lack of balance in a small rabbit

[anaotilia]

Yesterday I found in my garden a small rabbit about kg 0,750 with a little scabies on the body .
I put him in my house for treating him later together with some other adult rabbits, and in the night before starting to treat him with a cream, It was completely without balance in the body,
moving continuosly the head . The head is always twisted or on the right or on the left.
I started this morning to give him 0,1 cc (ml) of febendazole.
Is something more that I can do?
thanks for Yr advice.
Anaotilia,

 

[JBun]

It sounds like he has head tilt/wry neck. If trauma wasn't involved as the cause, the most common causes are an ear infection or the e. cuniculi parasite. If it's the parasite causing it, then the fenbendazole will hopefully help. Dosage is 20mg/kg once a day, for at least 28 days. If you have the 100mg/ml fenbendazole, then the dosage would be 0.15cc for a 0.75kg rabbit. I would say to get him to a vet, but if I remember right, your vets aren't very good with rabbits. It would be helpful though, if a vet could check for an ear infection. If there is one that is causing the head tilt, then the rabbit would need 'rabbit safe' antibiotics. Baytril is an antibiotic that is commonly given to rabbits but not always effective. Sometimes something like azithromycin or injectable bicillin seems to be more effective. If you can get some metacam anti inflammatory, that is helpful to give as well(as long as there aren't kidney issues), as it will help bring down the inflammation that is causing the head tilt symptoms and help reduce any damage done. Usual dosage is 0.1-0.2mg/kg, once or twice a day, but I've read of up to 0.4mg/kg twice a day, being used for severe health problems.

Head tilt can be a pretty prolonged illness. It takes a lot of nursing and may even take syringe feeding the rabbit food and water if the tilt gets too bad for him to eat on his own. If he is to the point of rolling, it is helpful to place rolled up towels on each side and around him, to help support his body and prevent him from rolling. Here's some further reading on head tilt and medication info.

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/tilt.html
http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/content/info-sheets/ecuniculi.htm
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Neurology/Otit/otitis.htm
http://www.medirabbit.com/Safe_medication/Antibiotics/Safe_antibiotics.htm

If he has scabs on his body as well, it may be that he has a skin parasite, or they could just be injuries.

 

[tonyshuman]

Poor bun. It sounds like he's been unwell for a while. I think he should see a vet if possible, to try to figure out what caused the scabs and the tilt. An ear infection is most likely to be the cause of the head tilt, so antibiotics should probably be given. Injectible penicillin G procaine/benzathine can commonly be found for livestock in many countries, and it can be used to treat ear infections pretty well in rabbits.

 

[anaotilia]

this morning, something new, the left eye is very very small, I check the ears and eyes no infections, it has many
dry crust near the ducts of the nose.
when i take him to give food with a syringe it moves the head like a crazy and becomes quiet when it starts to eat.
I am following with febendazole and twice a day trimetoprim sulfa 1cc by mouth. It has many problems to walk and no balance.
regards.

 

[JBun]

This can make them feel very disoriented when you pick them up, and so the rabbit may freak out a bit. It's best to try and limit picking them up as much as possible. If you can do the feedings while your rabbit is on the ground, that would be the best thing. The balance and walking may not happen for a while. It can sometimes take several weeks before they start feeling well enough to try walking around.

 

[tonyshuman]

To help with the eye, you can put a washcloth with warm water on it on the crustiness. Trimethoprim sulfa is rarely effective against rabbit ear infections and upper respiratory infections, so if you don't see any improvement within 3-5 days of starting it, you will want to switch to a different antibiotic. I would recommend looking for injectibile penicillin g benzathine/procaine. Sometimes it is called bicillin, duo-pen, etc. It contains a long-lasting pen G and a quick-acting one, so you can inject it every other day. It's usually available as a livestock medication.

I agree that giving the bunny the meds on the ground may help. I try to kneel on the floor, put the bunny between my knees, and give meds that way. It works really well for big bunnies, or bunnies that really don't like to be held. Sometimes they will give medicine to help with the vertigo from an ear infection, usually meclizine or valium. Meclizine is sold in human pharmacies as a seasickness med.