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About Lee Meyer (Mr.)
Expertise
I have 5+ years of experience with House Rabbits, rescue groups, and working with shelter rabbits. I do educational talks about house rabbits. I advise potential adopters, supervise bunny 'dates', fundraising/educational rabbit events, and help rabbit owners with their rabbits. I will answer questions about: general behaviors, body language, housing, toys, bunny-proofing, diet, spaying/neutering issues, nail clips, preventative measures, diet, and health questions. I will not discuss: anything that deals with rabbits for fur, food, factory-style breeding, deliberate or casual breeding by pet owners, or experimentation.

My focus is solely on rabbits as loved pets. It's why I'm a House Rabbit Society member rather than an ARBA member. If you don't view your rabbit the same way you would a pet dog or cat, please ask another expert your question.

I am not a veterinarian and cannot conclusively diagnose your rabbit. My advice does not take the place of a good rabbit vet. IF YOU THINK THERE'S A PROBLEM, DON'T WAIT FOR A REPLY, GET TO A VET IMMEDIATELY!!! Sometimes what appears to be a small problem is life-threatening.

The House Rabbit Society has references on their site for vets they have researched. There are US and international links here for vets all over the world with rabbit experience: www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html

I recommend the following resources to all rabbit owners:

House Rabbit Society - online rabbit info (www.rabbit.org)
Book: Rabbit Health in the 21st Century 2nd Ed. by Kathy Smith
Book: House Rabbit Handbook 4th Ed. by Marinell Harriman

Experience
House Rabbit Member since 2004 Discover Your House Rabbit organizer - 2006 Rabbit Adopter since 2004 HAWS Board of Education member (rabbits) since 2005 HAWS Rabbit Volunteer since 2004

Organizations
National House Rabbit Society, Wisconsin House Rabbit Society, Humane Animal Welfare Society (HAWS), Education Board Member for Rabbits, Friends of HAWS

Education/Credentials
BSEE, MSEE (Electrical/Computer Engineering), Marquette University

You are here: Experts > Animals/Pets > Veterinary Medicine > Rabbits > Head tilt and E.Cuniculi

Rabbits - Head tilt and E.Cuniculi

Expert: Lee Meyer (Mr.) - 11/6/2009

Question
Hi,
I have 2 rabbits that are just over a year old and one has recently gained a head tilt and seems to run around in circles. However, she is still eating and drinking which is good. My vet said she may have E.Cuniculi, so she has been on Panacur for the last week and so has her sister, but there has been no change.My vet did NOT physically examine her and said that just from observing her that it is E.Cuniculi. Can there be any other reason she has a head tilt? Also how long is it supposed to take before you see any evidence of the Panacur working? Many Thanks

Answer
Hi,

often with E Cuniculi there can be a secondary infection, or the cause can be an infection in the inner ear/brain.

Most rabbit vets will give you both an antibiotic and panacur because if it's an inner ear problem, they cannot take a culture and while waiting to confirm E Cuniculi through a titer test, they give both until more is known.

Please get her back in, and have the vet examine her ears. It is an infection. Our guys had this and the bacteria they had did not respond to baytril (the general antibiotic given to rabbits most of the time). I would suggest stepping it up to the next stronger one, chloramphenicol, because it's been left untreated for a longer time and the damage it's causing is now greater. If there is infection presence in the outer ear she should be given topical antibiotics in the ear as well, chloramphenicol.

Further, get back in to get some pain medication as well, as this is causing extra pressure in the inner ear/brain area and it's critical whe's not in pain so she keeps eating and drinking normally. Metacam is the desired choice because it's not only well tolerated but because it also is anti-inflammatory and will help reduce the swelling in these tight spaces of the ear and brain.

I would also recommend treating your other bunny as well, you should probably bring her in to get weighed so that the proper dosages can be determined for her too. She's been exposed to this and as a safeguard you need to treat both.

Please don't wait, the infection in there is causing damage to her balance centers, and the faster you get her on something that works, the less the permanent damage will be. If there is any permanent tilt it won't bother her or diminih quality of life, I have a little guy with a little tilt and it doesn't slow him down one bit. Happy as ever, hardly noticeable. But get in today, make it an emergency call, and if they can't take you find a better rabbit vet and get in today:

www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html

if you need to find a House Rabbit Society recommended vet near you.

And make sure you give them the doses at the same times every day

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