Ok I have a Polish Chocolate Buck who is 6m old and I have had him for 5 days. He came from a freind that is a breeder. They kept him with ther other bunnys in there barn so they only seen him for abit during the days and when he was at shows. I keep him and my other bunny (1y broken black doe his mom side by side cages) in my house so I see them alot all day long. Well my Chocolate the day I brought him come just fell over like 8 times off and on for a hour and when he would hit the cage it was loud and he would be almost frozen I would talk to him and pet him and he would be ok. Well that was the end of it well yesterday he was munching his timothy hay and in mid munch fell over again its so loud when he dose it I am afraid he is gonna hurt him self and he just lays there for a bit like he is in a daze. My vet thinks ear infection but he dosent have the classic signs of a ear invfection. No tiling the head or hopping in circles. he dosent do this all the time just every few days
2006-10-10 02:46:24 · 6 answers · asked by Aquaice79 2 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
It's very hard to say from your description. It very well could be an ear infection. A good way to tell if it is an ear infection is to feel with your hands around the base of the ears to feel if it is warm compared to your other rabbits. If it is warm, the rabbit probably has an ear infection. Ear infections often happen after a rabbit has a cold. Just because the rabbit doesn't tilt it's head doesn't mean it doesn't have an ear infection. An ear infection will throw off the rabbit's sense of balance. A rabbit gains its sense of balance through its ears, so that is what the veterinarian is probably thinking.
You may also want to check inside the ear to see if the rabbit has ear mites. They will look like black scabs down inside the ear.
There are only a couple of other things I can think of.
One is a broken back. If that is the case, the rabbit's hind legs should be immobilized. There is the possibility it could have hurt its back and not completely broken it, giving it mobility in its back legs to a certain extent.
Another happens to some rabbits when they get older. They will get weak in the back legs. The rabbit can stand but has trouble standing. You may notice the back legs somewhat shaking when it stands. This normally happens to rabbits that have long high back legs. It would happen to some of my taller Checkered Giants when they got older.
The last possibility could be a ciesure. I don't think they are very common in rabbits, but it could be a possibility.
It's hard to say without seeing in person what the rabbit is exactly doing.
2006-10-10 03:17:21 · answer #1 · answered by devilishblueyes 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I would also definitely be concerned by this. While it's tough to say exactly what it could be due to not being there to see it myself, I'd be worried about either an ear infection or something neurological going on. Rabbits don't always get a head tilt when they have an ear infection, and they don't always get the other signs either. That's one reason why ear infections are often missed by a vet checkup. I would recommend definitely seeking a second opinion from another vet...I would also say to try to find the most rabbit-savvy vet you can. The House Rabbit Society website (http://www.rabbit.org/) has a link to a list of rabbit-savvy vets, and they also have questions you can ask to make sure the vet knows his/her stuff. I'd start there and see what happens. It may also help if you keep a log of exactly when he's doing this...write down the activity he was doing when it started, what time of day, how long it lasted, etc. Add as much detail as you can think to put in. That way, you might be able to pinpoint a pattern that might lead to the answers. Hope the little guy's okay!
2006-10-10 04:26:59 · answer #2 · answered by Kellye B 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
That is odd, but the first thing I thought of was what the first responder said. When the male rabbit is done mating, they freeze up and just drop. Perhaps it has something to do with testosterone, and having him neutered may help. Get him to a good vet first, and have him thouroughly checked to make sure it isn't something else. Good luck, if you find out what it was, let us know!
2006-10-10 07:48:51 · answer #3 · answered by Jennifer 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
you may try another vet we have 4 our male we brought home when he was maybe 5 months an the female around 4 months the 2 younger ones are only 7 weeks but none of mine have done that ever unless right after mateing he would pop off an fall over i would say call another vet
2006-10-10 02:52:51 · answer #4 · answered by misty w 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Sounds pretty weird to me, definantly try anothet vet, maybe he's having a heart attack, suggest the vet keep him overnight so he can see it when it happens, you might just have a wierd rabbit.
2006-10-10 02:57:18 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Is your vet rabbit savvy? I suggest you go to this website find a different vet and get a second opinion. http://www.rabbit.org
2006-10-10 03:15:13 · answer #6 · answered by sugarcarat 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋