rabbits eyes keep tracking from one side to other; head doing same

Question
Our dwarf rabbit seemed fine yesterday.  However, today when he was taken out of his cage, his eyes were moving rapidly from one side to the other, over & over again.  Also, he does the same movement with his head, to varying degrees.  At times he is even hopping in a circle.  He is an indoor bunny, approx. 1-1/2 yrs. old.
Thank you!

Answer
Dear Kelly,

The eye movement you describe is called nystagmus.  It's an indication that he is feeling vertigo (dizziness), and this is usually caused by an inner ear infection.  A parasite known as Encephalitozoon cuniculi also can cause vertigo, but it is rare to see symptoms in such a young bunny.

Although his head may not yet be tilted (and might not ever tilt over), the symptoms you see are usually caused by the same pathogens that cause a condition called "torticollis," or "wry neck".  The following article applies to your bunny, even though his head may not be tilted:

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

If you do not yet have a good rabbit vet, please use the list linked here to find one:

www.rabbit.org/vets

If the vet does see evidence of an ear infection (it might not be possible to see easily if it's behind the eardrum or inside the bulla of the skull), then you should ask about a culture and sensitivity test:

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

If there is no pus to culture, then an excellent antibiotic to try first off is bicillin.  This is Penicillin-G Procaine with Benzathine added, and it must be used in injectible form only (oral penicillins are deadly to rabbits, but Pen-G is the only penicillin safe for use if given as injections).  Please ask the vet about bicillin if there is nothing to culture.  It has produced miraculous cures for head abscesses (which is what an inner ear infection is), though it can take a couple of weeks before you see clear improvement.

There are many possible causes for an inner ear infection, but the first thing is to get him on antibiotics that will control the problem.

Is bun eating and drinking on his own?  If not, you may have to help him with "emergency feeding".  Ask the vet about Critical Care from Oxbow Hay Company (www.oxbowhay.com), which is the very best recipe for a sick bunny.

I hope this helps get you started.  Please write back if you have any other questions.

Dana