Head Tilt Questions

[skunklionshow]

I haven’t been on since losing Leo & Max.  It hit me harder than I had anticipated, so I decided to focus in on work to keep my mind occupied…thus no time to visit my friends at Binky.

Jessica’s input & output had decreased over the past 2 days, but she was still eating.  She has head tilt.  Vet took blood last night and wants to tx immediately for all the usual suspects (antibiotic, panacur, critical care).  I thought her head looked tilted, but it didn’t hit me until the vet nurse said it outloud.  Hit me w/ a ton a bricks.  I’m not ready to lose another pet.  So as I’m waiting to hear from the vet today re: blood results.  She is on critical care to ensure that she doesn’t lose any weight.

Jessica has a palace…about 5 stories w/ varying cubbies, etc.  Do I need to change her condo to a single or bi-level for now?  I know she hasn’t been using her litterboxes on the bottom floor.  Does head tilt mean she feels dizzy like vertigo?  If that’s the case, don’t I want to limit her movements?  If it could be a parasite or infection, does that mean I should let Chewbacca out around her.  They still are not bonded, but they share a litterbox that is kept outside of their pens.  Any further advice appreciated.  I’m trying to keep myself under-control and not freaking out by this diagnosis, but she just seems so vulnerable right now.

[ScooterandAnnette]

Our Bailey was just diagnosed with head tilt. We were told to not let him run around his multi-level condo as his balance isn’t exactly great right now and we don’t want him falling off anything and hurting himself. We had the same question about risk of infection to others and have emailed the vet to ask.
– Annette

[ScooterandAnnette]

The word from our vet is that unless it looks like he’s got signs of contagions – sneezing, nasal/eye discharge etc – then he’s probably not contagious to the other bunnies.
– Annette

[jerseygirl]

I’m sorry to hear this! {{{Jessica}}} Hang in there SLS & keep us posted.

[BinkyBunny]

I’m sorry SL! it’s good that you caught it early enough and your vet has decided to treat fo whatever may be causing it.(infection and/or e.cuniculi) IF it is e.cuniculi it can be contagious but my understanding is only when the parasite has made it’s way to the bladder (and it’s not always there), and then is urinated out and then it can be transferred via the litterbox or area where s/he has urinated —- but at the same time, many bunnies (1 in 4) test positive and never have symptoms. Rucy was e.c positive which she had to have gotten from Bailey because Rucy was not positive when I got her. (she had been tested when she had an ear infection that caused her to spin/roll). But Jack and Rucy were a bonded pair for many years before Rucy passed away. I had Jack tested after she passed and he came up negative. So he never was even exposed to the disease even though he was once bonded with Bailey and then had a long-term bond with Rucy. So with e.cuniculi it’s really not a definite it seems.

When Rucy did have an ear infection, none of the other the bunnies got it and Jack was her partner and Bailey was caged next to her.

Healing vibes!

[Sarita]

Vibes for Jessica. Keep us updated on her condition.

[RabbitPam]

Since they’re not bonded yet, i don’t think it would do any harm to keep them a bit more separate, at least their litter boxes, until you know more and have it under control with the meds. Just as an early precaution. You’ve been through a lot and I wouldn’t want to see Chewbacca get sick, too.

K&K’s Chuck has head tilt right now also. But it’s not as bad when caught early, and you are doing well with her.

{{{{{{{{{{{Healing vibes and comfort to you, too}}}}}}}}}}}}}

[skunklionshow]

I spent Friday taking down her old NIC condo and set up a corner of the living room, building a gate/border w/ my NIC cube thingys.  Another awesome reason to build your own, you can tear down and rebuild as needed.  Vet wants us to continue Critical Care until she starts to eat all of her meals.  She is limiting her veggie & pellet intake.  I guess I should find a lower bowl in order to accommodate her head tilt.

 

Initially I was freaked out by the head tilt, but after reading about all the survivor head tilt rabbits, I’m feeling much better.  I started to cry at the vet as soon as the tech said head tilt, but after searching on Binky…I feel waaayyyy better!!!  BB:  My vet felt that testing her for E. cunn would not be all that informitive b/c of the high incidence of positives w/o active cases.  She feels treating her hard right now should work.  I’m so glad we caught it early, she looks kind of inquisitive and curious w/ her head tilt. (B positive).  I realize that it will likely be at least 1 month b/f I see improvement.

Only other issue is that she has not been using her litterbox as well as she did in the past.  I put in a lower box to accommodate the tilt, but since her diagnosis she just pee’s & poop’s wherever she lays.  Occassionally she will use her box.  Will I need to re-litter train her when she is better?

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Welcome back

I’m going through the same thing unfortunately ours doesn’t seem to be E.C (as it would be gone now with treatment and time) so we’re again treating -since about the end of November.

Jessica has a palace…about 5 stories w/ varying cubbies, etc. Do I need to change her condo to a single or bi-level for now? I know she hasn’t been using her litterboxes on the bottom floor. Does head tilt mean she feels dizzy like vertigo? If that’s the case, don’t I want to limit her movements? If it could be a parasite or infection, does that mean I should let Chewbacca out around her. They still are not bonded, but they share a litterbox that is kept outside of their pens. Any further advice appreciated. I’m trying to keep myself under-control and not freaking out by this diagnosis, but she just seems so vulnerable right now.

YES-make it one story immediately-they have a hard time with balance, and typically have a period of rolling. This can happen suddenly-so decrease the palace to one story and much smaller footprint. If you don’t want to rip it down I’ve used a mesh playpen (for kids) and a dog bed to decrease area and also to give me easy access for frequent bedding changes and medication.

She may feel dizzy. Most vets, including mine-treat with Meclizine. It’s an antinaseant and if it doesn’t help it can’t hurt. But I can tell you I feel it does. For me it’s expensive (about 50$ a week) but it has to be compounded in a special pharmacy here because of availability. I’d ask about it and at least give it a try. We have ours made with strawberry and he takes it pretty willingly

TBH I wouldn’t worry about another rabbit catching it-most rabbits *have* the illnesses they get sick with, and the immune system is fine-but they can fall ill. I would bet the farm that if I tested all my bunnies they’d likely all have EC or pasturella or the like-they just aren’t sick-only one is. If Chewbacca is a dog or cat (I can’t remember sorry!) then definitely don’t worry-EC etc does not affect dog/cats so long as I know-just horses.

The biggest and best advice I can give-go buy puppy pee pads. If it gets bad, they don’t move much and will often sleep in a pee spot. I have an incontinent pillow (it’s a rubber pillow) and then I cover that in puppy pee pads and that in towels -that keeps him dry and comfy-and I can roll the towels along the edges to he has ‘bumpers’ if he rolls.

And check out this site http://www.onthewonk.com/ Helped a lot

[BinkyBunny]

SL – Bailey was E.C. positive and had E.C symptoms as she aged, and Rucy was E.C. Positive and never showed symptoms. My understanding is though that the blood test to get the titer level can still be helpful in discovering if a bunny was exposed at least and then later the levels can be compared – as that will help with determining if E.C is being active in the system or dormant. But basically what you are saying is your bunny treated for E.C. anyway? If so, that’s good too, it would just be nice to see if the treatment affected her titer levels — that’s what we did with Bailey.

KK – You can email me about this but what did you mean that it doesn’t seem to be E.C as it would be gone by now with treatment and time? I may be misunderstanding what you are saying…but as I am currently understanding it: E.C. symptoms can improve but since there is no cure, it’s more of just maintaining and preventing further damage (but even that is not always possible as the treatment is just to help assist the bunny’s immune system to fight the parasites progression) Bailey made improvements, but by no means were the symptoms gone, it just helped it from digressing any further. I may be misunderstanding what you are saying here, so please correct me if I am. (I’ll also message you about this to make sure I am not misunderstanding)

[skunklionshow]

I spent the Friday after diagnosis taking apart my NIC cage and building a fence/gate.  I originally used the NIC panels to build up and to the sides of her original dog cage.  She came in a dog cage when I adopted/acquired her.  I kept the original dog cage & put the top back on and built a little fence around it.  I added her wicker tent & Chewbacca’s wicker house thingy (all Binky Bunny products).  We bought he a nice new rug, which has since been pottied on BIG time!  We also gave her her large litterbox.  We haven’t wanted to let her out when we are not home since I’m worried about the dizziness.  However, she is doing MUCH BETTER!

She gets all her meds and has been eating extremely well!  Pellets, Veggies, & Oat Hay.  She looks great, though still tilty.  Meclizine is the active ingrediant in dramamine.  I’m sure you get it specially compounded so it tastes yummy to a bunny. 

[Sarita]

I’m glad Ms. Jessica is much better. Continued vibes to her and to you too.

[jerseygirl]

Good to hear! Must be a big relief for you.

[BinkyBunny]

Such good news to hear about the improvement! Yeah!! Sounds like she’s making it easy on you and taking her meds without a fight (mine even fight the flavored kind)

All such good news — keep us updated.

Healing vibes for Jessica’s continued recovery.

[RabbitPam]

Glad to hear she’s improving.

{{{{{{{{{{Get well soon, Jessica}}}}}}}}}}

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