My baby Scout has head tilt – super worried :'(

[LaraS]

I first noticed her head was tilted yesterday afternoon/evening when I was sitting with her on the floor feeding her broccoli.  In the last two weeks I’ve noticed that she hasn’t been eating much of her pellets so I starting feeding her even more greens (romaine, celery, broccoli).  I also can’t tell if she’s been using her new water bottle (I got her a no-drip one) so I would set a little dish down with bottled water and she would drink it right up.  She only ate one piece of broccoli last night which was unusual because she normally gobbles her veggies right up.  Later when she still hadn’t touched any more of her broccoli and her head was more noticably tilted I started looking up head tilt on here and the HRS site.  I’m positive that’s what’s going on.  She hasn’t touched any of her food and I can’t tell if she’s drinking any water.  The only things she’s taken from me are a dried cherry (her favorite treat) and a bit of Petromalt, last night and this morning.  She’s definitely having some balance issues.  I took the rim off of her litter box and took alot of the toys out of her cage that she seemed to be slipping on and laid down towels instead.  I put her old water bottle back in and a full rack of hay but I don’t know if she’s touched them or not.  She’s not taking any veggies from me now.  I have her in her cage so she she’s less likely to hurt herself running around (she normally has full run upstairs).  She doesn’t seem to be in any pain, just confused.  I called an HRS recommended vet near me and I have to wait till 3 pm to take her in.  I know head tilt can be very serious and I’m sick with worry, I can’t stop crying every time I look at her sweet little face, all tilted to the side.  My poor baby, I don’t know what I’m going to do if I lose her.  I couldn’t handle it.  She means the world to me.  I’m so scared.   

 

[Miyuki]

I hope she has something treatable with medication! I’m not sure what usually causes head tilt but in my case my bunny had a parasite. That was treatable with medication. Hang in there and let us know what the vet says!

[Sarita]

Please let us know what the vet says. I know these things can be scary and worrisome. Vibes to you and Scout.

[Beka27]

Oh, poor thing. She’s a beautiful bunny. We have another member (Sonn) who has a black lionhead (Pacey) who is looks just like your girl. Fortunately, you have noticed early that something is going on. Head tilt can be very treatable when caught and treated right away. We have had members on this site go thru head tilt and their buns recovered. Let us know what the vet says this afternoon.

[KatnipCrzy]

Please keep us updated!  I know you must be so worried about Scout!  If you have any other questions be sure to ask!  I know some of the members here have dealt with head tilt before.  Healing vibes to Scout!!

Julie

[Sonn]

Does look like my Pacey so pretty. I don’t know much about head tilts. A friend of mine has 2 rabbits with tilts both were from ear infections one was caught early and now he has a very slight tilt but not enough to notice or put him off balance. Healing vibes for Scout

[LaraS]

Scout does have head tilt.  The HRS-recommended vet said the cause is e. cuniculi.  He prescribed her Baytril and Panacur to administer orally with a syringe.  He also said she would probably recover but would always have a tilt.  She did well on the trip to the vet, but after I got her home and back in her familiar cage, a few moments later I heard a loud crash and ran in to see her on her side/back in her litter box just laying there.  At first I thought she had injured herself or was dying and I was terrified.  I had to help her back up because she couldn’t get up by herself.  It was absolutely heartbreaking.  She can’t seem to get at the right angle to her water bottles to drink.  She ate one little leaf of celery and won’t touch the rest; she ate a tiny bit of hay, and that’s it.  I’m extremely worried about her not being able to drink, and eating so little.  And I’m so scared to leave her alone.

Anyone else who has gone through this, please give me any and all advice you have to offer.  I desperately need help and support.  I am breaking down watching my playful, sweet little baby go through this.

[Deb'sBuns]

I’m so sorry, maybe you could try feeding her little bits by hand. Try a water bowl instead of a bottle. I’m sure someone that knows more than me will be on soon.

[MooBunnay]

I’m so sorry to hear about Scout. He is probably scared right now because he is disoriented due to the head tilt. I have seen several bunnies do just fine with a head tilt once they get the hang of it. I would recommend just spending as much time with Scout as you can right now to keep her calm and comforted. You may have to hand feed, and if she still isn’t eating, I would call the vet and ask if you can get some “Critical Care” which is a mix that you mix with water and use to force feed. I think it would also be a good idea to get Scout a small crock that you can latch onto the side of the pen that he can drink from easily.

I know it is very hard to see, but you are doing everything you can for Scout, and being there for him as he adjusts and recovers is the best thing you can do for him.

Here is a little bit of information from Rabbit.org, you may have already seen this since you were reading on this site already:

Caring for a rabbit with head tilt

Regardless of the cause, most cases of head tilt have similarities.

The “down” eye (the one facing the floor) will usually not close and will require eye ointment to keep the eye moist.

Lack of balance is what causes rabbits to “roll” and be unable to stand, so I try to pick them up as little as possible. When you must pick your rabbit up, hold him securely against your own body, to help him feel as stable as possible. Depending upon the size of your rabbit you can usually figure out how to confine him to a smaller space (perhaps a sweater box with the higher sides). Place one of the synthetic sheepskin rugs (that allows urine to pass through but will keep the bun dry) on the floor of the cage or box, and then place rolled towels or small blankets to help prop him up, so that he will be less likely to roll when he loses his balance. A stuffed toy bunny friend also helps.

Most rabbits will keep eating but may need to be hand fed with lots of sympathy with every bite of food. He may not want his pellets, but he will usually eat a variety of fresh green veggies, carrots and fruits if you hold them for him. It may help to switch from timothy to alfalfa hay to encourage him to eat lots of roughage.

If your rabbit decides to decline food, you will have to be ready to syringe feed him. There are many recipes for syringe feeding and you can be fairly creative. The primary point is to get food into his stomach so that his gut doesn’t stop moving, which would add further complications to the process of getting him well. A sample recipe might be pellets mixed with 2 parts water, mixed garden baby food, some banana, some powdered acidophilus, some apple sauce (some of whatever he usually likes that has a strong taste). Feed him as frequently as possible throughout the day, and as much as you can get down him at each feeding. When he clenches his teeth and won’t swallow, stop for awhile and try more later.

[TARM]

Bunny Lu had a bunny named Bob who had a severe case of head tilt. His head was turned almost all the way backwards over his left shoulder but he was very friendly with people and other bunnies. He got adopted and was dearly loved until he passed away. I think he was 8 years old.

Hopefully Scout will recover with very little tilt, but even if she does have a tilt she can live a relatively normal life.

[jerseygirl]

Take things one step at a time. That she’s straight into treatment is really good.
(((((Scout)))))

[Miyuki]

Hopefully the treatment goes well and she makes it through with little or no head tilt! I believe that even if she ends up with a slight head tilt she will adapt . If there is anything I’ve learned it is rabbits don’t think they’re sick. They’ll adapt and keep on going.

[Beka27]

Did the vet do a culture to determine that E.C. is the cause?  It’s true that it is commonly caused by E.C. but not always… if it is caused by something else, there may be a different, better course of treatment.  I know lionheads can sometimes have seizures and neurological problems… so that’s something to consider as well. 

It’s going to be very important that you try and stay strong.  Your bun will need a lot of support from you: meds, feedings, and light massages can help with HT bunnies.  As difficult as the situation is, it’s not uncommon to end up developing a very strong bond b/c you assume that caretaker role.  Just take things one day at a time.  You can continue to post here for support if you want to and you will get thru this.

One of our long-time members here dealt with head tilt with her lop.  Here are the threads where she documented what happened and what she did.  I’m happy to say that Boston recovered wonderfully and I don’t think she has any discernible tilt at all…

Head Tilt:

Boston – https://binkybunny.com/Default.a…4904#46111

Boston (continued) – https://binkybunny.com/Default.a…view=topic

[LaraS]

MooBunnay and Beka27 – thanks for the info and advice, and to everyone else for the well-wishes and support. <3

My mom has been helping me with Scout.  We took out her old litterbox and got a new one that is easier for her to get into, and put some towels in with her.  We also got some Pedialyte to put into her water and to dip her veggies in.  My mom actually washed some cilantro and then put it in a cup with Pedialyte (like a vase of flowers) in the frig, with the idea that the cilantro will suck up the Pedialyte and make it more hydrating.

Last night I was able to get Scout to take in some water by dabbing Petromalt on the tip of the syringe.  I also got her to eat a little cilantro dipped in water.  She has been lightly munching on hay, and resting in her cage most of the day.  I’m keeping her confined to her cage for the time being because I don’t want her to run around and hurt herself.

My mom actually mixed some Petromalt with the Baytril in a syringe, and we’ve been able to get her to take it that way without forcing it on her.  The Panacur is harder to get her to take, but thankfully it is only 1x/day instead of 2x/day like the Baytril.

Is it normal for her to be tired in this condition?  I’m also still worried about her fluid intake; I don’t want her to become dehydrated.  My mom seems to think we should let her rest as much as possible, so I’m torn between spending time with her and leaving her be after feeding/watering/medicating.  How often do you all think I should be making her eat/drink?  Hourly?  More or less?

P.S.  Beka27 – I’m not sure if he took a culture or not, but he prescribed the Baytril to kill bacteria and the Panacur to kill parasites.

[Sarita]

They actually would do a titer for the E Cunniculi which is taken from the blood work and that can usually take about 1 to 2 weeks to get back.

Did the vet recommend you give her petromalt? I’m not sure this is necessary.

I know the panacur looks pretty unsavory to me too so I can understand why she does not like it. Is the baytril compounded with a flavor?

I think rest is important. Are you feeding her critical care? I recommend this as well.

[Sarita]

It sounds to me as well like he is treating Scout for both an inner ear infection and e cunniculi just in case. That’s pretty common.

[LittlePuffyTail]

I can only imagine how hard this is for you and Scout. We’re here for you though!!!!

[LaraS]

Sarita – no blood work.  Petromalt is her favorite treat (along with a dried cherry) and I have always given her a tiny bit a day to help prevent rabbit ‘hairballs’ since she is a long-haired breed.  I don’t think the medications are flavored.  I don’t have any Critical Care, where can I get it?

My mom just got off the phone with the vet who said she needs at least 3 – 4 oz. of water a day, which she has definitely not been getting.  Since she can’t/won’t drink from her bottles or a dish/spoon, we’re going to have to syringe-feed her that as well.  It’s a struggle, but I know it’s necessary.

[KatnipCrzy]

Critical Care is made by Oxbow (they also make pellets and hay) and is typically sold only by vets since it is used for “force feeding” ill bunnies and techincally should be used under vet care (if your rabbit is that ill your vet should know).  So ask your vet about it- or maybe someone else knows somewhere online that sells it.  If your vet does not have it- they should be able to order it- or you might even be able to get it from another vet clinic in the area if they stock it.

Here is a link that describes the product and gives ingredients, etc…

http://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/ve…tical_care

If you are syringe feeding the Critical Care or a homemade equivalant (crushed pellets mash) there is water in that also- so be sure to factor that in for water consumption.  One way at home to check if an animal is dehydrated is to tent the skin on the back of the neck- gently pick up the scruff of the neck and release it.  If the skin settles back to normal quickly the animal is most likely well hydrated- if the skin is sluggish in returning to normal the pet is most likely dehydrated.  This works on dogs, cats, bunnies, etc.  It is obviously not a precise measurement but is a way to check- and it is painless and not very bothersome to the pet to check this way. 

EDIT-

The Baytril that the vet sent home with you was not flavored?  I would recommend looking into getting the flavoring agent to see if that helps in adminstering- one less battle is one less battle.  If your vet does not have any flavoring- and maybe they do not and that is why you got it unflavored- your local pharmacy should sell flavors.  This is something they would use when making up kids medications.  But if you already have the medicine- you should be able to buy the base flavor.  If you add flavoring- you will need to find out how much to add to the meds you have- and you will have to increase the amount of meds given at a time since you are giving meds AND flavoring- so it would be a good idea to have your vet or pharmacist help you out in that department to make sure the dose stays the same.  I believe all of these flavors are sugar free so you would not be adding more sugar into the diet thru meds so that is a plus if you go this route.
 

Otherwise you can try diluted applejuice or the pedialyte to mix it in.  Is the baytril a clear liquid?  If so- it is most likely unflavored and quite bitter.  How is the Panacur- liquid?

 

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