Head tilt (wry neck)

[zuppa]

Hi, this is Fred, I've got him from people who found him on street in cardboard box in January so he's with me about 2,5 months now. He wasn't looking very healthy he was staying in the corner not eating or drinking no movement first few days then started moving slowly I thought he's very old or very ill. He kept his head on the right side and couldn't hear well. Also he was sneezing. He really didn't look great.

Now, after two and a half months I can say he's a great rabbit, active and very good character, exercise a lot and knows well his toilet and he's a very clean rabbit, I don't even have to brush him and his scent glands are very clean too. He still keeps his head on one side and I think maybe he only can hear with one ear as sometimes I have to call him twice, but there's definitely no pain I can touch his ears and he is absolutely fine when I am touching him or taking him out his cage he's very relaxed and let me clip his nails or brush him or do what I want without any complaints. He is active in his cage and in playpen, although he's not jumpy and I think maybe it's just not easy for him to jump on box or something, he's more one-level rabbit. But he's looking very healthy except this head tilt. I've read about this issue and think maybe there was some kind of ear infection or maybe trauma that caused that, I will take him to vet for neutering hopefully next month and will ask vet then of course but as I said he's a very healthy looking rabbit and very happy as well, has great appetite and acts very normal. His ears are clean inside too and not painful.

Just wondering if he has parasites or inner ear infection he wouldn't look that healthy? As I mentioned he's with me nearly 3 months and is a great rabbit so I think he will probably have it for life or can it be cured or will it improve with time? Can it be dangerous to my other rabbits if there's kind of parasite or something? It is not progressing at all I thing it is getting better but I might be just too optimistic.

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https://rabbit.org/journal/3-8/head-tilt.html
>>Possible causes of head tilt (also known as torticollis or wry neck) are:

• Middle/inner ear infection (otitis media /interna)
• Stroke (cerebrovascular accidents)
• Trauma
• Cancer (neoplasia)
• Cervical muscle contraction
• Encephalitozoonosis
• Cerebral larva migrans
• Intoxication

 

[zuppa]

More pics

 

[Blue eyes]

I can barely notice the tilt. If you've had him for almost 3 months and it hasn't gotten worse, then it sounds like he may have already recovered from whatever was the cause.

I lost a rabbit to head tilt. She was at the vet within hours of the first sign. It progressed very rapidly, getting obviously worse each day despite the meds. She was rolling over and over trying to right herself.

She went from this (white & gray rabbit):


to this, in just 2 days...



The reason I show these photos is to show 1.) just how severe head tilt can be - depending on the cause, 2.) how rapidly it can progress (even on meds), and 3.) (and more importantly) how relatively mild it seems that your rabbit has or had it. Clearly your rabbit is doing much better and it certainly doesn't seem like he has the same thing mine did (we suspect she had central vestibular disease).

I'm sure Jenny (Jbun) will be able to advise you. I just wanted to both encourage you that your guy seems to be doing relatively well and let you (and others) know just how varied "head tilt" can be.

 

[zuppa]

I can barely notice the tilt. If you've had him for almost 3 months and it hasn't gotten worse, then it sounds like he may have already recovered from whatever was the cause.

I lost a rabbit to head tilt. She was at the vet within hours of the first sign. It progressed very rapidly, getting obviously worse each day despite the meds. She was rolling over and over trying to right herself.

She went from this (white & gray rabbit):
View attachment 40146

to this, in just 2 days...

View attachment 40147

The reason I show these photos is to show 1.) just how severe head tilt can be - depending on the cause, 2.) how rapidly it can progress (even on meds), and 3.) (and more importantly) how relatively mild it seems that your rabbit has or had it. Clearly your rabbit is doing much better and it certainly doesn't seem like he has the same thing mine did (we suspect she had central vestibular disease).

I'm sure Jenny (Jbun) will be able to advise you. I just wanted to both encourage you that your guy seems to be doing relatively well and let you (and others) know just how varied "head tilt" can be.

Oh poor thing I can see it progressed really badly I am so sorry for her.

Yes I think he's getting better now but still keeps his head on right side, but as it is not progressing and he looks and acts like a very healthy rabbit overall I think maybe he had it and it was cured but his owners maybe just lost hope and thought he'll die anyway so probably just got a new rabbit for Christmas instead of him. I don't know just guessing he was found first days of this new year on street.

So I thought maybe it was trauma or stroke as his ears are clean, I didn't inspect him properly immediately after I'v got him as I didn't want to stress him he peed on me when I took him on my lap first day so I let him be in his cage for a week or more until he started showing interest when I was coming to say hello in the morning. I think if it didn't get worse in 2,5 months it maybe just consequences of his previous condition. Maybe he needs some therapy, exercises or just leave him as is and he will get back slowly, maybe not fully. I am happy he's happy and definitely not suffering but it maybe he is not very comfortable. He never loses his balance and he's very smart rabbit.

Thanks for your pics they helped me to understand more about this issue.

 

[Blue eyes]

Sure. I do know of rabbits who still live normal lives even though they have a tilt to their head.

 

[zuppa]

He's all good I think he just learned how to live with it or maybe it will improve. For now it is just important to me that he's not in pain and as you said it probably not an ongoing issue so there's no risk for my other rabbits. As you said this is not very noticeable at first sight but when you know it is obvious that his spine is not straight so it can lead to other issues when he gets older. Maybe there are some techniques like massage and exercise or maybe some tricks to help him to straighten his spine. Like refurbishing his cage so he'd need to turn his head on the left side more often or something.

 

[JBun]

Ear infection can be in the inner or middle ear, meaning it won't be visible in the external ear canal. There could be something going on there or it could be residual like blue eyes said, from a previous head tilt infection. No way to know until he's inspected by your vet, and even then there may not be any way to know for sure without testing being done. If he's not showing any signs of worsening, it's possible it's leftover from an old infection.

 

[zuppa]

Ear infection can be in the inner or middle ear, meaning it won't be visible in the external ear canal. There could be something going on there or it could be residual like blue eyes said, from a previous head tilt infection. No way to know until he's inspected by your vet, and even then there may not be any way to know for sure without testing being done. If he's not showing any signs of worsening, it's possible it's leftover from an old infection.

I thought that too, maybe it is not visible, but he lets me touch his ears and I actually tried to find out if there's any kind of pain but I don't think it's painful at all. I will watch him but as I said he's quite active and his balance is good he just keeps his head a bit on the right side and I think he only can hear with one ear, I will take him to vet for neutering hopefully next month and will ask vet to inspect his ears too.
Thanks for your comments

 

[April LD]

I have a rabbit that was fine and in hours, one day, went from normal to a small tilt, to full on can't walk, head tilted and "rolling". I rushed her to the vet. She was assumed to have E. cuniculi and my vet said it hit her nervous system causing the head tilt.

She was on antibiotics and she is better now, slight tilt, but when she gets over stressed it tilts more, if we are not careful picking her up she can still "roll" just not as bad as the first time. She won't really jump up because the tilt gives them a feeling of vertigo; according to my vet. If you look closely at her eye I can still see that ever so slightly moves back and fourth. It's very faint now, but was really bad when she first got sick. We try not to pick her up much and try to keep her as level as possible and also keep the side of her tilt closer to our body - this seems to help when we pick her up.

That could be why he was left in a box...often rabbits get very sick and can pass from this; but others can be helped with antibiotics but usually once they get that head tilt it never goes completely away. I read an article my vet gave me and it said there was a pretty high percentage that will get sick again within 5 years and usually pass from this disease.

Apparently this is a disease many animals can "carry" and never get sick and some do get sick. I think it said that typically high stressed animals tend to show the symptoms more often and get sick. Its been a couple of years now, well about a year and a half...but it was interesting.

She has a bonded mate and he has never shown signs...these are two of the three I rescued that someone abandoned at a park down the street from me. She was very sick when I found her, had a horrible abscess and was infected into her jaw bone. We got that cleared up then she had a false pregnancy, and about 4 months later this head tilt....but she is sweet as can be - so long as you don't reach into her cage!

If he isn't shaking his head a lot I don't think it is an inner ear infection as the third rescue, she had ear issues and has had 3 or 4 ear infections since her rescue. She's been well these past 5/6 months. But I started to notice after the 2 or 3 that she would shake her head a lot when she was first getting them. We didn't see anything at the time but eventually you would.

If you are super concerned get him to the vet but he seems to be doing well.

If you think he might want to get in that box you should provide him stepping blocks - he most likely won't jump up if he has some vertigo from the head tilt.

He sure is cute!!! Great job taking hi in and caring for him - you have a big loving heart!!!!

 

[zuppa]

Thanks and thank you for sharing your stories April, I think you're right that could be reason he was left on street. I don't know his age, except of that he keeps his head on one side after nearly three months of normal life without stress he is looking really much younger than I thought first, I honestly thought he's very old and dying. I've checked his teeth I am no expert but everything looks healthy and he has good appetite and likes chewing toys, so really uses his teeth a lot. Hi is a very clean rabbit I like brushing his coat and he loves it too, but honestly there's no need in that he probably taking care of it himself, so well groomed every day.

He can't jump on that shelf I gave him and I am going to make a step for him but a bit later I want to watch him maybe he will find his own way.

That was great help that you and Blue eyes even posted some photo because I didn't know how long it could take now I see that this is definitely past problem I feel so much better now.

 

[Blue eyes]

Here's some further info from :
http://www.rabbit.org/health/tilt.html

BRAIN STEM DISEASE - Disease at the brain stem, specifically the vestibular nuclei, can cause similar signs as seen with inner ear disease. Because the vestibular nuclei are deep in the brain, it is likely that disease affecting this area will also affect surrounding brain tissue. Therefore, additional neurologic signs may be present such as loss of appetite, mental dullness, paralysis and sudden death. If the disease is also affecting the cerebellum additional signs such as seizures can be seen.

• Peripheral vestibular disease carries a good to guarded prognosis for clinical recovery. There is often a residual head tilt, but the rabbit can learn to reestablish balance and live a relatively normal life.
• Central vestibular disease is less common, and also includes head tilt, positional nystagmus, circling and loss of balance. Because the brain is involved, there may often be other signs such as loss of appetite, mental dullness, other areas of weakness, gait abnormalities, seizures or sudden death.
• Central vestibular disease may be caused by a variety of conditions including bacterial infections, E. cuniculi, parasites and trauma, and carries a guarded to poor prognosis for recovery