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My Holland Lop has head tilt and isn't moving. Will she recover?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Small Animal | Rabbit | Female | spayed | 5 lbs

We have a Holland lop rabbit that is about 7 yo. She has been experiencing head tilt for a few days now. She was moving around fine, but today she is not moving much at all. We can tell that she is breathing, but not moving much more than that. We are not sure how likely it is that she will recover from this(?). Any help is greatly appreciated.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Mariya Gugel, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on November 19th, 2017

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach - I'm sorry that Jude is not doing well. Head tilts in rabbits are definitely a cause for concern and I recommend that she is examined by a veterinarian as soon as possible. This symptom can be caused by several things, but two of the more common causes are an infection of the ear or a parasite that travels through the blood and damages the vessels around the ear and cerebellum, the part of the brain responsible for maintaining balance. This basically causes a loss of balance, and the head tilts to one side because the brain "thinks" that the head needs to compensate.
Other causes for this can be trauma, a stroke, or a tumor. Depending on the cause of the head tilt, the prognosis can vary, so I cannot predict whether Jude will recover, but a physical exam and diagnostics performed by a veterinarian definitely can. I hope this helps and good luck with Jude!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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