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Hi Cat and Michael, my bunny started wobbling and falling over on Friday, having been fine and out in the garden all morning. The vet has given me the panacur treatment so she has had three days worth now, her head has tilted now so she can only seem to eat like a potted parsley plant or grass stacked high up and I am having to hold the water bottle close to her. She is staying in a litter tray now (she lives indoors) as then she doesn´t fall over. How long do you think it will take for the panacur to start working? or do you think I should contact the vet with a view to combining the treatment with antibiotics. Also is this painful for her, they did give her a metacam injection on Friday, but I think they only last up to 48 hours? Any help appreciated.

Hi Micheal,

The posh term for a head tilt in rabbits is ´Vestibular disease´. It is relatively common in rabbits and can have different underlying causes. The main symptom of Vestibular disease is a head tilt but can also include flicking eyes, circling, or can be so bad, the rabbit is unable to stand and keeps falling over to one side. These symptoms can come on quite suddenly and it can be very distressing to see but it is important to remember this is not a painful condition, the balance part of the rabbits brain is not functioning correctly, and they think they are the right way up!

There are 2 main causes of this problem; E.cuniculi, which is a parastic infection or a middle ear infection. Your vet will probably just treat your pet symptomatically initially, if they do not respond, they may chose to do further tests, such as blood tests or xrays. Treatment can include wormers to treat E.cuniculi, antibiotics for a middle ear infection, and anti-inflammatories. Your rabbit may need to be hand fed while they recover their balance, and if the weather is cold, they should be brought inside. The prognosis for recovery depends on how bad the original symptoms were, however, many rabbits do improve, although it can take several weeks in some cases, and it is always worth trying treatment.

E. Cuniculi (or Encephalitozoon Cunciuli),is probably the most common cause of a head tilt in rabbits. It is a single celled parasite and can cause a variety of problems. It can infect the kidneys, cause urinary problems, eye problems, weight loss, weakness, wobbliness or head tilts, and even death. However, many infected rabbits have no symptoms at all, which means it can pass between rabbits without anyone knowing. Due to the wide nature of E.cuniculi infections, the symptoms can be very variable, they can include;
+ Urinary incontinence or cystitis
+ Increase in drinking and urinating - which is related to the kidney damage
+ Weight loss
+ Muscle weakness - so the rabbit finds it difficult to walk, or falls over a lot.
+ Conjunctivitis, cataracts, sore eyes - this is due to the infection in the eyes and can be very painful.
+ Head tilt - this is due to the infection being present in the brain.

The E.cuniculi spores are excreted in an infected rabbits urine, and they will easily infect any other rabbits that come into contact with them. E.cuniculi can be diagnosed by blood tests. However, so many rabbits are infected, that finding the parasite in the blood does not necessarily mean it is the cause of the symptoms the rabbit is showing. E. cuniculi is not easy to treat, it generally requires a long course of worming treatment, and some clinical signs, such as eye problems or head tilts may be permanent. There is now a product on the market which is a 28 day course of wormer for rabbits. The manufacturers advise using on all rabbits, especially ones being introduced to a new home or other rabbits, because it completely eliminates any E.cuniculi infections they may have and so prevents the passage of the parasite from rabbit to rabbit, which can occur even if the infected rabbit has no symptoms of disease.

I hope this helps you, pop your rabbit along to the vet when they next have an appointment. In the meantime, ensure she is kept warm, comfortable and eating.

Cat

* E. Cuniculi (or Encephalitozoon Cunciuli), is a single celled parasite that is very common in rabbits and can cause a variety of problems.
* It can infect the kidneys, cause urinary problems, eye problems, weight loss, weakness, wobbliness or head tilts, and even death.
* However, many infected rabbits have no symptoms at all, which means it can pass between rabbits without anyone knowing.
* Due to the wide nature of E.cuniculi infections, the symptoms can be very variable, they can include;
+ Urinary incontinence or cystitis
+ Increase in drinking and urinating - which is related to the kidney damage
+ Weight loss
+ Muscle weakness - so the rabbit finds it difficult to walk, or falls over a lot.
+ Conjunctivitis, cataracts, sore eyes - this is due to the infection in the eyes and can be very painful.
+ Head tilt - this is due to the infection being present in the brain, to learn more about head tilts, click here.
* The E.cuniculi spores are excreted in an infected rabbits urine, and they will easily infect any other rabbits that come into contact with them.
* E.cuniculi can be diagnosed by blood tests. However, so many rabbits are infected, that finding the parasite in the blood does not necessarily mean it is the cause of the symptoms the rabbit is showing.
* E. cuniculi is not easy to treat, it generally requires a long course of worming treatment, and some clinical signs, such as eye problems or head tilts may be permanent.
* There is now a product on the market called ´Lapizole´, this is a 28 day course of wormer for rabbits. It treats and eliminates the infection. The manufacturers advise using on all rabbits, especially ones being introduced to a new home or other rabbits, because it eliminates E.cuniculi infections, it can prevent the passage of the parasite from rabbit to rabbit, even if they have no symptoms of disease.

* E. Cuniculi (or Encephalitozoon Cunciuli), is a single celled parasite that is very common in rabbits and can cause a variety of problems.
* It can infect the kidneys, cause urinary problems, eye problems, weight loss, weakness, wobbliness or head tilts, and even death.
* However, many infected rabbits have no symptoms at all, which means it can pass between rabbits without anyone knowing.
* Due to the wide nature of E.cuniculi infections, the symptoms can be very variable, they can include;
+ Urinary incontinence or cystitis
+ Increase in drinking and urinating - which is related to the kidney damage
+ Weight loss
+ Muscle weakness - so the rabbit finds it difficult to walk, or falls over a lot.
+ Conjunctivitis, cataracts, sore eyes - this is due to the infection in the eyes and can be very painful.
+ Head tilt - this is due to the infection being present in the brain, to learn more about head tilts, click here.
* The E.cuniculi spores are excreted in an infected rabbits urine, and they will easily infect any other rabbits that come into contact with them.
* E.cuniculi can be diagnosed by blood tests. However, so many rabbits are infected, that finding the parasite in the blood does not necessarily mean it is the cause of the symptoms the rabbit is showing.
* E. cuniculi is not easy to treat, it generally requires a long course of worming treatment, and some clinical signs, such as eye problems or head tilts may be permanent.
* There is now a product on the market called ´Lapizole´, this is a 28 day course of wormer for rabbits. It treats and eliminates the infection. The manufacturers advise using on all rabbits, especially ones being introduced to a new home or other rabbits, because it eliminates E.cuniculi infections, it can prevent the passage of the parasite from rabbit to rabbit, even if they have no symptoms of disease.