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netherland dwarf

22 10:37:17

Question
hi my daughter has a 16 week old netherland dwarf female. she got her about 5 weeks ago from a pet shop. since we got her home she has been aquiet bunny and she has lived outdoors since we got her, she lives in a hutch in the garden shed. yesturday my daughter went into the shed and checked on her, she was fine, jumping around happily, eating but she hadnt been drinking. my daughter gave her some fresh water and then checked her again before she went to bed, she give all her rabbits the same food and fruit and veg. when she checked on them this morning the netherland dwarf couldnt stand up, she was just lying there on her side and she still hadnt drunk alot of her water. all the other rabbits were fine so it couldnt of been the food that had caused this. she has brought her indoors for tonight and put her in a hotwater bottle cover ontop of a waterbottle. she still hasnt started walking and every now and again she flips over. when she is in your arms her head flops to her right side all the time. has she had a fit or something. my daughter is blaming herself when she hasnt even done anything. i have explained that it couldnt of been her because all the other bunnies are fine.
what is wrong with her baby bunny???
please reply asap with what it could be and what is the best thing to do if she doesnt recover.
please reply asap.
thank you
Angela  

Answer
Dear Angela,

Your daughter should certainly not blame herself for the bunny's illness:  this can happen to anyone.  However, a rabbit in this condition should be taken to a good rabbit vet immediately:

www.rabbit.org/vets

The internet is NOT the place to seek help in an emergency like this (as my instructions indicate), since an answer may arrive too late to help!  Without seeing the bunny I cannot know for sure what's wrong, but it sounds as if she has a head tilt that is preventing her from standing because she has severe vertigo (dizziness).  This can be caused by a number of different things, but in a baby rabbit this is most often due to an inner or middle ear infection.

Please read:

www.rabbit.org/health/tilt.html

and

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

for complete information on the causes and treatements of this condition, which *is* treatable, but not at home without the help of a vet.  The bunny likely needs rabbit-safe antibiotics appropriate for her particular infection.  I hope you will get her to a good vet ASAP.

Dana