Our Rabbits: Head Tilt, Companionship, and More
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 พ.ค. 2024
- All of our rabbits are special in their own ways, but sometimes unexpected circumstances make caring for them extra challenging. Providing the care they need no matter what comes along is both difficult and rewarding.
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I really appreciate seeing the tougher sides of caring for animals, as it gives viewers a full picture. Thank you for all that you do!
Tobin -- very, very true and I'll add that Jessi handles all sides of the story extremely well. Jessi, herself, is a magnificent ambassador and educator.
Btw: Hazel sure seems to enjoy being held and stroked. May he get well soon.
Same here. When my rats died (one very suddenly and unexpectedly, the other just a few weeks after because they were bonded) it was extremely hard. I actually held the second one when she let go, because I couldn't stand the thought of my little baby dying alone. But seeing videos like this puts my right back there, and even though it's extremely difficult and brings up a lot of hard emotions, it helps me process what I'm thinking and feeling and remember that I'm not alone.
It's so incredibly important to talk about the harder side of pet love and care so we know what to do when those things happen, and how to process them and make it easier for the animal and ourselves.
My emotions were not prepared. But now that I own three cats, I know that there can be some crazy rough patches.
Cheeks: "Hey, that 'raggedy old hedgehog toy' is my wife!"
I am sort of wondering if they noticed that when they choose that clip for the video. :)
*camera shows cheeks with fav toy*
Cheeks: *humping intensifies*
I had a hamster named Blondie when I was in elementary school. One day we opened her enclosure and found her laying out in the middle with her head tilted and she was not doing well. She could not eat or drink on her own and she could not move at all. She had had a stroke sometime in the night and there was nothing we could do for her other than supportive care. We syringe feed her food and water, did physical therapy by moving and flexing her limbs, and made accommodations in her enclosure to insure her safety. It was three weeks before she suddenly turned a corner. She started walking around, eating, drinking, and doing everything on her own. She still had a moderate head tilt, one squinted eye, and walked with a slight curve to the left. She was our little drunken pirate girl for several months afterwards, and we enjoyed every minuet we had with her. She passed months later after suffering a second stroke. I was very happy our work had paid off and she had lived for so long after the first stoke free of pain and able to enjoy the things she always had again. Its very difficult and sad when our pets and best friends get sick, but luckily there is often something we can do to help, either by taking special care of them or allowing them to pass peacefully. I hope Hazel gets better soon and gets to once again enjoy his favorite things.
Thank you for sharing ❤
How lovelly! I am sure she was very appreciative of all the love =]
Thanks for sharing that beautiful story!
My rabbit had head tilt. We treated for both an ear infection and e coniculi. She got better after about three weeks of treatment so hang in there! Eventually she started eating the critical care out of a shallow dish which cut down on the stress of holding her and syringe feeding
My rabbit got it too. We went to the vet immediately. Died 5 days after the head tilt started.
It's really difficult to see Hazel like that, but I'm glad the condition is well-researched and treatable. The buns all seem so well-behaved. How old are Hazel and Bigwig? Do y'all know?
Hazel is almost 3 years old and Bigwig was said to be 3 when we got him a couple months ago.
@@animalwondersmontana If you guys realize that Hazel will need more focused/on hands care than you have time for (with all the other animals you take care of, I know time is limited in each day) would you consider finding him a new home? My friend and I transported a little head tilt bunny and his companion over 10 hours from ATL to Orlando to go to a special new home where the lady had experience in caring for head-tilt and special needs bunnies.
I know you always say you're their forever home, but if you end up with a special needs animal that needs more one-on-one care and time, would you find them a new home?
@@Palitato As someone interested in rescuing someday, I think it would be a cool video to see AWM discuss times that they felt overwhelmed with care and needed help from other sources, if that has ever occured. Either way it's a great question!
I know. Poor wee soul. Good to see he's getting good treatment and lots of love.
@@ashleighpeterson1510 They recently showed the rehoming of an arctic fox that they hoped to be a companion for Cas and Serafina, who proved to be too aggressive and was rehomed in a facility in Texas where he would not be handled and sheltered with companions.
Hazel and Bigwig? My Watership Down heart has joined the thousand
haha I was thinking the same thing!
My baby bun Flora had head tilt from e-cuniculi. Then she needed surgery for something else, but she came through each time. She was such a sweet girl. I lost her just a couple of months ago and miss her every day.
That's good to hear. It sounds like an absolutely terrifying illness, but I'm glad it's well researched and treatable.
So good to hear she made it through the head tilt. I'm sorry you lost her, but it sounds like you gave her lots of love ❤
@@animalwondersmontana thank you so much. She was with me for 8 years and she brought me a lot of joy. Her favourite place to lie was between me feet - licking my toes. Rabbits are amazing, they have so much personality. I hope your bun feels better soon x
Absolutely loved the shot of cheeks loving his hedgehog toy.
Timestamp?
Ah, yes the trials of owning animals. I'm going through that now. I just had to put down my beloved dachshund due to a sudden and very aggressive liver cancer that developed in less than 7 days. His littermate of 16 years is now grieving and has a heart condition. You just do your best and try to be a comfort. I hope things continue to improve and your little ones recover.
I'm so sorry for the loss of your pup.
@@ijustdontcareanymore1022 thank you. It's been a little hard. But he had a very good life. So at 16 that's not the longest they live, but he did it well. I still got his brother and were bonding even more.
I'm so sorry to hear that 😔 16 years is a long life for any dog. It's just too bad they don't live forever.
@@rustydowd879 agreed. Forever would be nice. One week ago today and it is such a hole in our day. My dogs don't bark much. I was happy for the first time that the brother was out happily barking at the gate at kids playing in the street. I think he is coming around a little.
Reminds me of the time I helped my mom care for a litter of pups last spring we bred. One of them had kidney stones so we took him in for a routine level easy surgery. Perfectly healthy otherwise before...... operation success...........
And then...... he just..... stayed asleep after anesthedia. Just a 3 month old dog about to be adopted. Hardest phone call to the would-have-been family in my life to hear.... It felt like my own child died. But it just goes to show how nature is just nature. That's why dogs have so many pups in a litter; to ensure at least one survives to pass their genes along. It just happens. The positive from this is that the rest of the litter was able to grow stronger and more resilient. And all have happy new homes and continuing living strong!
I have gone through this at my facility. Our favorite rabbit, Otis, who was a great ambassador animal and very friendly to everyone got head tilt and it was caused by the parasite. We tried for 5 months - medication, supportive care, vet visits . He improved once for a short time and we were hopeful for a full recovery but regressed soon after, never showing improvement again. We made the difficult decision to euthanize and I was right there with him when he took his last breaths. Animal care is so rewarding but so hard at the same time. I type this with a five week old kitten asleep on my chest that someone found in their backyard tonight and brought to me. I love animal care, the highs are high but the lows are brutal. But I wouldn’t give up working with and being dedicated to animals. I hope Hazel beats this. It would be so great to be able to see another bun come back from this. I am sending positive vibes for Hazel ❤️
I rescued a rabbit 6 years ago and she just doesn’t like people! No pets for Pinkie! She has a dirt garden for herself, gets lots of food, and likes to licks my feet when I come out to chill outside. She looks a lot like Cheeks too!!
Also, hoping for Hazel’s swift recovery! Y’all take such good care of animals, i have hope 💚💚
11years old! That's crazy old for a bunny. Stay strong Cheeks.
I used to have a bunny and the doctor told that bunnies only live for 7-8years.
Nik Leiser my bunny is also 11 years old. Brought him to the vet last year and the vet told me that it’s not uncommon for him to see rabbits live to 14 years old now.
My rabbits lived to around 12 years old.
@@MissBelovedBunny Are we still talking about European bunnies ?
@@nikleiser5888 rabbits are getting better nutrition and vet care these days so longer lived bunnies are more common. I volunteer for a rabbit rescue and we tell people average 8-10 years. And explain that some rabbit may live shorter lives and some longer. I know of a couple instances of domestic (European) rabbits living to 18 years old. Never heard of a rabbit any older than that. This is extremely exceptional, equivalent to a human living to 110+ years old.
I have had my Netherland dwarf bunny for over 13 years!
She's still doing amazingly well, got so much energy, in 100% perfect health. I give her the best life as possible since I know my remaining time with her isn't long.
Sorry for your bunny rough patch. Hopefully Hazel recovers even if he’s a bit crooked. I had a cat with a head tilt for a reason we are not sure. He woke up one morning with a head tilt, crazy eyes, and was spinning in place. He recovered slowly over time and he is good now.
Good to hear he's better! ❤
Sorry he had such a bad time, and so glad he's doing well now.
My brother had a hairless rat with a permanent hunch and tilted head. At first glance, he looked like a hopeless case, but my brother was attentive with his care and he went on to live a full, long ratty life. Best to Hazel!
rabbits are some of the most heart breaking animals to care for. they are so so delicate but full of love. they shatter ur heart when its their time to go
I really appreciate that you don't shy away from the hard parts of animal care. It's important knowledge to share and helps people (including kids) to have a realistic view on what goes into being an animal guardian and the things that come with that. It's good to be realistic as well as optimistic. Sending good thoughts for recovery.
My daughters bunny has this parasite, luckily no head tilt though. People really dont realise how much can go wrong or how quickly when it comes to bunnys, she takes him and his companion to a specialist vet and has spent well over £1000 on issues so far. They are worth it, they are her babies, but its something People need to know, they can be expensive and have lots of issues so dont take them on without thinking about it and taking that all into account.
it's still a lot better than exotics. lots of those animals just have almost no good information on how to take proper care of them or what illnesses they can get and how to treat them. it tends to lead to a lot of bad situations and sudden unexplained deaths. at least rabbits are a domesticated animal whose diseases are well documented and often possible to treat or manage medically, even if it can be hard to find a vet who works with them regularly.
Exactly, my mom had gotten my sister a bunny even though I knew it was a terrible idea. My sister isn't exactly responsible and only wanted one because they're cute. My mom also had done no research on rabbits when she got it, I was the one who did all the research and was amazed by how sensitive they are! I was the one the rabbit bonded with the most even though I don't even live with my mom! Whenever I would visit though, I made sure the rabbit got lots of attention, I would bunny proof my moms living room and let the rabbit run around and we would just lay on the floor together, my mom ended up giving the rabbit up to a pet store that took it in. I hope he found a good home
Our modern society and especially the current Internet culture is all about showing off the good and hiding the bad. Thank you for sharing everything and showing us what honesty looks like.
Sorry about my little buddies. I hope that Hazel will be recovered, and that Bigwig and he can be back to friends.
Poor Hazel! Love the Watership Down names!
Hazel and all the animals are really lucky to have you guys. I really hope everything will be okay.
Can you do a feeding tour of all the animals and show all the enclosures
The would be a 3 hour video!! 😲
@@animalwondersmontana Yes, perfect
@@animalwondersmontana that's kind of ok! just use youtube's new chapters system, and label it so we can skip to the sections we want to see maybe? xD
@@tzxazrael I suspect the problem is not how long it would be for us, but how long it would take for AWM to make it! They could certainly do the tour one week at time and put the episodes into chapters or a Tour the Facility playlist. Maybe that's what you were getting at, though, in which case, YES!
good luck to Hazel and I'm glad that he is getting better and has a new buddy!
Cheeks is so freaking cute! Glad he's able to be retired. Get well soon, Hazel!
I had a rescue 1 year old rabbit that was found wandering the main roads. She lived with us for 7 more years. When she was 8 she had a head tilt so I told my parents and she was diagnosed with e. cuniculi. We tried to make her recover, but she it worsened and she had trouble moving and eating and couldn't poop properly.
We ended up having to put her down in May this year. Thanks for making a video on this!
Quality of life is always the most important aspect. My fiance and I had to make the tough call at the beginning of quarantine to euthanize one of our beloved rats. He had gone blind, deaf, had no use of his back legs, etc... Ultimately, if the animal can't be an animal, then we need to our part to make sure they aren't suffering.
Fortunately, similarly to your story with the boys here, we were able to rescue another rat, and they took to our remaining one instantly. Best introductions I've ever had. There's always some positives too! 💕
My bunny Boston is a nethie too and he's had medical problems for the past couple of years. After a tooth root absess our specialist vet didn't think removing teeth was going to help so we put him on pain meds and antibiotics. At the next visit he was looking worse and I was told he probably didn't have more than a couple of weeks... it's be almost 2 years now, he hasn't had any more absesses but he still has damage to his jaw and so he's still on pain meds as well as subcutaneous antibiotics which I was trained to give him at home. He's full of attitude, loves his food and runs around in the grass and while he's still happy I'm going to be here for him and give him the best quality of life.
It's so nice to hear about other bunnies with medical problems getting the love and care they deserve. I've had people ask me why I'm put in so much time and money for 'just a rabbit' but my little man is amazing and he deserves the world.
Bigwig and Hazel from Watership Down? That's nice!
Wishing all the best to Hazel, hoping for a good recovery so he can continue living his best life.
I had four pups for years - two purebred Labradors, one Labrador and Golden Retriever mix and a Miniature Weenie. The three big dogs all ended up with cancer - one of the lungs, one of the stomach and one of, we think, either the liver or spleen. I cared for them day and night - cleaning up after them, hurrying them outside, giving them medication, rubbing their poor sore joints and just trying to keep them calm. But all of it took a toll on me and after I lost my last baby, I just can't seem to mentally and emotionally handle getting another pet. I *love* animals - always have - and I'm hoping one day I'll heal enough to let another sweetheart into my life.
One of our guinea pigs got really sick, to the point we weren't sure he was going to live out the day. He seems to be getting better, but we have to syringe feed him 4 times a day and he has several medications he has to take twice a day. He'll get another check up with our vet in a few weeks. We're hoping for good news! We found him about 3 years ago in a little store cage on the side of a road near our house. He now lives in a big C&C cage with his friend Piper.
Poor Hazel 😢 I hope he feels better soon. Thanks Jessi for taking good care of him
I adopted a 13 year old cat a couple years ago. He came with his full health background, which included congestive heart failure. I knew that CHF was a death sentence, but I took him in, got him meds, got his teeth cleaned, and fell in love with his loud honking meows- he was a purebred Siamese. In April, he started having trouble breathing, as heart failure causes fluids to back up in and around lungs. Just enough to make me notice, but not too much- I still got xrays done.
About a month ago in June, his breathing got very bad over a couple of days. I would have sold my car to save him, but the vet told me that at this point, no amount of money would help. So, I held him as he was humanely euthanized.
Sometimes, there is nothing else that can be done except the humane thing. He purred in my arms until he was gone. I only had him 2.5 years, but in that time he wiggled a place into my heart and now all I have is a hole full of echoing meows. I miss him, but don't regret a single thing.
Kudos. Nothing is harder than losing someone you worked so hard to make happy.
My rabbit, King Carrot, began to drool a lot and stopped eating, and it turned out that he had trouble grinding down his molars in his late years, and they were digging into his cheeks. The vet ground them down for him, and he recovered fast. It went well for 6 months, then it began again. Back to the vet for another grinding. After that it only took about a month before he was showing symptoms again, and i decided it was best to let him go. He was getting old, and the procedures were risky, traumatizing for him, and expensive, so i chose to spare him any further pain.
He is now in the eternal dandelion fields in the sky, where adventure and lady bunnies awaits behind every bush. Miss you buddy
Rabbits teeth are always growing. He could of kept living if your pocket book could handle the teeth trimmings or sometimes removing the stubborn teeth can fix the issue.
11 years old that's amazing!!
I'm so glad Hazel is getting such good care in his time of need. It's so hard when an animal in your life gets sick. My little cat Hoover had to get put down a few years ago due to a congenital heart defect that popped up suddenly, preventing him from being able to move at all and putting him in a lot of pain. I just wish we could have gotten the body back to bury him. He was only five years old, but we gave him a rich and happy life, albeit short. My old lady cat Luna (she's sixteen) stopped eating a few weeks ago and I was so worried. We were about to bring her to the vet when she started eating again and acting like her old self! It was super scary. I don't know what I'm going to do when she's gone. Best wishes to Hazel!!
This makes me think a lot about my bunny, Aslan. He died a few years ago after a very long and binky-filled life. In his last year, he got very old very fast and had many of the issues from this video. We did our best to keep him comfortable and safe, but sometimes it's a pets time to go. Its great to see a video on the harder side of animal care, especially with bunnies. Many get them just cause theyre cute and they think care will be easy -- but they need as much love and specialized attention as any pet. Thanks for all the informative and lovely videos!
One of my parent's rabbits had the parasite when she was very young, she fully recovered because I looked up the symptoms and told my parents to go to the vet immediately. But then she died very suddenly, she was only 4 years old. I'm glad she got 4 good years running around the yard, digging holes and cuddling her adopted brother though (his mother didn't care for him, so the breeder put him with another litter)
I adore the fact that one was named Bigwig!! Watership Down is such an amazing book.
and hazel too!
I hope Hazel will be okay. Rest In Peace Earl Grey. Hope BigWig remains healthy! Thank you sharing your good stories and your struggles. They are in my thoughts and sending good vibes!
Thanks for helping Hazel get better.
Thanks for all you do for animals but most especially thanks for caring for rabbits. As a bunny mom, I wish people would understand them more.
Thank you for sharing. Your words had an especially deep impact on me as our cat has recently advanced to stage 2 of kidney failure and we are having to give her saline infusions to help keep her kidney toxins down. We talked with our vet about quality of life and what to look for to know she’s ready. Luckily she’s exhibiting none of those signs yet so we get to keep her with us for now. ❤️
I don't know how you do it with so many animals. I have enough trouble caring for my geriatric kitty! You are truly amazing people!
Oh my god I would have panicked and just started crying if I saw my pet look this way. Thankfully this is a well known illness with possible treatment options. I wish the best for Hazel!
It's so tough dealing with a sick animal. We had a couple dogs that lived long lives wonderful lives (12&13), but there were struggles along the way. One had cancer and survived it with a lot of vet care. We knew they had great lives and we had done everything we could for them, but it's hard not to second guess yourself, especially, when they get sick or at the end. Our hearts go out to you.
You can do it Hazel I'm rooting for you little buddy don't give, I send lots of love 💕 and lots of hugs 🤗 ❤
A few years ago I came into work and noticed one of our rabbits had head tilt and nystagmus. I didn’t even know that was a thing with rabbits at the time, and it was so subtle, but I just knew it wasn’t normal and got our vet. I did my best to improve her quality of life as she got worse- putting her food in a bowl instead of the feeder so she could reach it more easily, taking out the shelf so she couldn’t fall off of it, making sure her buddy wasn’t taking advantage, extra attention and close monitoring to make sure she was eating/drinking/ doing ok. But after a few weeks she couldn’t walk without flipping herself over, and we decided to euthanize her. I had nicknamed her Tilty. Thank you for showing the more challenging parts of animal care. I still think about Tilty often and really appreciated this video. I am glad Hazel is starting to do better, and hope he continues to improve!! ❤️
Good luck for Hazel! I have two rabbits with illnesses. It's really hard sometimes AND it's also hard to find a porpper vet who is specialised on rabbits. We are now at the 5th vet now, but they seem to be very good at their job. It's expensive but I love my rabbits. They help me with my depression and are just nice room mates. So, of course, I help them having a good life.
Luis has chronic illnesses since years. It started with a chronic flu in his early years. It got treated multible times. He can live with it. Now he's 8 years old. He develped bladder sludge, which causes inflamation now and then. The new vet also found out that he has a genetic teath malposition, so he has to get that fixed every few month and on top of that he became deaf due to an ear infection. This also attacked a nerve in his face, half his face is paralysed. All of his illnesses probably play together. It sounds super horrible, which it might be if it wouldn't get treated. But he still has a good life, just has to go to the vet now and then. I have some herbal med at home, that support his health (at least he totally loves eating those). So yeah he is a lot of work, but suche lovely character. Super cuddly and nice.
Then his new partner Maya (former partner died of cancer...), got an ear infection too, a few months ago (they are both loops. Unfortunately they get those infections often due to the ears not getting enough air circulation...). It also took her hearing abilities and I have to keep an eye open that it doesn't come back. But two weeks ago we got another bad case... At first I thought it's the ears again but nope. One evening she was very dizzy and her head fell to the side. And it actually was the E.C. parasite.... fortunately Maya only had symptoms for 1 and a half day! Nobody knows why it went so fast with her. She is lucky! She still has to take the full med treatment to eliminate the parasite.
I'm wishing the best for Hazel! Thank you for all you do and share. The hard work is noticed and I'm so grateful for Animal Wonders.
Thank you for sharing the highs and the lows. Rescuing comes with so many amazing highs, but sometimes things go wrong.
I'm glad the boys got along for those few days, and hopefully the panacur works, and they can get back together soon. 💕
I went through something similar with my rabbit a few years ago. She got very sick suddenly and stopped eating. Unfortunately, she passed away but I think about her all the time. I hope Hazel makes a full recovery, he’s so sweet and gentle. Rabbits are so fragile and taking care of them isnt always easy. i’m glad Hazel has the Animal Wonders crew to look over him!
Really great thats the spirit no weapons no war just saving animals behave like humans such a great channel !!!
Thank you for showing every side of caring for animals! I think its very important that prospective owners see things like this. Get better soon, Hazel!
Oh gosh I just watched a video or two that had Earl Grey in them and then I saw he had passed here and it made me sad. But these things happen and you guys definitely did the right thing from what was explained here. How sad though he was a cute little bugger. But I’m sure he is flopping somewhere up there and pain free as well.
I love her voice, it feels like asmr.
Book Hazel actually had an injured leg in the books; it's what got Fiver to search for him in the book, and in the movie got us the immortal _Bright Eyes_ sequence.
Would have loved that playing in the background!
We adopted a 4 year-old bunny from a local shelter about a year and a half ago. She'd been in 2 formerly permanent homes, and was living with a foster care person when we adopted her from the shelter. In her last home, her bonded pairmate died, and they decided they couldn't care for her anymore. She's soo cute, and has become more comfortable with us, but not THAT comfortable. She had a bout of GI stasis a couple months ago, and has fortunately recovered after bringing her to the emergency vet. She's been shedding and she had a blockage from fur, so now we give her laxatives that smell just like maple syrup every few days. She doesn't put up with brushing, so this seems to be the only thing we can do for now. :\
I have a white rabbit named Hemi. She had a minor head tilt and she is still like that. I give her fresh produce and rabbit pellets. The food have been helping Hemi a lot. You were right. Sometimes, even with hard care, things don't always go right. Hemi did face a series of ups and downs until she got her head tilit. This video has been helping me a lot.
I hope he gets better ❤️ He’s scared but knows he’s being cared for and that’s good.
I am a first time rabbit owner and have had my rabbit for 4 years now. Rabbit care can still be hard to understand and diagnose as opposed to other more common household pets, and while it is hard to see Hazel like that, I am very grateful for the information. One of my biggest fears is my rabbit developing a head tilt, so knowing what can happen, how it can happen, and steps to take if it were to happen is extremely reassuring. Thank you Animal Wonders! Your work continues to inspire and help me love, appreciate, and care for animals so much!
three out of four of my rabbits passed away from complications due to e. cuniculi, despite lots of treatment and nursing. So glad to see in your recent video that Hazel is doing well, it's so difficult to see them struggling
Working for Animal Wonders would be the best job!
Its also really expensive for advance diagnostic tests like MRI, CT, Sonograms and your care strategy reflects that, while maintaining quality of life and comfort.
Aww, poor Hazel! I hope he's able to recover nicely.
Hope Hazel has a full recovery !
Poor Hazel. I'll be hoping for a successful recovery! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
(and I appreciate references to Watership Down! ❤️)
I am so happy this got recommended to me right now. One of my two buns passed away a week ago of a very sudden heart attack- he was a rescue, and almost 11, so it wasn't too much of a shock, but it hurt a lot. And I am about to take my other rabbit to the vet, my darling Twix, for what we believe is GI Stasis. It's terrifying, because I know how serious it can be, but I'm hoping for a full recovery. Thank you for spreading awareness about the harder side of taking care of these wonderful animals
I can't wait to start doing like this. I'm a huge animal fan and I love your Channel
I don't know much about bunnies so I learned several new things today. I really hope Hazel pulls through. This is why I enjoy this channel so much. They really do educate the highs and lows of animal care and responsibility. *typed as a rambunctious kitten knocks over his entire cat tree.*🙄
Head tilts can happen in a lot of animals for various reasons. I had a chicken with a severe head tilt likely from an accidental injury to her skull. Birds can be really fragile, especially certain smaller breeds like my silkie chickens, so even falling off a perch or a well placed peck from a flock member can cause more damage than expected. My little buff silkie hen Pidge developed this kind of tilt, and I tried my best to help her get better. Unfortunately, when it's caused by neurological trauma, it's usually not reversible. She improved briefly from hands on care and support, but promptly worsened again once released to the flock. Making the decision to euthanize such a sweet bird is always really hard, but she could not have survived on her own and while supportive care like hand feeding could've kept her alive, her quality of life would have been virtually nonexistent. I'm glad to see that the cause of Hazel's tilt has a more positive prognosis! I just came from the update video, he's looking so much better already.
My bunny also had that parasite. Getting him through that first month was a constant battle. The first two weeks he wasn't even able to stand at all. But then he started improving a lot again. His head tilt never went away though. Like 2 years after he started going blind. Another 2 years after that he started going deaf. And after that he still made it another 3 years. Fingers crossed Hazel is just as hardy as Paddy was!
Oh and he was already between 6 and 7 years old when he got sick. Made it to 13 to 14 years, which was surprising especially considering all he went through!
Feel better soon, Hazeykins!! 💖💖
These kind of video's are so important! The philosophy of researching what you're getting into with an animal was something my grandfather drilled into me at a very, very young age and it's something that sticks with me with every animal I take in. Of course you want to provide for every animals needs, but that doesn't work if you're not aware of _what_ those needs might be - by disease or genetics. If not for you, do it for the health of the animal who will not and cannot consent to being under your care.
Thank you for sharing, Jessi! Keep fighting, Hazel!
I have no animal knowledge to share, just some very strong good thoughts to Hazel! I'm sure he's in the very best of hands. Thank you for showing the difficult side of caring for animals as well, as hard as it is it's part of life.
My friend and I transported a little rabbit with Headtilt and his companion- their names were Ace and Kitten. They were the CUTEST~! Ace's head was completely 90 degrees turned from from upright... his name was Ace because every time he would jump in or out of his litterbox, he would do a barrel roll... like an Ace Fighter Pilot!
We took him from Atlanta all the way down to Orlando. We had to stop every 2 hours to let him out at a rest stop to make sure he didn't get carsick. The 8 hour drive took us more like 10! But he was SO tiny and cute. ^_^
Edit to add: I think there is also a virus that can cause head tilt, I think that's what caused Ace's tilt. He was still a happy little bunny though!
I've had to care for critically ill gerbils before. Little animals go down so quickly. I hope Hazel recovers. You never know with these little floofs whether they will pull through or not. I'll tell you one thing, thank goodness for Critical Care. Stuff is magic.
We just through this with our house bun. 🤞 Hoping Hazel pulls through! Our bun’s head even went back to normal so there’s definitely hope. Tell Hazel that Emerson the fuzzy lop is rooting for him
All of my buns - 2 that I have and 1 that passed away beginning of this year - had EC. With my first bun we discovered it fortunately before adopting any companion. There was no head tilt or anything like this - instead her symptoms were only showing in stressful situations like being handled by our vet. She would get exophthalmos and start spinning in place, either around or just rolling, really fast. We started the treatment immediately after incident without waiting for results, which came positive, and in 30 days when we came back symptoms were gone. But since she had it, she can still be spreading it, I knew that it's better to look for companions that already had EC to not infect healthy buns. So with other 2 it was a conscious decision - we do tests every once in a while to see if everything is fine and they live a very happy life. One of them had EC most likely inherited from her mother, and it was in her eye so it had to be removed - now she's a pirate. And the other one had a heavy head tilt, just like Hazel, which became permanent after the treatment. It never really bothered her, I just made it easier for her to access water and food, and over the years it got much much better, now it is almost back to being straight (from almost 90deg).
I hope Hazel will get well soon! Thank you for everything you do for animals!
Also, I couldn't help but notice that you use sawdust in your litter box. AFAIK that's not totally safe - dust particles can get to nose and eyes and cause infections - and wood stove pellets are much better option. Just sharing a tip :)
Glad to see Cheeks doing well.
Wishing the very best for handsome Hazel 🍀💖✨
Oh boy 😞 poor Hazel, he must be feeling so terrible. I hope he gets through this
I hope Hazel is able to recover!! That seems so painful. Thank you for taking such good care of them!
Poor bunnies
Watch out for myxomatosis!! It’s here and it’s super contagious and always fatal. I lost my buns to it after a long week long vet battle. Lovely critters.
I love you! You are such a kind person!
My childhood rabbit had head tilt, so this hits me in the feels.
Thank you for sharing this. It is so important for people to be aware of the things that can go wrong with rabbits. They are such amazing animals, but can be fragile wee things too.
Good luck Hazel. Feel better soon.
Get better soon Hazel!!!
Get well soon little Hazel! Thank you for documenting this, have learned a lot. Had various herbivores with high needs such as this but never encountered head tilt (touch wood!) It's so hard to see them struggle but I agree with giving them every possible chance (unless they're suffering obviously) Your syringe technique is awesome btw, does Hazel accept willingly or is he unable to move away? Could you maybe do a video covering common rabbit problems - gi stasis, dental issues, fly strike eye & basic care inc. syringe feeding, nail clips, etc. Would love to be able to share it with ppl who get rabbits for their kids & have no idea! 🐇
My first rabbit's name was BigWig and my current rabbit's name is Hazel. Got to love Watership Down.
My BunBun looks exactly like Hazel and suffers from head tilt too ❤ after all the treatments he's still tilted but happy.
Cheeks grooming your thumb. I’ll be hitting that like button
As always, lovely video. I hope Hazel recovers as best he can and can live a full and healthy life. Sending love!
Good luck hazel! Hope you feel better soon ( R.I.P Earl Grey )
Poor baby I hope he makes it through this and the head tilt gets better or he learns to live with it. I have a guinea pig with what my vet says is most likely a congenital head tilt, that I got from a friend who took it from somebody who was trying to get rid of a whole bunch of animals they didn't want anymore. I've had her for three years now and besides sometimes falling over when reaching for something on her hind legs she lives a completely normal pig life munching on hay and veggies and getting the zoomies. I hope hazel can get back to a normal life soon.
This is a difficult subject and one that I think gets glossed over far too often. Parents might not know, or might not want to consider, the difficulties; or they might not want to discuss it with their kid who wants to own a pet rabbit. I can't blame them, because things like this make me feel pretty hesitant about ever attempting to care for one. But plenty of kids are capable of understanding the challenges and often are up for it - hopefully a video like this makes it easier for a family that has a rabbit or is considering one.
The feeling that you've done everything "right" - or at the least everything possible - and yet it isn't enough is so heart-breaking. And the animal doesn't understand, which just makes it worse. All they know is that it hurts, and they trust you to fix it. Even wild creatures in your care come to accept that you the human are a being they can trust. And when the hard things happen - it feels like you failed them, sometimes. Even when you can know in your head that you didn't do anything wrong, even when you've exhausted every possibility, it still feels awful.
A good video, and thank you for sharing the hard part, facing it square and not sugar coating. You and yours are incredible humans and far stronger than I could be in caring for sick animals.