Bunny on ciprofloxacin

Question
QUESTION: Hello, my 7 month old bunny sebastian recently developed a head tilt (about 3 days ago) and the second i noticed, i took him to a rabbit vet (as recommended by the house rabbit society website). He prescribed ciprofloxacin twice a day for a week, which i have been doing. since the day i took him to the vet, he has gotten a bit worse, but his condition is pretty much the same as it was yesterday so i think it may be because of the antibiotics, which usually make one sicker anyway. It is so sad to see my dear bunny look so helpless and dizzy all the time ( he also had the rolling eye). I can't really hold him because he gets really dizzy and struggles to the point where he rolls. he doesn't roll unless i pick him up so i stopped, but he tries to hop around the border of his cage to move around and get some exercise. I was afraid that sebastian wasn't eating enough in able to help the antibiotics work (although he is always eating alfalfa hay, parsley, and some pellets), and i called the vet today and he recommended 'critical care', which i have given him twice today. Today was my day off of work and i was able to spend time nursing him, however i am back to work tomorrow and am concerned that he will not be able to help himself and will get worse. I plan on giving him his critical care mix and antibiotics, leaving him with plenty of fresh parsley, hay, and leafy greens along with placing the water bottle in a tilted position for him. I just am so concerned about him, and i love him dearly and couldnt bear to see him pass away...does head tilt cause death? I want to know what else i can do to help him, hopefully without much more costs as I really cannot afford to pay expensive vet and medicine costs. sorry for rambling, but i just have a lot of concerns.

ANSWER: Dear Nicole,

Don't give up on your bunny.  But DO read this:

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

Please ask the vet if there is any evidence of pus in the ear for culture and sensitivity testing:

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

And the vet may also be interested in this excellent article by a rabbit expert vet on the subject of head tilt:

www.rabbit.org/health/tilt.html

It's important that he get food and water from you if he can't eat and drink on his own.  Supportive care is critical at this point, while the medicine does its work.

If the cipro doesn't show results soon, ask the vet about switching to zeniquin (marbofloxacin) and/or bicillin injections.  Sometimes you have to experiment with antibiotics if there's nothing to culture.  :(

Good luck, and please write back if you have more questions once you've read those articles.

Dana

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks so much, these articles were extremely helpful. Sebastian has gotten better today; he tried to walk around the cage more, eats more, and was actually sleeping like he normally does and seemed like he was calmer than yesterday. I think that the antibiotics are starting to take a positive effect on him, and i hope he just continues to get better and better. I want to let him out of his cage and walk around and get some more exercise, but i do not want to do more harm than good...he still gets dizzy spells and twice today he did little half-rolls, where he almost did a roll but caught himself. What do you think i should do?
ANSWER: Dear Nicole,

What great news to hear that he's starting to turn around!

Yes, exercise is a very good idea, since being able to move in a long, straight line will help him get his head straighter.  Just keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't get too boisterous.  He also needs rest.  But in my experience, a sick bunny is pretty good at regulating his own activity and not wearing himself out.

Hope he continues to improve!

Dana

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello again!

Sorry for all the follow-ups i've been asking, it's just that every day seems to have some new questions. Today Sebastian was just like yesterday, and he ate pellets on his own from his dish along with lots and lots of hay and fresh greens. When i tried to take him out of his cage for some exercise, he just could not really stand up straight. he just had his head bent under while he was in the fetal position and i would gently try to right him but he would just roll. eventually he regained his balance, but just climbed back inside of his cage. Do you think it was too early to try to get him out of his familiar surroundings? Also, tomorrow I will actually be leaving him at home while i am at work; i acutally brought him with me for the past 2 days but my boss was not pleased. Do you think he will not improve and just get scared? I'm afraid he can't drink his own water; i have been putting his bottle in a position where he can drink it but whenever i fasten it in that position in the cage, he does not drink out of it. Please tell me what I should do in terms of his exercise and leaving him at home alone for 75% of the day. Thanks :)
ANSWER: Dear Nicole,

When you had Sebastian at work, were you able to give him water and care for him, or was he pretty much just lying there.  If the former, then I would appeal to your boss's kinder side and ask to be allowed to continue to care for your sick "child".  I can't imagine he would really be too disruptive, and having you at work just worrying about him couldn't be great for your productivity!

On the other hand, if you do have to leave him, he will probably be safe if you provide him with soft, padded area and access to a low sip tube.  He may not be able to drink, so also provide a pile of wet greens for him to munch during the day.  And give him as much water before you leave as possible, and again when you come home.

He will probably just relax and enjoy the quiet, sleeping and healing as he goes.  The recovery from head tilt is often a roller coaster ride, with good and bad days.  Hang in there.  It will be worth the trouble!

Dana

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello!

So Sebastian was fine when i left him at home, and when i came back i was feeding him some critical care and i noticed when it was almost finished that he was making a whimpering sound. It wasn't a wheezing, coughing, or nasal sound, but a whimper. What could that have meant? He did not do it again after that, it was just for 5-10 seconds. He seems to be slightly better when i checked on him at night, he drank lots of water before settling down and sleeping again. Im worried that he is unable to exercise due to his imbalance when he walks around and my attempt mentioned in yesterdays question. however, it helps him greatly to do so, according to the articles you sent to me, but i he seemed like he was not ready to 'run around' just yet. your thoughts on the whimpering and the exercise? thanks so much for helping me out.

Answer
Hi, Nicole,

Rabbits vocalize this way for various reasons, and without hearing the sound it's hard for me to know what he was telling you.  Sometimes they chuckle in gratitude for your help (no, really.  they DO.), and sometimes they give little whimpers when they feel a bit sorry for themselves.  But I wouldn't worry if it was really a vocalization, and not a respiratory sound.  He's just talking, and you just need to give him love and care, as you already are.

As far as exercise is concerned:  give him time.  He'll let you know when he's ready and able to walk more and start to run.  He's healing, and that takes a lot of energy.  Physical therapy can begin when his body has gotten this nasty thing under control.  It can take a few weeks, but with your tender care, I know he can do it.

Hang in there.

Dana