hello new to this site i have a 4 yr old dwarf bunny 2 night ago i came home to find him in his cage sitting in the corner and noticed his head tilted. seeing how it was late i checked a couple of web sitesand saw some posts on wry neck i did get the bunny to the vet the next morning .checked ears no signs of problems with infection given anti biotic and anti inflamatory meds.Did note the that 2 days prior he had jumped and landed funny from the platform in his cage. vet thinks may injured some thing there?his head tilt is still there very little eating has been dinking water. he seems to be having problems with balace also .any ideas is stroke a possibility? vet did not seem very knowledgable?.any help would be appreciated as he is my 6 yr olds pet.thank you dennis
Dennis:
Wry neck can be caused by an injury or a severe ear infection, however, in 90% of the cases, an infestation of E. Cuniculi (a protozoan parasite) is the cause.
I would recommend Ivomec 1% injectable solution for cattle given orally at the rate of 1/10cc per pound of body weight. You should repeat the dosage in 7 days. In most cases, you will see improvement after the second dose of Ivomec.
If the rabbit is rolling when it attempts to move, a steroid injection (Depo-Medrol, Cortisone, etc.) should be given at the rate of 1/4cc per 5 pounds of body weight. This is only in cases of rabbits who are rolling. Because steroids can compromise the imune system, only give this injection once.
You indicated there was no sign of infection, so I would not give antibiotics at this time. I do recommend giving 10 drops of
Systemajuv in the rabbits\' daily water supply. You can get this from the Pet Medicine Chest. Their Website is:
http://www.petmedicinechest.com
Good luck with your rabbit.
Charlcie Gill
Zodiac Rabbitry
Astoria, OR
http://www.zodiacsatins.com