New bunny with odd problem

[NZminilops]

Today I picked up a 7 week old Holland lop, which apart from being a bit scared from the drive here, seemed ok for the first 30 minutes. Now he's been sitting in one spot slowy turning his head from side to side a short way each side, like he's saying 'no'. He still eats and drinks and cleans and sleeps and walks around every now and then but it looks really odd! He stops it if I am cuddling him and patting his head but may still move one eye up and down or just look weird.

What could this be and should I be worried?

 

[Maureen Las]

You should take him to a vet who knows rabbits well. It sounds like it could be something called headtilt..this can cause the bunny to lose his equilibrium. It sounds like it is just beginning so the sooner he goes to the vet the better.

 

[MyBabyBunnies]

Some rabbits swing their heads side to side and up and down when they 'scan'. Not all rabbits do it, very few do it. But 'scanning' is not unheard of. It is possible it's something else though, I'll let someone with more experience tell you what they think.

 

[Maureen Las]

Baby Bunny.. I was most concerned about eye rolling

 

[NZminilops]

Oh no I hope it isn't head tilt! I have emailed the breeder and I'm a bit angry, I hope he wasn't doing this before she sold him to me and chose not to say anything about it.

Vets closed for the night here in New Zealand but I will see if there is an emergency number, just to make sure he is ok.

 

[NZminilops]

Well it was more like eye looking up and down, he only did it one time that I know of. It is pretty worrying. He is a nice boy too.

 

[Maureen Las]

Don't panic. If he looks "weird" most likely there is somthing going on but only the vet will know.

 

[NZminilops]

Ok, will try not to worry. I might be able to get a short video up here, I'll give it a go.

 

[Pipp]

Sounds like scanning... I'm sure a video would help.

Is he a red-eyed bunny per chance?

Does he seem to have vision problems at all? (Some bunnies scan when there's nothing wrong, but vision-challenged bunnies will too).



sas

 

[Pipp]

Oh wait... he's moving his whole head, right? Or are his eyes moving?

Let me grab some material, you can see what best describes it.

sas

 

[NZminilops]

Hi, his eyes are a dark brownish red, he's sable coloured. I saw a video of scanning on the net and it does look like what he is doing. Sorry for the worry but he is such a sweet little guy, I didn't want him to have something wrong with him withen hours of getting here.

Any more stuff on scanning would be great! Thanks for the help everyone, I really appreciate it.

 

[Pipp]

Here's a good Scanning article, complete with other eye movement issues:

http://www.rabbit.org/chapters/san-diego/health/eye_scanning.html

Let us know what fits.

sas

 

[MyBabyBunnies]

LOL, Pipp you just posted the link I was about to. I still think a vet visit is in order, just to make sure.

 

[Maureen Las]

I'm really glad that this is turning out OK for you and your new bunny...maybe you can get some rest now.

 

[Pipp]

MyBabyBunnies wrote:

LOL, Pipp you just posted the link I was about to. I still think a vet visit is in order, just to make sure.

:agree:yeahthat MBB knows her stuff. (I can go to bed now and feel that bunnies everywhere -- well, on RO --are in safe hands).

sas

 

[NZminilops]

That scanning sounds like what he is doing, a sort of swaying/turning head looking motion. I got a video but it's so dark I can hardly see him, will post it anyway.

...Ok I tried to post it but it doesn't want to work, gets to 99% on photobucket and stops.

Once again I am very glad that this website exists and you guys are all so willing to help, phew!

:bunnydance:

Here's what the little fella looks like:

 

[Pipp]

:crash

 

[NZminilops]

Another lady who bought a REW and a sealpoint from the same litter has been emailing me in a panic (we know eachother vaguely from a message board) and wants to return her bunnies because the REW is doing it too. She wants me to join with her in asking the breeder why she couldn't have at least mentioned it to us as it gave us both a bit of a scare having never seen or heard of scanning before.

I'm sure her bunny and mine are both fine but she is losing the plot a little and calling hers 'mental' and 'retarded'. I told her it's most likely just the scanning thing, but how common is this affliction and do they ever grow out of it? Does it cause any side affects?

 

[pamnock]

"Scanning" is an involuntary "tick" in certain colors of rabbits to help them focus better. In albinos (and rabbits with little pigment in the eye), this is not uncommon. Some do it more than others.

Sable is a color that would be likely to scan, especially in a sable carrying the REW gene, because it would have less pigmeht in the eye.

Pam