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Why is my rabbit's head tilted? Is it an injury or infection?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Small Animal | Rabbit | Female | 2 lbs

I think my bunny may have a head tilt. She lives in my yard and is about 6 months old. My daughter dropped her recently and I’m worried that might be the cause of it. Her head is constantly tilted now and sometimes she closes her eye on the side that’s facing the ground. I was feeding her yesterday and it didn’t seem prominent but today it looks really rough. I’m really worried If it’s brain related or if she just got a infection from living outdoors

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Dayna, DVM, CVA

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Published on October 17th, 2017

I’m sorry to hear Morgan isn’t doing well. Head tilts in rabbits can of course be caused by trauma, but more commonly I see them associated with either an inner ear infection or a parasite called E. cunniculi. I would recommend an examination with your veterinarian. Many of these head tilts can be cured or at least dramatically improved with the proper treatment. Poor thing, and reassure your daughter that it is unlikely from when she dropped her. I hope she improves soon and thank you for using Pet Coach.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Jeffrey Milner

    Veterinarian

    Published on May 8th, 2017

    Sorry to hear about Snow's problems. Head tilts in rabbits can definitely be caused by an ear infection. Sometimes, the ear infection is deep enough that you will need either an otoscope to see it, or even an x-ray to see if certain parts of the skull have been damaged. If Snow is experiencing nystagmus (eyes moving back and forth), it is very possible there is something else going on, however. A disease that can afflict rabbit and cause these types of clinical signs is known as E. Cuniculi. It can attack several different bodily systems, with the neurologic system being one of them. The primary means of treating this disease is with a dewormer called fenbendazole, an antibiotic known as baytril and anti inflammatories. Depending on how advanced the disease is will be the determining factor on prognosis and length of therapy. For the time being, try and keep Snow eating and get her to the vet some time tomorrow. Keep her somewhere safe where she can not fall over and hurt herself. Also, try and make sure that if the head tilt is causing her to rub her face on the ground, she isn't causing any ulceration to the eye. This can be an unfortunate side effect of head tilts in rabbits. Hope that everything ends up OK.

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