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- This topic has 23sd replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 12 months ago by
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Tank is having some balancing issues. Last night I was panicing because he was acting so crazy, and I called a 24 hour emergency clinic and they said that as long as he is sitll eating and drinking then he probably won’t die and doesn’t need emergency care.
So, I took him to the vet this morning who said he was having some kind of balance issue, the most common problem being an inner or middle ear infection, so now I have some antibiotics. Taking them is… not his favorite thing in the world, but we got his first dose taken today.
Anyway, is there anything else I can do for him? He isn’t really tilting his head, but he’s turning it. He’ll turn his head to the left, then quickly correct it, then turn his head to the left again, like he can’t help it, and his eyes keep moving back and forth. Is he going to get dizzy? Also, he’s kind of disoriented when he hops around. Should I keep him in his cage for a while?
The vet said he wouldn’t prescribe any medicine for motion sickness as long as he was still eating, and to give him more pellets because he needs a little more weight.
What can I do to keep him comfortable? He seems so confused and sometimes even a little scared, like he’s seeing things I am not.
I want him to be happy.Update: He is much better now, eye movement has stopped and he doesn’t stumble around so much anymore. What’s even better is that his appetite is returning. Whew.
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Goodness, it talks an awful lot about euthanasia though… o.O I wasn’t… anywhere near ready for that yet. He appreciates your vibes.
Ah, but it emphasises NOT to euthanise because it is a treatable condition. So don’t let your mind go there. It’s great he’s getting meds straight of the mark. It can come on rapidly but with early treatment it can resolve quickly also.
What? Does that mean this is never going away!?
Some cases leave rabbits with a slightly tilted head, sometimes barely noticeable. It can depend on the cause I think. For Tank, it might be like clearing an ear infection with no side effects. It’s early days.
I can’t recall how old Tank is? Is he eating vegetable yet? You could hand feed him when he’s willing to eat. Veg would be good to keep him hydrated. Also hay and pellets could be hand fed. If he has trouble putting his head down to get the food, try placing it in something like a hay rack and his head height. Does he drink from a bowl or bottle?
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I see. I can’t imagine why anyone would look at a bunny with a sideways head and think “WELP, I give up.” But I guess if they have misinformation, they don’t know what else to do.
Thanks for making me hopeful. (: Tank is approximately 5 years old. I see what you mean about having trouble getting his head into the bowl to eat. I’ll try holding it out to him. He drinks water out of a bowl, although not as much lately
Am I going to have to syringe his water to him too? I make sure his vegetables are really wet when I give them to him. -
He doesn’t turn his head any more, but it does tilt slightly now, true to the name of the symptom. He eats and poops, but I’d say his appetite has been cut in half
I’m going to pick up some smellier greens to night to see if he finds it more enticing. I put carrot juice in his water too to make him drink more.
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