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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Pudge has a pretty bad ear infection/head tilt

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    • pudgebun
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        Hello. I’ve been following this forum for a while but have never needed to post until now.

        Monday morning my bun (Pudge) was acting as he normally would. Later that I noticed some things. He stopped eating, drinking, lost all interest, and just wanted lay down. He was constantly slobbering, his chin was drenched. Then I noticed that he had a head tilt. He kept tilting his head to the right whenever he was sitting and whenever he would start to walk he would just walk in a circle (clockwise). I knew this was not normal so I took him to the vet.

        The vet took some test and found out that he had an inner ear infection, scary part is she said there was a trace of a parasite. She said that the parasite is common in raccoons but I have never seen a racoon around my bunny, only a possum and they are friends, but she said she couldn’t find anything about the possum having the same parasite.

        Vet gave me TrizEdta, Loxicom and Enrofloxacin. Said we needed to watch him closely. He’s still not eating or drinking but I did put some pellets in water and try to feed him some of that through a syringe but he only let me give him a little. I have now given him two rounds of his antibiotics (every 12 hours) and just gave him his pain medicine for the first time (every 24 hours). I’m scared of the possibility that he drooled out his medicine. I held his chin up but I am still paranoid. I gave him medicine at 7:30 am and he went to go lay in his favorite spot but three hours later he started running around and just jumping, leaving small, sticky poop droplets everywhere (same thing happened yesterday before the vet). But he is sitting under the chair again, with his head still tilted. I have also noticed he sounds really congested. I’m scared because this is the first time he’s ever gotten this sick. If anyone has any experience or advice please let me know. Thank you so much fellow bun owners.


      • jerseygirl
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          I’m sorry to hear he’s not doing so well. {{{Pudge}}}

          There is a parasite carried by racoons called Baylisascaris procyonis. Is this what the tests found? It’s possible rabbits could pick up the eggs of the parasite from grazing outdoors. There is a similar parasite carried mainly by skunks but also has been found in other animals like weasels. So it’s probably that the racoon one could be carried by other animals also.

          From the medications you mentioned, it doesn’t appear your vet included an anti-parasitic medication. Is she confident that the head tilt is from ear infection only?

          I have also noticed he sounds really congested.

          This is a bit concerning. I think I would return to the vet to investigate and see if his lungs are clear. It’s possible he has aspirated some of the medication or food. Or something else was going on prior to those, as you do mention he was drooling. Did the vet know why that might be? Usually it’s a sign of a tooth problem, but with head-tilt it could be something else. Has he got full use of his facial muscles?

          I’ve been through treating a bunny with head tilt. It is so hard to see them like that. And nursing them can emotionally and physically take its toll. But hang in there! It can take some time, but rabbits can recover from this. 


        • pudgebun
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            Posted By jerseygirl on 6/29/2016 11:58 AM

            I’m sorry to hear he’s not doing so well. {{{Pudge}}}

            There is a parasite carried by racoons called Baylisascaris procyonis. Is this what the tests found? It’s possible rabbits could pick up the eggs of the parasite from grazing outdoors. There is a similar parasite carried mainly by skunks but also has been found in other animals like weasels. So it’s probably that the racoon one could be carried by other animals also.

            From the medications you mentioned, it doesn’t appear your vet included an anti-parasitic medication. Is she confident that the head tilt is from ear infection only?

            I have also noticed he sounds really congested.

            This is a bit concerning. I think I would return to the vet to investigate and see if his lungs are clear. It’s possible he has aspirated some of the medication or food. Or something else was going on prior to those, as you do mention he was drooling. Did the vet know why that might be? Usually it’s a sign of a tooth problem, but with head-tilt it could be something else. Has he got full use of his facial muscles?

            I’ve been through treating a bunny with head tilt. It is so hard to see them like that. And nursing them can emotionally and physically take its toll. But hang in there! It can take some time, but rabbits can recover from this. 

            Thank you for the information. I mentioned that he seemed congested to the vet assistant yesterday (who was writing down everything that was wrong for the vet) but it stopped during the visit and the vet didn’t mention anything about it. Vet was not able to get a great look in his ear but when she took a sample of whatever was in his ear she said it was an ear infection and that there was a little trace of the parasite and that we needed to watch him closely today and he is just sitting with the head tilt 

            Thank you again. I’m going to call the vet and see what we can do. I will keep updating.


          • jerseygirl
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              I don’t know that much about that parasite, but I’d be surprised if it could be found in a sample for the ear. I wonder if it is ear mites she found?? Otherwise known as psoroptes cuniculi.

              Since he was put on an antibiotic, the ear infection is likely bacterial infection. So possible it’s  also causing the congestion? If there is congestion in the chest, talk to the vet about him going on a NSAID like metacam instead of the buprenex as that drug can adversely affect the respiratory system.

              Keep us updated on how he’s getting on.


            • pudgebun
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                Hey guys. Called the vet and she’s on her lunch break so I haven’t heard from her yet. But as I was feeding Pudge a water mixture of pellets and basil he pooped and i noticed his poop was very sticky and i took a closer look at it and im pretty sure there were parasites on his poop not sure what to do. I’m really scared.


              • pudgebun
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                  His poop has been tiny and but sticky but he just had a normal sized poop, very sticky, and pretty positive that it has parasites in it. I feel so awful. I wish I could have prevented this.


                • jerseygirl
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                    That could be pinworms or round worms which are common and don’t cause severe disease. Easily treatable also. You could get a fecal exam done to find out exactly what going on there. I don’t think the racoon one is evident in rabbit poo.
                    With sticky poo, there is sometimes mucous which can sometimes be stringy also. Could it be mucous you saw?


                  • pudgebun
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                      Posted By jerseygirl on 6/29/2016 2:43 PM

                      That could be pinworms or round worms which are common and don’t cause severe disease. Easily treatable also. You could get a fecal exam done to find out exactly what going on there. I don’t think the racoon one is evident in rabbit poo.
                      With sticky poo, there is sometimes mucous which can sometimes be stringy also. Could it be mucous you saw?

                      it could be. but it looks like a worm to me. i’ll attach a photo.

                       


                    • Bam
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                        It’s difficult to say what it is from the photo. Here’s a link about pinworms from Medirabbit: pinworms

                        Poop irregularities is however frequently seen in bunniews that are on antibiotics, since antibiotics kill indiscriminately and you loose a lot of the beneficial bacteria in the gut. 

                        Did tyour vet mention e cuniculi at all? The same med that can be used for roundworms and pinworms is used for e cuniculi, fenbendazole (Panacur). You give it for 28 consecutive days if you suspect e cuniculi, the worms, if there are any, will die much sooner. 


                      • pudgebun
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                          Hey guys. A little update. I studied some later stool and saw that it might have just been mucus that I saw. Pudge is still not eating or drinking and i have to feed him with a syringe, but tomorrow I am picking up nausea medicine our vet ordered that will hopefully make him eat again. He hasn’t changed much, a little bit more energetic but from what I understand that a bunny with an inner ear infection has a long road to recovery ( I guess depending on the rabbit, my vet said she’s seen anywhere between 4 weeks to 4 months) so that scares me.
                          She also said if he does not start eating on his own we might have to put him under so she can clean out his ears and speed up the process. Vet also said that inner ear infections and congestion go hand in hand so that might explain the congestion. she said the fact that he has congestion makes her feel good that no parasites were involved. Something she said that scared me was that sometimes even after getting better, the bunny will still have a head tilt. My bunny does not even lay down anymore unless i am laying with him. It makes me so happy seeing him comfortable and ever since he got sick he just sits with his head tilt. Any one have a bunny with a head tilt? I just wish my bun could get comfortable. I hope he can be one of the buns that gets better after 4 weeks.


                        • Bam
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                            Many people have bunnies with permanent head-tilt, I know we have had members in the past with buns with head-tilt. It can look scary, but the buns do fine, because their balance-organs have adapted. It’s not like they are constantly having nausea and vertigo. They are healthy buns with a wry neck and they need to have a bit of adjustment done to their environment, but it’s not like they are feeling crappy and sick all the time. 

                            But first things first. The ear is connected to the nose-mouth via the ear trumpet (eustachian tube), so bacteria/virus can travel between those areas and of course then into the throat and lungs like all cold-type infections can, so that’s how the congestion and the ear infection can be of the same origin. It is better than a parasite imo, because it’s more straightforward to treat. 

                            Mucus in the stools means there’s disruption of the GI microbiota so a probiotic could be of use to him. There are several brands and types. You want one that has either saccaromyces cerevisiae or enterococcus faecium or both, because those types are found in healthy bunny guts and have been shown to be beneficial to rabbits, whereas lactobacillus have not (as yet). Benebac is one type, but there are several others, a bit depending on where in the world you are.  

                            You of course need to get him to eat first and foremost, and I hope the nausea-med will help him regain his appetite. 

                            In case you haven’t checked out disabled rabbits yet, here’s a link to head tilt, it has some tips on things to do to make the bun more comfy during the acute stages: head tilt in rabbits


                          • Ellie from The Netherlands
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                              I’m sorry that your bun is sick, that must have been really scary. About difficulty drinking: my vet told me that bunnies may change their mind about drinking if you serve them hay tea. It is wonderfully fragrant and it contains some nutrients from the hay. It is also advised for bunnies with diarrhea and irregular stools. Ask your vet if this may be the right thing for your bun as well.

                              If you’ve never prepared it before, this is the recipe:

                              Take a large handful of hay and cut it into small pieces. Place in a bowl and pour about a cup of boiling water onto it. It will smell great! Let it brew and cool for at least half an hour, then sieve it into the water bowl. Bunnies usually love the smell.

                              I hope that your bun gets well soon 


                            • pudgebun
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                                Thanks so much for the advice friends.
                                Today has been a scary day because when I came home from work last night my bunny seemed very lethargic. He was sleeping and I started petting him and he ran up to my legs and slept there and I noticed he was breathing hard and kind of hotter than usual, drooling, and trembling. He is kind of the same today. He is barely moving around. Occasionally will jolt up and run around the room once and then go back to laying down. I am taking him to the vet again today. I am so scared but trying to stay positive for him. Unfortunately the vet is not able to see him until 4pm, so I am just focused on keeping him extremely comfortable for the next four hours. Again thanks so much for the advice, will ask the vet about these things and will update when i can. everyone please send good energy to my bun. I want him to feel okay again so badly.


                              • pudgebun
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                                  also i was thinking, since he seems a lot warmer than usual should i put a frozen water bottle next to him ?


                                • pudgebun
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                                    Poor Pudge has been laying down all day

                                     


                                  • Sr. Melangell
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                                      Aww poor little man, not nice ear infection is it boy? I have one at the moment (Otitis Externa) funny enough I’ve had similar drooling and trembling too, poor boy, ear infections are always ‘Ear nose and throat.’ because they are all connected, think its the same for bunny too, not sure about the frozen water bottle, have you asked a vet? Or maybe bam might know.
                                      Good luck to both of you.
                                      Come on Pudge you can do it.


                                    • Deleted User
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                                        How is your little one doing? Poor little thing x


                                      • pudgebun
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                                          Hey friends. Just got back from the vet.
                                          It wasn’t a fun appointment. I was crying a lot. Basically the vet said Pudge is really really sick. Vet recommended taking him to emergency vet so he can stay overnight, get fluids, food, get ears flushed, x rays, blood work. Problem is the estimated cost they gave us was $2000. so she said my other option was to nurse him, keep feeding him and giving him water through the syringe, give him medicine, just makes sure he’s calm and comfortable and then bring him in on tuesday to get X-rays and flush out his ears and stuff and that’s gonna cost $500 but that’s fine that’s better than $2000. so i just have to nurse him this weekend. really sad he’s so sick. i wish i could do more for him.


                                        • jerseygirl
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                                            {{{PUDGE}}}
                                            Is he still on Buprenex?


                                          • pudgebun
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                                              First of all I want to say thank you so much for all the advice I was given. I won’t be posting much anymore. After getting back from the vet I gave pudge a new medicine the vet gave me to help with bowel movements, fed him, and gave him water and went to work. My dad said that pudge randomly started running around and hit a wall and then started crying and then stopped breathing. I know. I’m crushed. Heartbroken. Pudge helped me with my depression and was such a great bunny. I will forever be sad about losing such a great friend. I don’t think I’ll ever get a pet again, just because losing one is such an awful experience.
                                              Again. Thank you so much. I wish I had more answers. I wish so badly that he never got sick. I am just laying in bed, wishing I could be cuddling with my bunny one last time.


                                            • Ajax the Bunny
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                                                Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry for your loss. You did everything you could to help him. He’ll be waiting for you on the rainbow bridge.


                                              • jerseygirl
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                                                  I’m so very sorry.

                                                  I know this is terribly hard for you right now. Please feel free to post here on Binky Bunny and talk about him whenever you need.

                                                  ***Binky Free Pudge***


                                                • Bam
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                                                    I am so very sorry to read this. You loved him so. You did all you possibly could for him, but he was so very, very sick.

                                                    Please talk to us here if you want to, as Jersey says. We will always listen.

                                                    Binky Free, beautiful Pudge.


                                                  • Ellie from The Netherlands
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                                                       It’s terrible losing your loved ones. Often animals can mean more to us than humans. Our thoughts are with you. *big hug*


                                                    • RabbitPam
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                                                        I,m so very sorry to hear about Pudge. Believe me, you did everything you could but bunnies are so delicate that it is just too hard for them to pull through sometimes. It sounds like it was a complicated illness.
                                                        Many of us here have lost beloved bunnies, and it hurts a lot the first couple of weeks. After a while you will feel better. Just remember that we understand this is hard for you. You can post in our Rainbow Bridge forum if you want.

                                                        You are a very devoted bunny mother, so don,t decide now about future pets. A rescue bunny would be very lucky to have you, but that,s a decision for another day.


                                                      • pudgebun
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                                                          Thank you so much friends. I miss him so much already. It’s the worst feeling coming home and realizing he’s not there.


                                                        • Azerane
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                                                            Oh no, I’m so very sorry for your loss of Pudge. It’s so heartbreaking losing our friends. We’re here for you if you need to talk.

                                                            Binky free Pudge.


                                                          • Sr. Melangell
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                                                              Oh dear, I’m so sorry, if you need to chat you can message me, I will be away for a week, but I’ll ask my friend if I can use his PC to check and see how you are doing.


                                                            • Vienna Blue in France
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                                                                Oh no, so so sorry about Pudge!! He looked a lovely guy.
                                                                There’s nothing you could have done to prevent it and as RabbitPam says, please don’t decide now about never owning another pet – it does hurt so much but they give SO SO much back and if there’s one way to keep depression away, it’s to look into cute little animals’ faces (like cats, dogs, bunnies, guineapigs) and feel the love they give us.

                                                                Post to us here – it helps so much. We’ve all been through it and it’s hard to believe now, but you will get through this.
                                                                Time will make it better – you just have to hang in there in the mean time.
                                                                (((( Binky free Pudge ))))


                                                              • LittlePuffyTail
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                                                                  I’m so very sorry. There is nothing harder than saying goodbye to such a beloved friend. May he be with you always in your heart and memories.

                                                                  (((((Binky Free Pudge))))


                                                                • Deleted User
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                                                                    I’m so sorry for your loss x


                                                                  • BinkyBunny
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                                                                      I am sorry! I know it’s so very hard to lose our animal companions. It leaves a hole in our heart. Going through the grieving process is not easy, so I am sending my peace and healing vibes your way. You did everything you could. I know that watching him go through that was heartbreaking. He is at peace now, and while he was with you, he received an amazing gift of a wonderful life, being loved by you. I know it feels like the pain will go on forever, but in time, it eases up, even though we don’t ever forget. Give yourself the time you need — and get rest. Grieving can take the energy right out of you, and so getting rest and treating yourself right is important during this time. And we are here for you.


                                                                    • pudgebun
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                                                                        Thank you everyone for the kind messages. It means so much to me. The sadness comes and goes, but when it comes it hits me pretty hard. What’s been helping is watching funny videos I took of him. He was such a goofy and smart bun. I am working on a little project to commemorate my little Pudge and that is helping me cope a bit. I’ll make sure to post it here whenever I am done. Again, thank you all for the kind messages.


                                                                      • Bam
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                                                                          We’ll be very happy (and sad at the same time) to see your commemoration. I’m glad you’re making one.


                                                                        • pudgebun
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                                                                            This is not the commemoration I am working on but I still wanted to share it. When Pudge passed I asked my friend to make me a pin of him sleeping in the clouds. She sent me it and extras. It was such a bittersweet surprise. Captures him perfectly. I definitely teared up. I miss my little bun so much.

                                                                             


                                                                          • Bam
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                                                                              Those are beautiful tributes to your little Pudge. Thank you for sharing! A little bun sleeping in the sky, among the clouds.


                                                                            • Ellie from The Netherlands
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                                                                                Aww, that’s just wonderful. I really teared up when I saw this. Animals are so wonderful, and even though you experience a lot of loss and grief when they’re gone, all the memories of the good times will last forever. Every day I feel honored to have the trust and companionship of one of these wonderful animals.

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                                                                            Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Pudge has a pretty bad ear infection/head tilt