Head tilt?

[Ella]

I have recently noticed that Eli’s head will occasionally tilt to the left. It is ONLY at night when we are winding down for bed. His head will start to tilt over and he will just stare. If I walk over to him or make a noise he will slightly correct himself. Usually after a minute or two of this he will groom himself, eat cecals, and then settle into a loafed position (head straight forward, not tilted). 

I am wondering if this is maybe a sleepy thing? He knows the routine of lights going off, he will hop up to the top floor of his cottontail cottage and this is when I notice it. I never see him tilt during the day, it is only after we start the nighttime routine and he is starting to settle down. 

It is something new that I’ve noticed but he also just learned how to get on the top floor so I couldn’t really see him before. (The cottontail cottage is the three story cardboard castle). He used to sleep in the middle part for most of the night but has since discovered the top floor. This could be why I never noticed it before?? 

I don’t know much about head tilt but I know that it can sometimes be gradual. I only notice it at night before bed and if something alerts him he usually rights himself again. I really don’t want it to be actual head tilt, I have read scary things

Does anyone notice this in their buns around night time? Could it just be a sleepy thing?

ANY info on head tilt or experiences with something similar will help. PLEASE! 

[Ella]

After doing some reading, I want to add that I have not noticed any balance issues, he is still eating, drinking, and going to the bathroom like normal. He is also just as active as he normally is. I am sure with all of this that maybe I am over reacting but with something like this I just want to see what other people have to say.

It seems like other people who have experiences head tilt with their rabbits have much more noticeable signs and other symptoms. Like I said, I don’t know much about it so I wanted to ask!

Thanks!

[Wick & Fable]

It could be sleepy head tilt. If Wick falls asleep while his neck is upright, his head starts tilting back. I can pet him to the ground when he’s that zoned into sleep.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[Rookie]

Bunnies sleep with eyes open so just like how your head drops bunnies drop their heads too as they fall asleep.
I would think if the bunny is stretched out for sleep or loafed and ready for bed it’s a sleepy head droop not ahead tilt. Especially if the startle response is there when you call or approach.

[Azerane]

I agree that it sounds like a sleepy thing. Apollo has a sleepy “tilt” quite regularly. The few times I was a little bit alarmed, but as you said when they are disturbed, they snap right out of it. Something that definitely doesn’t happen with an actual tilt.

[Ella]

Thank you for your replies. He usually does in when he is sitting up and sometimes it takes awhile for me to  “snap” him out of it. Once he finally settles in it goes away. 

I don’t like when he does it! Since it is a new thing and I have had him for almost a year prior to me noticing this I got even more nervous. But I am relieved to see others saying that their rabbits do similar things when they are sleepy. 

I feel confident that it’s just a night time sleepy thing but I think I will keep an eye out for it during the day or other times.

It really did scare the so thanks for helping me have better peace of mind!

[jerseygirl]

Potamus holds her head at a slight tilt sometimes and I notice it when she is sitting up high somewhere. It used to make me nervous as her Mum did develop head tilt so I was wary of her doing so too. But like Eli, it’s only sometimes she has her head like that and she can straighten it up.

[Ella]

Posted By jerseygirl on 7/05/2017 11:42 PM

Potamus holds her head at a slight tilt sometimes and I notice it when she is sitting up high somewhere. It used to make me nervous as her Mum did develop head tilt so I was wary of her doing so too. But like Eli, it’s only sometimes she has her head like that and she can straighten it up.

It’s interesting that you say she does it when she is up high somewhere because this is when I notice it in Eli. It’s always when he is up on the top of his house. 

Thanks for your reply! Definitely helpful in making me feel less concerned  

[Tara]

My bunny also tilts his head while sleeping. He’s absolutely fine. Whenever he’s in deep sleep , his body falls on one side because he keeps his legs in such a way . His head gradually tilts and he sleeps. He never tilt head when awake and doesn’t show symptoms of illness. I think it’s normal. I am not a rabbit doc or something but I think it’s just a relax muscle pose. Hope it helps

[DanaNM]

Hi Tara, welcome to BB and thanks for sharing your experience! We ask members not to reply to old threads because it gets confusing, and this thread is very old so I’m going to lock it now.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Bam]

Hi Tara!

Thank you for your reassuring post! This thread is very old though, so the OP is probably nolonger active on the forums. We encourage our members to start new topics on matters that have been discussed before -especially in matters regarding rabbit health. Rabbit medicine is (thankfully!) a rapidly evolving field!

You’re very welcome to start threads of your own if there’s sth in particular you want to discuss or ask about. And if you just want to hang out with other bun folks, you’re welcome to the monthly chat thread in The Lounge 🙂

I’m locking this thread now.

[Author]

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