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My rabbit's head is tilting and twitching. Is this normal or serious?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Small Animal | Rabbit | Male | unneutered | 3 months and 25 days old

My bunny has been tilting his head up, then it twitches. I know it's not a normal rock or binky. I have 3 other rabbits and none of them do this. It almost looks like he's going to sneeze, then wrongs his knock. Not hard. Just sharp. I haven't seen anything like it in the 6 years I've cared for my rabbits. And I just want to make sure he is okay. He is 13 weeks old. We adopted him this past wednesday.

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on September 26th, 2017

Head tilt in rabbits is either a sign of a brain parasite (most common) or a middle ear infection. it is not possible to know which of the two it is so it is usually recommended to treat both conditions simultaneously. you will need to take Tromso to the vet ASAP in order to get it treated, the sooner you do that the bigger his chances of recovery will be.

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    Answered By Jeffrey Milner

    Veterinarian

    Published on November 12th, 2017

    If Mistie is showin a head tilt and it is caused by an ear infection, it may very well be caused by an infection deeper down in the ear where you will not be able to detect it easily (a middle or inner ear infection). An otoscopic exam and x-rays are usually used in order to make these types of determinations. Many times, because even with x-rays it can be somewhat difficult to say with certainty, systemic drugs are utilized as the treatment of choice to resolve these issues. The other most common cause of head tilts in rabbits is infection with a protozoal organism known as E. Cuniculi. Based on your indication that Mistie has been actively bothering her ears, I would says that this is much less likely. Hope this helps.

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    Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on July 22nd, 2017

    Sounds like Atticus has torticollis. Here is an excellent article about this problem: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=18+1803&aid=2371 I would recommend you take him to a vet that is proficient in treating rabbits for an exam. They can help you figure out what is causing the head tilt (as you can see there are many reasons he could have this) and to get Atticus to recover. I hope this helps. Best wishes!

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on July 6th, 2017

    If the head tilt is the only sign you are seeing, Sindy could have an infection in her inner or middle ear, nutritional imbalance, or ear mites. Other causes of a head tilt include in encephalitozoonosis which is an infection of the brain and kidney caused by a protozoa called Encephalitozoon cuniculi (you could also see other signs such as seizures, behavior changes, and staggering), toxins, trauma, a stroke (unlikely in such a young rabbit), and cancer (also unlikely in such a young rabbit). I would have Sindy seen by a vet in the morning for this head tilt. The vet can diagnose what is causing it and how best to treat it.

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