? coughing? sneezing? no.
- is s/he breathing normally yes.

Additional

- any plants, chocolate or other substances within reach? no.
- has the rabbit been outdoors? no.
- any other pets? if so, have they been ill? no.



i haven't gotten a phone call from the vet yet, so i was going to call tomorrow to see if theyve come back yet. & my boyfriend got her from a breeder in jamul, ca.
i'm just nervous & scared she's not going to be okay.

 

[NorthernAutumn]

Molting : losing hair. Is she shedding a lot?
Looking forward to response from the infirmary mods.

While you are waiting for response, you might want to read some of the articles in the links I posted further up thread... Good medical information and personal experiences of other owners.

I hear you... This is a challenging situation, for sure.
It would be a really good idea to let the breeder know what is going on, as they may have a parasite moving through their herd.
They may also offer you compensation in some way.

This is an aggressive illness that requires fast paced treatment to prevent the condition from getting worse

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Did the vet look in her ears? If she has an ear infection the Panacur will do nothing to help her. My bunny had this very illness over the summer and it took him almost 2 months to recover but he did. He was on antibiotics the whole time along with Penicillin injections weekly.

 

[NorthernAutumn]

Do you have that thread handy, Shiloh?

 

[allydp]

Oh no she's not shedding.
my bf already talked to her she said shed replace her. =/

& the vet did she said one ear looked a little red, but she didn't think that's what it was.

 

[NorthernAutumn]

If it IS E.c., the Panacur has to go for at least 28 days (as that is the lifecycle of the parasite). 2 weeks isn't going to do it.

The vet should have assessed for ear infection... between that and giving you too little Panacur, I'm not sure I have a lot of confidence in her :/

Is your vet listed here?: http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_forum.php?id=9

If not, these are some vets in your area that have been recommended by other bunny owners:
Dr. Jeffrey Jenkins (HRS, PetBunny)
Dr. Todd Cecil (PetBunny)
Avian & Exotic Animal Hospital
2317 Hotel Circle South
San Diego, CA
(619) 260-1412
Recommended by: Cindy Fisher
Submitted: 2/06

Eastlake Village Veterinary Clinic
Dr. Ixchel Mosley
2260 Otay Lakes Road Suite 113
Chula Vista 91915
(619) 482-9100

Here are some more rabbit vets suggested by the San Diego HRS: http://sandiegorabbits.org/health/vetlist.html

An article on how to find a good vet: http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/vet.html

I would really encourage getting a second opinion from one of the vets listed above...

 

[allydp]

She gave me some for 14 days until the blood test came back. & yes she's on that list as well as on the house rabbits society web site.

 

[NorthernAutumn]

Awesome - that's a relief

 

[allydp]

Yeah & a girl I work with used to take her rabbit to that vet as well.
I just hope nothing is serious with her. =/

 

[Jacki-Small-Pet-Select]

So sorry to hear about your bunny. You've been given some really good advice on here, these people know what they're talking about!

Let us know what the blood test results come back as - and I'm sure everyone is keeping their fingers crossed that your little bunny will be okay.

Best of luck,
Small Pet Select

 

[Bunnylova4eva]

Praying for your bunny-I had a head tilt bunny for quite some time last year, and I can totally sympathize-it is a tough illness to deal with in a bunny.

If the rolling gets really bad, (or just any rolling) you may consider padding the cage. Roll towels and put them all around. Otherwise you risk injury to the bunnies back which isn't something you want to deal with.

Make sure the bunny is eating really well-if you notice appetite drop, try to get some Oxbow Critical Care to feed your bunny.

 

[JadeIcing]

I've dealt with head-tilt more than I would care to admit. Is it just blood work you are waiting on? Sadly a bun so young there are a lot of meds you can't use. I would make sure she can't get to the second floor I have seen bunnies fall and break their back from landing wrong.

 

[allydp]

Yeah, its just the blood work, I should get a call tomorrow about the results, & I took off her second level. But with the ramp my bf made her so she can get in & out of her cage herself, she doesn't use it she jumps from the corner & today she got stuck in the corner & kept rolling over. =/ idk how to make her one that shell use so she doesn't get hurt.

 

[SnowyShiloh]

This is the link to Ned's thread: http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=66773&forum_id=16

I don't understand why the vet is convinced it's from a parasite. Ned's ears were checked out by two vets a few days apart and neither could see anything wrong at all with them but they both believed it was an inner ear infection, which is something you cannot always see. Ned's symptoms were much less severe than your bunny's, too. One of my rabbits died from EC and even knowing that, they thought it was an ear infection. I think they were right too because it went away with antibiotics. He did get Panacur just in case but I think the antibiotics made him better. One day he got his antibiotics a a few hours later than normal (I think we were refilling his prescription) and his tilt, which had appeared to be gone, returned during that time.

Have you considered taking her to a different vet? I know how hard it is, especially when you JUST got the bunny and understandably think she should be perfectly healthy.