Rabbit Vet visit - head tilt

[Sampeck22]

Hi everyone,
I recently took my rabbit to a vet hospital and did not receive an actual diagnosis. My rabbit has a slight head tilt, teeth chattering and not eating much.
What I’m wondering is, how much medicine is safe for a rabbit to have?

they prescribed:
Metronidazole 1ml 2x a day
Sulfa/trimeth susp. 200- 1.5ml twice a day
Meloxicam 0.8ml twice a day
Meclizine 1 tablet twice a day
Oxbow critical care 4-6 hours

I just want to make sure this won’t have a bad effect on him.
also does anyone have any tips on how to get him to eat more?
thank you!!

 

[Maureen Las]

Did you take your rabbit to a vet who you knows treats a lot of rabbits ? I think that it is strange that the vet would not tell you exactly what is wrong and why he is using certain medications.
the slight head tilt could be an ear infection or a protozoan infection called ecuniculi . Teeth grinding is a definite sign that your rabbit is experiencing pain and eating less would be expected if the rabbit is not feeling well or in pain.
The metronidazole and trimethoprim /sulfa are both antibiotics. Metronidazole often is used for fungal infections. Both of these drugs can be safely used on rabbits.
Meloxicam is an anti inflammatory pain med commonly prescribed for rabbits. Meclizine is used to treat motion sickness or “a spinning sensation “ that a rabbit with head tilt often experiences.
‘critical care often needs to be fed exclusively until your rabbit is eating well on his own. You may want to try veggies he like and or small amounts of alfalfa hay to stimulate appetite but until he is not experiencing pain and discomfort , you may need to feed critical care.
I would guess that your vet think that your bun has an ear infection ,however, I would call and have the vet explain exactly why he is prescribing these meds. You are not going to feel comfortable until you know .
I did not check dosages but all of those meds are safe for a rabbit.

 

[Maureen Las]

Forgot to mention that it would be a good idea to get a probiotic to give to your bunny as oral antibiotics can often upset the gut flora. Never give a probiotic at the same time as you give the med as that will defeat the purpose .Give it at an in between time like 4 -5 hours after the med is given Benebac powder works well and is easy to get . If you get benebac gel always check the expiration date before you use it.

 

[JBun]

Those are the usual meds for head tilt caused by an ear infection. So did the vet determine it was caused by an ear infection and not e. cuniculi? Usually fenbendazole will also be prescribed if it hasn't been determined if it's an ear infection or e. cuniculi.

There's info on the treatment for head tilt in these links below. Also some info on how to care for a head tilt rabbit. You can hand feed his usual veggies and try placing the hay in a way he might be able to eat it. But if your rabbit can't manage to eat on his own then regular syringe feeds are necessary every 4 hours, with the Oxbow critical care.

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Head_tilt
Medirabbit: ear infection clinical signs and treatment

http://www.disabledrabbits.com/head-tilt.html

 

[Sampeck22]

Did you take your rabbit to a vet who you knows treats a lot of rabbits ? I think that it is strange that the vet would not tell you exactly what is wrong and why he is using certain medications.
the slight head tilt could be an ear infection or a protozoan infection called ecuniculi . Teeth grinding is a definite sign that your rabbit is experiencing pain and eating less would be expected if the rabbit is not feeling well or in pain.
The metronidazole and trimethoprim /sulfa are both antibiotics. Metronidazole often is used for fungal infections. Both of these drugs can be safely used on rabbits.
Meloxicam is an anti inflammatory pain med commonly prescribed for rabbits. Meclizine is used to treat motion sickness or “a spinning sensation “ that a rabbit with head tilt often experiences.
‘critical care often needs to be fed exclusively until your rabbit is eating well on his own. You may want to try veggies he like and or small amounts of alfalfa hay to stimulate appetite but until he is not experiencing pain and discomfort , you may need to feed critical care.
I would guess that your vet think that your bun has an ear infection ,however, I would call and have the vet explain exactly why he is prescribing these meds. You are not going to feel comfortable until you know .
I did not check dosages but all of those meds are safe for a rabbit.

Those are the usual meds for head tilt caused by an ear infection. So did the vet determine it was caused by an ear infection and not e. cuniculi? Usually fenbendazole will also be prescribed if it hasn't been determined if it's an ear infection or e. cuniculi.

There's info on the treatment for head tilt in these links below. Also some info on how to care for a head tilt rabbit. You can hand feed his usual veggies and try placing the hay in a way he might be able to eat it. But if your rabbit can't manage to eat on his own then regular syringe feeds are necessary every 4 hours, with the Oxbow critical care.

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Head_tilt
Medirabbit: ear infection clinical signs and treatment

http://www.disabledrabbits.com/head-tilt.html

Thank you for your reply! I’m actually not sure what the vet diagnosis is at all, the vet wouldn’t let me in the back when they were seeing the bunny and they only gave me meds and wouldn’t tell me a diagnosis, that’s why I just wanted to make sure that the medicine was appropriate for the bunny in general since I’m not sure what the diagnosis is and they won’t tell me anything on the phone.

 

[JBun]

I would be insistent then, email, call, go to their office if possible(depending on covid restrictions). You have every right to know what your rabbit was diagnosed with and how the vet determined this. And they have no right to withhold that information. Be calm and courteous, but insistent.