Wry Neck Questions

[Basenji43]

So one of my 8 day old kits has a head tilt. This morning it was fine and now it is tilted off to the side. I checked its ears and there isn't anything in them, they aren't even open yet neither are its eyes. Can an 8 day old kit get wry neck? Its belly is full of milk so it is at least eating. Could it be possible that the doe stepped on him? The other three in the litter are fine and my other litter of 10 kits is doing great. I have no clue what to do. An 8 day old is too young to treat with antibiotics correct? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Secuono]

In chickens, a vitamin deficiency causes wry neck. Maybe a vit mix added to mom's food or directly to the kit?
Could be an injury, as well.

 

[MaggieJ]

My guess would be an injury. Does sometimes land on the kits when jumping into the nest box.

 

[SMR]

I've heard of 5 day old on another board getting it. I would cull, tried treating with no success and it wasn't to the rolling stage. Barbie Brown's site has treatment information on it, the quicker it's started the better the chances or so I've been told. I tried it on the one I had, nothing helped her so I ended up putting her down. The younger the rabbit, the faster the progression it seems, so its not impossible for it to have wry neck. There's lots of discussion on exact causes and if there are different forms of it, some say bacterial some say pasturella some others. Even if the kit does pull through and the head tilt corrects itself, I would not use it for breeding and make sure the new owner (if it does go any where) knows what its had in the past. Weak immune systems tend to be linked with it.

It could be an injury as well as said. If she/he starts leaning or acts off balance more than a kit usually does though, its probably not. With in a day or two it should be easy to tell, the head can turn almost completely upside down.

 

[Basenji43]

Well I guess he just got trampled on. At 5 weeks I cant tell him from the others. Ears are all straight and all eyes are bright and open all the way. I guess I panicked a little The kit sure looked like it had wry neck for a while there.

 

[ZRabbits]

Glad to hear the kit is doing well.

Karen