Wierd Rabbit Behavior.

Question
My rabbit likes to tilt her head to the right and low to the ground when she walks around the house. She doesn't do this in her cage or when she is running around playing. She only does this when she walks slowly around the house. Could something be wrong? Also she is 3 months old when is a good time to get her spaded?

Answer
That is indeed very odd. There is a condition called head tilt or wryneck that makes a rabbit tilt his or her head to one side. See description at http://rabbit.org/journal/3-8/head-tilt.html

Sometimes when it is first coming on the rabbit can hold the head up if they try hard, but I've never heard of a case exactly like this. I would recommend an exam by a good rabbit vet to rule out an ear infection, ear mites, or similar problems. Also, the vet might consider checking for the parasite E. cuniculi, which can cause some very strange neurological symptoms. The article http://rabbit.org/journal/3-2/e-cuniculi.html has info on this parasite but focuses mainly on paraplegia. However, I have seen rabbits with a positive E. cuniculi test who hop perfectly fine but exhibit strange visual or head reflex problems.

I hope you already have a good veterinarian for your rabbit. If you have not taken your bunny to the vet before, please try to find one who is experienced with rabbits. Many vets who are very good with dogs and cats are not knowledgeable about rabbits, especially the latest information. The page http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/vet.html has suggestions on how to find one. There is a list of some vets at http://www.rabbit.org/care/vets.html and another organization's list at http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/PB_vets.html

You can also contact a nearby House Rabbit Society chapter or other rabbit group for suggestions on good local vets. HRS has a page listing contacts for their own chapters. If there is not one near you, you can look for a nearby independent group using the HRS contacts page http://www.rabbit.org/links/index.html

Age at spay depends on the breed/size. Larger breeds should be at least 6 or 7 months old, while dwarf breeds usually mature earlier and can be spayed at about 5 months. A good rabbit vet should be able to tell if the rabbit is old enough.

Thanks for being a caring and responsible bunny caretaker!

Gina