swaying

[sheandg]

I just bought a 3 month old lionhead from the pet store and notice he sways his head back and forth but it is very slight. He has brown eyes but they have a red cast to them. He is eating and pooping fine.....

I know Red eyed rabbits will sway but since he isn't red eyed I am concerned. But wondering since he has a ruby cast to them is he seeing different? He walks and hops fine and in a straight line

could it just be from his reddish cast eyes?

 

[tonyshuman]

OK, this sounds like scanning, which is something rabbits with vision and/or vestibular problems will do. I don't understand the eye color--never heard of brown eyes with a red cast. Is the red cast only on the irises or is it on the sclera (white part) of the eye as well?

This is a list of good references for different eye problems: http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/rabrefs.html#eye

Unfortunately, the scanning link on that list is broken. Here is a ref or two that should help on scanning itself:
http://www.sandiegorabbits.org/health/eye_scanning.html
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Rabbits-703/albino-rabbits-1.htm
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Rabbits-703/2009/1/New-bunny-head-spasms.htm

 

[sheandg]

the red is just on the iris. It is very slight but looks different from my other brown eyed rabbits. You can only see it in certain light or look hard but you can tell there is a slight ruby cast.


He only "scans" when he is sitting upright like he is looking at things. When he is laying and relaxed I don't see the head going back and forth.


he grinds his teeth a little but all my rabbits will do that so not sure if he is any different and expressing pain. What are other signs of an ear infection?

 

[tonyshuman]

Well, a tilted head would be a sign, or excessive scratching at the ears, or shaking the ears a lot. My guess would be that it is due to a vision problem, because he probably has some albino in his background leading to poor vision. If you like, a head x-ray would be able to check for tooth problems interfering with the ears, and a vet could look deep in the ear canal for infection, although you can't always see an ear infection.

 

[Luvr of Wabbits and Polar Bears]

sheandg wrote:

the red is just on the iris. It is very slight but looks different from my other brown eyed rabbits. You can only see it in certain light or look hard but you can tell there is a slight ruby cast.


He only "scans" when he is sitting upright like he is looking at things. When he is laying and relaxed I don't see the head going back and forth.

It's possibly he only scans when's standing up so he can get to know his surroundings a bit better. If he still does it a week later than I would be worried. But since he is new to you he could just be looking at everything.

 

[sheandg]

I will keep an eye on him. He isn't tilting his head or scratching them and seems healthy and happy.

So if he just has poor vision from having a REW in his background would breeding him be a guarantee of passing poor vision? I bought him as a breeding buck for my lionhead program. I guess people breed REW's all the time so I am thinking it would be fine?

 

[tonyshuman]

It sounds fine to me, but I don't know much about breeding.