Pepper

Question
I have a three month old rabbit who loses his balance when he walks, and
continuously tilts his head to the right side.  If he is picked up at all, after he
is put down, he flips his body to the side and then can't seem to get up and
goes in circles.  Prior to this behavior, he jumped away from someone's arms
and may have hit his head on a wall, also, he may have eaten some Morning
Glories when I had him outside the day prior.   I have taken him to a vet, but
she doesn't seem to know what is going on.  We made a second trip to the vet
today and she gave us eardrops.  I am hoping this will help....what do you
think?  Can you refer me to a vet that specializes in Rabbits in Los Angeles.
Meredith

Answer
Dear Meredith,

Your bunny is suffering from a head tilt, technically known as torticollis.  If this started immediately after the accident, then it could be due to trauma.  If this is the case, immediate treatment by a knowledgeable vet is essential for best recovery.  You can find a link to listings in the Los Angeles area for good rabbit vets here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

You can read about the various causes and treatments of head tilt here:

www.rabbit.org/health/tilt.html

and my own personal experience with the problem here:

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

I hope you can get your bunny to a good vet quickly, and that he'll be back to his old self soon.

Take care,

Dana