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Forum DIET & CARE Head tilt? Or just paranoia?

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    • Mimzy
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        For a while now, I noticed mimzy tilts her head a bit to her left side often & shortly after, I saw someone’s post about it. So I started to get worried, read up on it but she has no other symptoms of it. I had her vet check her ears twice already, once for her first checkup & then he said he did a thorough check during her spay. But both times he saw nothing. She still shows no other signs & her ears look great, but she is tilting more now than she used to.

        I read its easy to cure if caught early but I’m wondering if I should get a second opinion from another vet? Or could this just be a little quirk she has? To this day, there are still no other symptoms, clean ears, & she can still put her head straight. Am I just being paranoid? :/


      • MimzMum
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          Having lived with a headtilt bunny for four months now, I can safely say there is no chance of overreacting when it comes to this disease. But you say she can straighten her head: is she walking in circles? Are her eyes darting back and forth? And does she seem unsteady on her feet?

          Pip is a head tipping bun and more than a few times I’ve feared she was developing head tilt. But she just naturally does this or from time to time she gets excessive ear wax on one side and that will cause her to hold her ear/head askew.

          Your best bet is obviously to take her in for a checkup. But that has to be your decision. Mimzy went from mild spinning to 90 degrees tilted in one hour and his head hasn’t gone straight since even though he is as healed as he will get.

          I’d keep an eye on her for now and if you see it getting worse I’d bundle her up and go. For me though when there’s any doubt about my bubs’ health I get them in straightaway. Better safe than sorry.

          I hope Lady Mimzy is just being silly though. Sending stay-healthy vibes!


        • Sarita
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            It may be a little paranoia but head tilt is serious. I think it could be a quirk – if it’s head tilt due to illness then you may most likely see other symptoms such as nystagmus. Some true head tilt is very slight and while it is slight it is easy to notice something is not right.

            Like MM says, just be vigilant and watch for any changes.


          • Mimzy
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              Mm- she doesn’t seem dizzy at all, goes about my room perfectly fine. No other symptoms, but I think just to be safe, I will take her to a different vet for another opinion on it. Possibly my bird’s vet since I’ve grown to trust him.

              Hope it’s just a quirk!


            • RabbitPam
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                I think a second opinion is a good idea. My vet is a bird and exotics specialist, so your bird vet may be a good choice.

                I am editing what I wrote earlier because I just checked in a book I have in a section about head tilt, and the illness that can be one cause is E. Cuniculi. So I would ask either vet to check for that (blood test, I think.) It also says that head tilt can be a symptom of other problems, the most common being ear infections. It may not be head tilt at all, but I’d go for another exam just in case.


              • RabbitPam
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                  The place I looked was a book called “Rabbit Health in the 21st Century”. I keep it on hand but haven’t needed it much so far. Knock on wood.


                • MimzMum
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                    Keep in mind also if you’re going to test for E.C. either by blood draw or urinalysis the results may not be conclusive as spores need to be active in bunny’s body to show up in a test. I think it’s estimated that, similar to pasturella, about fifty percent of rabbits already carry it and some may become ill and others never have a problem.
                    No antibiotics before testing either because that kills off the evidence.

                    I hope all will be well with Lady Mimzy.


                  • LittlePuffyTail
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                      Ditto Mimzmum. When Bindi suddenly started showing symptoms of head tilt and nystamgus, my vet opted not to wait for test results as she said these are rarely conclusive and like, MM, says, a lot of rabbits have it their bodies anyways. My vet opted to treat Bindi for E.C. and I’m glad we did start the treatment right away since the symptoms are now gone.

                      With head tilt the sooner you catch it, the better. Even if just for your peace of mind, I think a second opinion is a good idea. Better safe than sorry.


                    • Mimzy
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                        Great! Thanks guys I probably can’t get her in until next week unfortunately =/. But I definitely would like peace of mind, so a second opinion it is!

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                    Forum DIET & CARE Head tilt? Or just paranoia?