Wry neck

[HeatherMacCloud]

I have a Mini Rex/Rex cross that was diagnosed today with wry neck. He's about 8, and his name is Zack. I caught it fairly quickly I think. He was holding his head kinda funny on Sunday, but then went back to normal when I called him. Monday he did it again, but again, went back to normal when I called and talked to him. Tuesday, his head was tilted to one side and I wouldn't straighten out. I called the vet as soon as they opened todayand they got him in about an hour later. Did I mention my rabbit vet is wonderful?

He's now on a sulfa drug, I forget the name of it, twice a day. I'm also giving him some yogurt to help him gain weight, and keep his gut flora good. He's alert, eating, drinking, and doing well except when he tries to move. He has no balance and almost flops when he tries to walk. It's really hard watching him like that. I've gotten him a little basket to sit in, which helps him sit up properly. I piled the corner closest to him with hay and moved the water bottle right by him. I'm offering him water through a dropper, but I wanted the bottle close so he can get it just in case.

I know he's got a long road to recovery ahead of him, and I want to do everything I can to help him. Does anyone have any advice for me? Suggestions or anything? I've never dealt with this before, so I'm not sure what to do.

 

[Maureen Las]

He probably needs a stronger drug and/ or drugs than a sulfa drug because if he has lost his balance the infection is deep in the ear. Try it for aday or 2 and if there is little changeI would contact the vet ASAP. Good idea to get a culture and sensitivity also. Drugs often used are chlorampenical orally , injectable penicillin, oral zithromax or a combo; these type of infections are difficult to treat

There is also a motion sickness drug called meclizine that is often prescribed for head tilt bunnies whohave lost their balance . I would ask your vet about it.

Putting him in the basket is good as along as he is comfortable ; some folks roll up towels and place them on each side of the bun
There is a lot of info on this forum on head tilt.
Most tilts are caused by infections rather than EC.

You definitely will need a really rabbit knowledgeable vet

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=11625&forum_id=9

I will attach some links for you

http://www.rabbit.org/journal/3-8/head-tilt.html

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/tilt.html

http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/jilly.shtml

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Neurology/Otit/otitis.htm

 

[Bunnylova4eva]

I'd agree with angieluv-the sulfa drugs aren't always best. They put my Jelly on one and it didn't help much. Baytril also didn't do a thing and she was on it for a long time.

You'll want to keep a close eye out-as it progresses, many times they get vertigo. Like as angiluv said, with towels rolled in a carrier or basket works really well.)

My head tilt bunny was so bad I had to just stay with her. for about a week we had to take shifts of the night with her, but I did most of it. Now I'm wishing I'd just gotten infant diapers and stuck her on the bed so I could get some sleep too. I was too delerious I think at the time to think of that. =P But the rolling/balance issues can get really bad, so keep a close eye.

I'm praying for you and your bunny. My bunny didn't make it through, and I really sympothize with others dealing with this. ray:ray:ray:

p.s. any head tilt questoins, feel free to pm me or whatever. I definitly dealt with a bad bout of it with my one bunny (and hope never to have one of my bunnies get it)

 

[TinysMom]

JadeIcing has dealt with this with several bunnies (as have I) and she has some threads about this- I'll try to find them in a bit - you've been given some very good links though.

I'd kinda say based on experience Jade is our forum "expert".

 

[HeatherMacCloud]

I went to check on him this morning, and he can't get his feet under him and he's rolling. I'm calling the vet as soon as they open and am going to ask him about the penicellin. Is it a one time injection or will he need several? I'll ask about meclizine too.

Right now he's laying on a towel on his side on the floor of his cage. He gets very stressed when I try to help him stand and flip flops around, so I'm just letting him rest for now. I don't want to over stress him trying to help him.

 

[eclairemom]

ray:

 

[HeatherMacCloud]

I called the vet at 8 and asked him about something stronger and mentioned the penicillin G procaine and benzathine injection everyone on the board and in the articles I've read has had so much luck with. He agreed to try it because it's so hard to give him the sulfa, and I'm allergic to it to boot.

He's getting one injection every 48 hours and had his first injection at the vet's. When I got him home I got him settled on one side on a towel, and offered him water. He drank 15 ccs of water readily. I offered food, and while he wanted it, he had trouble eating it. So I soaked his pellets in water and offered him the liquid. He ate 15 ccs of that also.

I'm at work now, but when I left him he was resting on one side. I'm praying when I come home he's able to sit up some more. He's only calm laying on his side and when I hold him, but neither option will keep him from flopping completely. I'm not sure what to do about the rolling/flopping. I put him in a carrier on a towel instead of his cage. I can't get him to lay against the rolled towels. I tried and he just squirms and rolls anyway.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

ray:

 

[HeatherMacCloud]

I have a small update, but it's promising, to me at least. After one injection and a day on the sulfa, zack is able to lift and hold up his head without flipping. He's still laying on his side and is very stiff. I offered him pellets mixed with water so that it was very watery and ate about 25 ccs of the mixture. I'm planning on offering more later in the evening.

I've never dealt with a head tilt bunny before. Is being stiff normal? I haven't tried to move him yet because he was laying still and I'm afraid to start him flopping around again. I'm going to pick him up and hold him later to give him some eye meds. The vet said this morning he had scratched his eye. I think he did it flipping in his cage last night/this morning.

 

[Bunnylova4eva]

Glad he's doing better!

Like is his whole body stiff? My bunny seemed pretty stiff but not tooo too terible. Keep a close eye on the rolling though, as its very easy for them to break/damage their back doing that. That's why I ended up staying with her 24/7 (though I know this isn't always possible-God worked it so that at that point I was able to be flexible with my schedule)

I'd try to avoid picking him up as much as possible. That seemed to throw my bunny into vertigo every time.

 

[HeatherMacCloud]

Mostly his legs are stiff, like when you pick a bunny up without supporting their legs. I have him in a carrier, so he has less room to move, and I've put up a couple towels so he has bumpers to prevent injury.
He has to have eye meds three times a day, but except when he needs those, I'll leave him be. He was pretty stressd out after the meds I think, and didn't want to eat a second time. He nosed it a bit, then went back to trying to get comfortable. He did eat over 2/3 of a 35cc feeding syringe, though. So I'm going to call it good for tonight and not chance stressing him more.

He didn't raise his head too much after the eye meds. But he might've just been dizzy from getting taken out of the cage and put back. Tomorrow I'll try to remember to update again. I'm going back to my hometown for christmas, and he's coming along too. I'm a little nervous about taking him for a two hour drive home, but we'll see how he's doing.

 

[Ayaa2311]

Aww, I lost a rabbit recently to head tilt.. I noticed it immediately as well even just the slightest tilt I brought him in and the vet told me that he didn't have it, instead that he had neurological problems. I adopted him from my local animal shelter, The vets still wouldn't treat him as to having Wry Neck after. And so since other vet offices had a 3 month waiting list to be seen, my bunny passed away from it.

after reading everything you said, it brought me back to those days of helping him stand up after he fell over. and then once he couldn't stand at all making something up that would help him stand upright and then offering him food and water daily..

I hope Zach recovers fast! It's so painful to see a rabbit go through that!