# Loss of Balance but No Head Tilt?



## houserabbitz (May 14, 2014)

So, my poor elder bun has seemingly survived mammary cancer, after originally being misdiagnosed. We took her cone off a few weeks ago, and now she has lost her balance. She just falls down, stands with her front legs crossed, and if she lies on her side, she cannot right herself. My vet is doing another blood test. Could it be e.cuniculi? She is back on metacam with isn't helping, and ivermectin because she also has a minor case of mites! And I am getting her baytril tonight. My vet thinks it's some kind of bunny vertigo or e.cuniculi, no inner ear issues. It seemed to happen after she came off all the medications from her surgery. My poor bunny! What else can happen to her? Any experiences with bunnies losing balance, with no head tilt?


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## rebeccalyn7 (May 15, 2014)

Sounds more like a bit of an infection, 
X-rays and ultra sounds will confirm this.


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## rebeccalyn7 (May 15, 2014)

After surgery they are very vulnerable


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## JBun (May 15, 2014)

Your poor bun sure is having a rough time  

E. cuniculi is a possibility. Head tilt is just one symptom of it, loss of balance another. EC can affect the CNS, heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, so the symptoms will depend on what part of the body the spores are affecting. So not all buns will present with head tilt symptoms.

Other things like an ear infection, can cause loss of balance as well. Did your vet only do a visual exam of the ears to rule an ear infection out, or were xrays taken as well?

Also, did the loss of balance symptoms start before or after you started your bun on the ivermectin treatment?


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## houserabbitz (May 15, 2014)

JBun said:


> Your poor bun sure is having a rough time
> 
> E. cuniculi is a possibility. Head tilt is just one symptom of it, loss of balance another. EC can affect the CNS, heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, so the symptoms will depend on what part of the body the spores are affecting. So not all buns will present with head tilt symptoms.
> 
> ...



The balance issues started way before the ivermectin; she's only been on that the last two days. She was even balanced when she had her surgical collar on. About two days after I took it off, about two weeks post surgery, she started falling over. She was also off all the post surgery meds. 

My vet looked in her ears and said she could see to the drum, she didn't see infection, but no x-rays. I had another blood panel and Daphne's neutrophils are too high, so my vet says there is some kind of infection happening, but, based on the histopathy, she thinks she got all the cancer. It's very frustrating. I guess x-rays are next if it's not e.cuniculi? My vet said Daphne was battling cancer for a long time, so her immune system is probably very compromised. She is bright and cheery, and can hop in a straight line, but just falls over and does not have the coordination to get up. I also give her critical care to help her energy. She is eating and drinking as usual. I don't know what to do. I have my parents watching her 24/7 because I have to work, but it's exhausting for them (they are retired). I will probably have to start penning her somehow to try and help her stay upright, but I don't know what kind of enclosure to make for her. If she falls during the day and no one is there, she will be down all day long.


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