Head tilt - should I help him standup

Question
Hi Dana, I tried to email you on a different address but I'm very worried about my bunny so thought I best put my question here as well.

He has a very bad head tilt problem, we've being medicating him for two weeks and will continue to perservere. I'm trying to keep him comfortable at the moment as he is getting worse and worse. He is now falling over constantly, and only stands up for as long as we are sitting with him steadying him with our hands. The question I would love answered the most is, shold I help him stand up? i.e. right now he has fallen over, if I perservere I can usually get him back on to his feet but this morning he is particularly bad and will only stand up for a minute. Should I be forcing him to stand up or is it OK for him to lie on his side? He appears very calm when he is lying on his side but I worry that he can't stand back up and feel possessed to put him on his feet.

Thanks
Kate (and Loki)

Answer
Dear Kate,

What antibiotics is he on?  Is there any suspicion that E. cuniculi could be involved, because if so, you might want to ask the vet about trying Panacur along with the other meds.

If there has been only worsening in two weeks, then you might want to ask about trying a different antibiotic.  Please see:

www.rabbit.org/health/tilt.html

and

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/tilt.html

Helping him stand might help him retain some orientation, but also ask about getting him some meclizine, which could help with his dizziness/vertigo, and make him better able to stand on his own.  Gentle physical therapy (such as helping him stand) are always okay, as long as you don't tire him out.  He needs rest, too, in order to recover.

I hope those articles will help, and that you will be able to work with the vet to get the right antibiotic.  If you're not sure your current vet is experienced enough with rabbits, then you might want to check the list linked here for another vet to give you a second opinion:

www.rabbit.org/vets

Hope this helps.

Dana