Head Tilt / EC Success? and Therapy?

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This topic has 7sd replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 8 months ago by Monkeybun.

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- 08/31/2013 at 7:33 PM
  ashley & palmer!
  Participant
  8 posts
  Hello!
  
  My sweet netherland dwarf, Palmer, suddenly became very ill just 4 days ago. He was acting very lethargic and confused the night before, and when we woke up the next day at 8am, his head was completely tilted sideways. We rushed him to the vet (Camden Pet Hospital in Minneapolis), and the doctor said she believes he’s being affected by E. Cuniculi. We’re not 100% certain that is the cause (since the rabbit has to be tested at the begining and end of the illness, and we can’t wait until the illness is over to deal with this), but we do know that it’s not caused by an ear infection like other bunnies with head tilt. My husband and I are so emotionally distraught seeing our precious little buddy like this, and have been crying for days.
  
  I’ve already read the success stories on the house rabbit society page, but would like to hear more personal accounts. What medications did your rabbit take? Did they take either VetRX or Ivomec?? I’ve read some success stories with those. My vet is out of the office until Wednesday, which seems like an eternity from now . Palmer is acting pretty bummed out… I imagine it’s very confusing for his head to be sideways like that. If he has to live with a tilted head, so be it. I just want him to be happy and feel no pain.
  
  Also looking for any home remedies– what kind of massage or physical therapy worked for your bunny? Is there really no brace available to hold the bunny’s head in the upright position?
  
  Thank you!!
  
  PS
  This is my first time posting in the forum; I wish it was under better circumstances. I’ve already looked through the posts relating to EC and head tilt, but have not found the information I need.
- 08/31/2013 at 8:56 PM
  LongEaredLions
  Participant
  4482 posts
  I have never had any experience with head tilt but i do belive you really do need to get a cuture and sensitivity test to figure out the cause and the medications the infection is sensitive to. Also you might want to proof his pen for him, making it all soft and safe in case he starts rolling. Good luck, and healing vibes to your bunny!
- 09/01/2013 at 3:36 PM
  LittlePuffyTail
  Moderator
  18092 posts
  I’m sorry to hear about your bunny’s illness. My Bindi got headtilt and nystagmus very suddenly about a year ago and the vet suspected it was EC symptoms brought on by stress. I went to the vet right away and we put him on 30 days of Fenbendazole and within a week he was back to normal.
  
  There are quite a few members here who have or are dealing with head tilt so, hopefully, they can offer some advice. \
  
  Have you checked out this site:
  
  http://www.onthewonk.com/
- 09/01/2013 at 3:44 PM
  ashley & palmer!
  Participant
  8 posts
  I will have to ask my vet about Fenbendazole!
  Palmer is currently taking Albendazole, Metacam, Metoclopramide, and Baytril… I wish I knew what was best for him.
  He hopped around a bit last night and wasn’t to bad on balance. We he ran, his head was actually almost upright!! I was so happy to see him like that. Today though, all he wants to do is lay down with his poor head sideways
- 09/01/2013 at 5:04 PM
  Monkeybun
  Participant
  10479 posts
  My Smudge has been battling head tilt since May. With her, it was an inner ear infection, and my vet told me that sudden head tilt like she got, literally overnight, is more indicative of an ear infection than EC. He still gave EC meds, just in case, but the antibiotics are what helped her. She did need to switch to stronger antibiotics though, as her infection was quite severe and baytril wasn’t cutting it.
  
  I will tell you, it has taken her months. Even after the ear infection was beat, her head remained tilted. It wasn’t until I chatted with K&K about it that I decided to giver her a twice daily dose of meclazine, which is a motion sickness drug. Not even 2 days after starting that, her tilt has drastically changed. Before, she was almost completely upside down. Now, she has maybe, MAYBE, a 15 degree tilt. It’s amazing… I think the meclizine has helped her find the proper balance for her head.
  
  Anyway. Hope your Palmer feels better soon, and bounces back faster than Smudge has. It’s been a long 3 months so far here.
- 09/02/2013 at 6:10 AM
  dewey
  Participant
  51 posts
  Sorry, just saw your post! My rabbit had head tilt. His head was a little tilted, like 10 degrees, he was lethargic, and his eyes darted back/forth. I took him immediately to the our bunny vet and they acted like it was no big deal and sent me home with baytril and food to force feed him.
  
  I called the rescue (b/c we had just adopted him less than 1 month ago) and they said to take him to their vet immediately. To make a long story a bit shorter. He got worse. His head was completely upside down and he would just roll about. He was so scared and he didn’t eat. I came everyday and spent as much time as I could with him..feeding him, petting and talking to him.
  
  Eventually his head got back to half way and he had some balance. We took him home thinking this could be as good as it gets. He was tearing up the place running around, etc and we were so happy. That was the best therapy for him. His head eventually got better and he has now a very, very slight tilt. No one but me and the vet notice it.
  
  He was on lots of meds for a while and we had to give fluids via an i.v. We had a massage therapist lined up too. The vet didn’t and couldn’t figure out the cause of the head tilt.
  
  I hope this helps. Email me if you’d like. It was hard and exhausting for both bunny and human.
- 09/02/2013 at 10:20 AM
  ashley & palmer!
  Participant
  8 posts
  Thank you so much for your story!
  
  Palmer actually did pretty much the same thing– When we first brough him home, he was all dopey and lethargic. He stayed like that until late that night when we brought him out into the living room (where he usually likes to be anyway), and he ran around all over! When he hops around, his head is just slightly tilted, it’s so great. When he lays down (which he still has been doing most of the day until about 5 or so), his head is VERY tilted. Not upside down or anything, but definitely 90 degrees. When he comes out for me to pet him, it’s so sweet because he’ll hop around and then run back to me and flop right up against my leg… makes me teary eyed! His head is at like a 45 degree angle when he’s laying out on the rug and I’m petting him. So now, it’s just bad when he’s laying in his little house, because his head is totally over sideways. As long as he can come out and function normally, I’m happy!
  
  Did you (or anyone here!) have any troubles getting your bun to drink? Palmer is used to drinking out of a dish, but he can’t figure out how to get his head down into it. I’m scared that he’ll fall into the dish and possibly drown while I’m not home, so we’ve been holding a water bottle (the kind with the little ball that you lick and it comes out) infront of his mounth for him to drink. However, when I hang the bottle up in his cage, he doesn’t use it.
  
  Thanks, everyone!
- 09/02/2013 at 5:56 PM
  Monkeybun
  Participant
  10479 posts
  Yess. Smudge couldn’t drink out of a bowl until just a couple weeks ago. And she couldn’t find hte water bottle either, with the amount of rolling she did when trying to move. We had to hold the water bottle to her mouth for her to be able to drink, so we checked ever couple hours. It made for some sleepless nights!
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