My Bunny's Sick :( (RIP TicTac)

[Boz]

Hello, I'm a little new here. I've been a member for a while just haven't talked. But I really need some advice from people who have rabbits

I'm almost certain my bunny TicTac, the French Lop has Head Tilt. I just recently got her in October and she turned two on the 13th of November.
On our way home today from being gone my mom called my dad to ask him something, then he asked to talk to me and he said TicTac was acting strange. She would fall over, like she couldn't keep her balance and her head was tilt to one side. She also seemed a little scared cause she'd run to the back of the cage and stomp. She hasn't done that for a while though now. My dad noticed this this morning/afternoon. Before she tried to stand up on her hind legs (which she'll do a lot) and she didn't go up far before almost loosing her balance, and she stopped.
She hasn't eaten much and seems to have a hard time drinking/eating. She did eat a leaf before and some apple. She also will pee/poo in one stop and stay there cause her butt was dirty.

I took her litter box out, I know she's not using it, she can't jump in it. So she has a flat surface with carpet and then some litter in the back (the carpet doesn't quick cover the whole cage).

Were hoping we'll be able to get her to see the vet tomarrow (luckily our vet knows rabbits) I'm also hoping whatever caused this (since it's a number of things) it will be able to heal up quickly.
She's such a loving andsweetbunny. She'llrun up to thefront of her cage forher time out toto play and will often times jump out herself, and sadly nowI know she wants to come out, she'll come to the front and look over like she's wanting to, but she can't. Also if she wants to be pet she'll run around your feet, but I don't think she can do that either. She just looks so sad.


Here's a picture of her that I took today (Although she's sick, she still makes herself look cute ) You can see her head tilting I gave her some veggies, hopping she'll eat those if not her pellets.

Has anyone had a rabbit with this type of sickness before? Any information would be wonderful.

Thanks,
-Boz

 

[lagadvocate]

Hi, I've never had a bunny who had head tilt so I don't have any experiences there, but just wanted to drop in to say that I'm sorry that TicTac is sick and I'm sending out some good thoughts forher to feel better soon! :hug:

You probably already saw this but here's the link for head tilt info:

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=11840&forum_id=10

I'm sure that someone who knows about this will be along to post soon!

 

[aurora369]

I know we have several knowledgable members on the subject of head tilt. JadeIcing has Ringo, Ra7751 has dealt with many head tilt buns, ME dealt with a long term head tilt case with Peanut, and there's probably a couple I'm missing...

Have you had TicTac to a vet yet? Get her checked for an ear infection, a very common cause.

Make sure she stays hydrated, and if possible get the vet to give sub-q fluids.

Hopefully someone will be along shortly with more information.

--Dawn

 

[TinysMom]

I don't know how bunny-knowledgeable your vet is - so let me start out by saying that your bunny can go on to live a long and healthy life and be happy. So don't let the vet tell you differently.

There are several of us who have had bunnies with head tilt. I'd start treatment immediately if I were you.

Different vets will tell you different things and what I do might be different than what they will do. Randy (Ra7751) works with the vets who train vets (do I have that right?) at a big university and he's helped me out with this...we also have others who have experience with head tilt.

The first step is...get your rabbit in to the vet to be seen. I'm guessing you'll probably get some private messages tonight and in the next day or so of questions to ask the vet, etc. Treatments can vary from situation to situation and I'm hesitant to share here what I would do as you really do need to see the vet.

Your rabbit is very cute....good luck - keep us updated on what happens. I'll be sending you a private message shortly.

Peg

 

[Boz]

My mom's calling the vet in the morning to get her in, forgot to mention that. Thankfully she's knowledgeable on rabbits Hopefully we'll be able to see the vet tomarrow.

 

[lalena2148]

My bunny Latte got head tilt Dec. of this year. His started out in a similar way. He was fine then start to roll over on occasion and then his head started to tilt to the right. I got him into the vet the next day and they did a test to find out if it was an ear infection and it turned out to be the cause. However, if it wasn't from an ear infection, it can also be caused by E. Cunniculi (my vet said usually ear infections are the cause though; in fact, an upper respiratory infection can lead to one. Was TicTac sneezing recently? Is she kept outside?).

My vet prescribed Latte oral Baytril (an antibiotic...btw, get it flavored if you can, it makes your life a lot easier) and Meclizine (Dramamine for the dizziness caused from rolling). Baytril was 2x a day, Meclizine was 1x a day usually with a meal.

Latte would not eat , most likely because his stomach was not good w/ all the rolling. So, I had to syringe feed him for 2 days. I also had to syringe him water for the first day as he didn't want to drink. Syringe feeding a bunny is a pain, but they need to keep eating and stay hydrated. Also, ask your vet about getting some Critical Care. It's a food you mix and syringe that is very high in nutrients.

If your bunny won't eat anything, try grounding up some pellets and mix it with some banana baby food, set it on a spoon and see if TicTac will lick it off. That usually works well.

Also, if she is rolling, put a rolled up towel in her cage. She can prop her self up against it to sleep. Make sure all her food and water is low so she can get to it even if her head is tilted.

I hopethis helps some. Lots of bunnies get this and get better. Latte's is barely there anymore and he's fine. I hope TicTac feels better. Keep us posted.

BTW, I'm posting some more links on Head Tilt for you:
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=11840&forum_id=10
http://www.rabbit.org/journal/3-8/head-tilt.html
http://www.rabbit.org/health/tilt.html
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=18&cat=1803&articleid=2371
http://www.fuzzy-rabbit.com/sick.htm
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/tilt.html

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

Great post Peg, I totally agree. There are a few options to start. Randy? Maybe pm this member and give your best opinions. Randy's great, as Peg said.

I wish you all the luck with getting great treatment. Keep us posted. Thinking of you and your bun:hug:.

 

[JadeIcing]

I have delt with two buns. My Ringo and just recently with my Teresa.

ETA:

Went to the emergency vet last night (need advice)--- Recent

Rolling Bunny(With Pictures and Video) (NEW SETUP!)

Help? (update)

 

[ra7751]

Hi Boz,

I work torticollis (head tilt, wry neck) all the time. The most likely cause is an inner/middle ear infection. It can be bacterial, yeast or viral....or sometimes a combination. Tilt can also be caused by head trauma (which is usually quite obvious but doesn't appear to be the cause here), dental issues, vascular accidents (something like a stroke but this is very rare) or even a systemic infection in other parts of the body. E Cuniculi does not directly cause head tilt....there is a lot of inaccurate information all over the place on that....but EC can indirectly cause tilt due to a compromised immune system that allows a bacterial infection. There are usually other neurological signs if EC is involved.....note I said usually. I would start with the ears and get a culture of any debris.

Keep offering greens...or anything bunny safe that she will eat. It is essential to maintain hydration and greens will help. As mentioned by another poster, meclizine is often used in an attempt to control the vertigo....it works with some and not with others but always worth a try. If it is a bacterial infection, we usually treat with ear drops and at least two other antibiotics that work in different ways. I am not a fan of Baytril but if it is what your vet feels is best (and in my non-professional opinion, there are much better options), Baytril will work best when injected via sub-q injection. Pain meds should also be requested since an ear infection is quite painful and stressful.

I can share more info if you would like....just send me a PM.

Randy

 

[Boz]

lalena2148 wrote:

My bunny Latte got head tilt Dec. of this year. His started out in a similar way. He was fine then start to roll over on occasion and then his head started to tilt to the right. I got him into the vet the next day and they did a test to find out if it was an ear infection and it turned out to be the cause. However, if it wasn't from an ear infection, it can also be caused by E. Cunniculi (my vet said usually ear infections are the cause though; in fact, an upper respiratory infection can lead to one. Was TicTac sneezing recently? Is she kept outside?).

She is kept outside, but in the garage. She also has a heated pad under her cage kept at about 65-70 Fdegrees. She does come in though. I haven't noticed any sneezing but I wasout of town wed-sun so I'll ask my dad, but he didn't mention any sneezing. We are moving her inside though now. Much easier for her and me.

lalena2148 wrote:

Latte would not eat , most likely because his stomach was not good w/ all the rolling. So, I had to syringe feed him for 2 days. I also had to syringe him water for the first day as he didn't want to drink. Syringe feeding a bunny is a pain, but they need to keep eating and stay hydrated. Also, ask your vet about getting some Critical Care. It's a food you mix and syringe that is very high in nutrients.

If your bunny won't eat anything, try grounding up some pellets and mix it with some banana baby food, set it on a spoon and see if TicTac will lick it off. That usually works well.

Also, if she is rolling, put a rolled up towel in her cage. She can prop her self up against it to sleep. Make sure all her food and water is low so she can get to it even if her head is tilted.

Thanksa ton on the tips It'll help a bunch. She did eat the apples and cellery I gave her last night and muched on some more that I gave her while I was at school, so that's good

And we got an appointment to see the vet at 5:45, which is in about an hour and a half.

Also thanks everyone else who replied So much help! I'll be checking out all the links everyone posted in a bit

 

[Boz]

We got back from the vet a bit ago, it went very well
First off she's in good health besides the head tilt.
I thought this was sweet-- When the vet went to look at her teeth she didn't want to flip her upside down, cause that could make her dizzy so she bent over over her and was upside down.

Anyway what she's got is a bacterial infection in both ears. The vet said as long as she's pooing and peeing and eating that's all a good thing, which she is! And she's got good spirit. She's still curious, just needs to take rests, I think she gets dizzy after a bit.

So now she's on three oral meds and has ear drops. The vet said there's a 25 percent chance she'll go back to being 100% like she was before, 50% chance that her head stays tilted cause of nerve damage but be healthy, and 25% chance it gets worse.

She seems high spirited though, and seems to be doing just fine right now

 

[TinysMom]

YEAH! Those are pretty good odds and I'm thinking since you caught it so early that you have a good chance of seeing it go away....

Thanks so much for updating us!

Peg

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Be sure you give her the medicines she's needing. If you have trouble with her taking it, there are a lot of people here who have had experience and can offer some advice. Don't hesitate to ask!

I sure hope things go well and she's back to normal soon!

 

[Boz]

Thanks I if have problems I'll be sure to ask.

She did very well at taking her meds, which I'm thankful for! I put some yummy greens in her cage before putting her back in, and when I did put her in she went right to them I do havea little bowl of water in there for her, which she can drink the water out of easily, so that's great! Since she can't get at the water bottle well.

But otherwise she's doing well

 

[Boz]

Today this morning I went by TicTac, There was poo in the cage and she has drank some water from the little bowl I gave her and her greens I gave her were gone. I gave her fresh water, her medication and then left for school.

I got home and went and peeked in the room she was in. She was laying there in her cage and for the second I looked her tummy wasn't moving, but I couldn't look close enough to see if she was only sleeping or not. So I ran to my dad and told him to look.
TicTac has passed away I started crying even before he said so. I think my mom even cried a little too.

I just got her about 5 weeks ago and now she's gone I guess I don't feel all that bad, like as in guilty. We did everything we could. She'd seen the vet and overall she was doing good. I'm just glad I took her to the vet yesterday and didn't have to wait till today.

RIP TicTac

Also.. are bacterial infections contagous? I have another rabbit, a Mini rex whose cage was right next to TicTac's. Should I be worried? Or do you think she'll be fine?

 

[aurora369]

I'm so sorry. It looked like she had a good chance of recovering, but there must have been more wrong than the vet (or anyone) could see.

I would give everything a good cleaning, but don't worry too much. Just keep a watchful eye on your other bunny just in case.

--Dawn

 

[Bo B Bunny]

I'm sorry you lost her. Poor girl was just too sick to make it.

 

[Pipp]

Oh no!! Poor bunny! So sorry Boz, I thought she was going to be okay. :sad:

Please let the vet know, maybe they can determine exactly what happened. That was so sudden if she was eating all her veggies a few hours before.

You can ask about your concerns foryour other bunny.

:rip:TicTac



sas :cry1:

 

[cheryl]

I'm very sorry to hear about TicTac..she was such a pretty little girl

Binky free sweet girl

Cheryl ink iris:

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

I'm a bit shocked this happened, and yes, must have been more going on that went undetected.

I'm so very sorry for your loss.

RIP TicTac:rainbow: