Progression of Head Tilt?

[Siberian Hamster]

I am fostering a girl with a head tilt, and after a week of antibiotics the shelter vet gave me she isn't any better.  No worse - she doesn't go in circles or roll or fall over or anything - but no better.  

So my question is:

How fast does this problem progress?  I know sometimes they continue to have a tilt even after they are cured, which we can both live with.  SO, how long before I know if she is going to be ok or not?  Will she get worse fast if she is not cured, or would it take a long time to see further developments?

[toad]

My Stuart has a head tilt....when it came on, I tried Ibuprofen, then Prednisone and Baytril....It got a little better, but is still there.  I believe (and might be wrong) that if it's not treated quickly enough, the tilt stays there.  Others will know better, but I also think it depends on what caused the tilt - ear infections vs. other....Good luck

[menagerie]

My Bella had severe head tilt when I got her (she was about 6 weeks old), whenever she moved she would roll. She was put on antibiotics, which cleared up the ear infection but still had a tilt for a month or two. She's 26 months old now and going strong.

[Ree]

Albert (satan rat) was on Prednisone and Doxy.  Perhaps you could get some steroids from the shelter vet to see if they help?

His head tilt improved dramatically, but it is still there several months later.  Makes it look like he's always pulling a "huh?" face.  Quite cute really.  


I did have a quick question (hopefully not hijacking..).  Do head tilts left over from ear infections have good and bad days?  

Albert seems to have the odd (once every few weeks) day where he doesn't seem to have as good balance as usual, almost to the point where he's circling again, but then he goes back to his normal head-tilty (but still balanced) self by the next day.   :huh:

[transer]

My girl had an ear infection when she was about 6 mos., and she recovered fine, but  the head tilt remained.  It does seem to come and go.....when's she's most tired, it seems worse....almost like she has to conciously correct for it, and doesn't bother when she's sleepy....



Sam

[DebW]

I've had 2 male rats with permanent head tilts.  Both were treated with Doxy and Prednisone.  The turning and rolling stopped and the head tilt got slightly better, but it remained.  Bert lived a full year after his ear infection to be 28 months old and Chester is approaching 2 years old.  Chester had his ear infection in early Spring of this year.  Chester is on the right in this picture and you can see what remains of his head tilt.  He isn't as stable on shoulders as the others, but does everything else.

[vx]

Aww, Chester looks like a mirror image of our tilting Annie!  



What beautiful boys, Deb!

Siberian Hamster, it took over a month for Annie's tilt to stablize (and we caught it so early the vet had a difficult time seeing the tilt that Annie's paranoid mom saw last Thanksgiving).  

Hang in there, I think that it must be a stubborn infection.  Annie's tilt is permanent, but it doesn't slow her down in the least.  She has been very happy since the tilt stablized in December '02, and climbs into hammocks readily.  

The only difficulty is holding her; she must be held with her head pointing to my right (the direction of her tilt), otherwise she becomes disoriented and distressed.

Sending healing wishes to your foster girl!

[Siberian Hamster]

Well, that all sounds very encouraging!    Thanks everyone.

Thanks especially about the advice on holding her on the right side - I have noticed she gets panicky when carried around but I hadn't thought about turning her around.

I will finish out the meds (what a battle - I usually have to make her lick it off herself), and I have decided to adopt her permanently.  My husband may never let me foster again ...

I'll still welcome any other experiences anyone would like to add.  Has anyone had a head tilt that WASN't an infection?  Anyone have no change when giving meds?

[menagerie]

A few months after Bella had recovered from her ear infection she still suffered wry neck (head tilt). I was at a local rat club event and mentioned the wry neck to a few people. One woman mentioned that she had several rats over the years that had wry neck and her vet had suggested that she give them alfalfa. Not the pelleted kind, fresh was best but the dried alfalfa stalks were also acceptable. She said that sometimes rabbits get wry neck and the alfalfa helps them. I gave Bella access to the dried alfalfa sprigs for about a week and her head tilt cleared up.

Please note that several members of this board have informed me that rats cannot digest alfalfa. However, it worked for me and for the woman that told me about it. If I were to have another rat whose wry neck continued after antibiotic treatment, I would again use the alfalfa. As long as it isn't toxic to rats, I figure it is worth a try. Just my two cents worth.  

Before being cured of wry neck, Bella was also very upset and disoriented when picked up. Inner ear problems really throw off balance.

[Waynesbrat]

Hiya Siberian Hampster......
I just wanted to tell you about the only experince I have had with head tilts.  We have only had Ratties for about 9 months now...I got this one older male *rescue* when he was full grown I have no Idea how old he was when I got him tho the vet thinks he was around 2.... Last Sun he developed a head tilt. I took him to the vet on Mon.. They gave him baytril and said they thought it was a inner ear infection.. Tuesday he was worse so back to the vet and we got some prednazone.. By this time he wouldnt eat at all.. I was force feeding him his meds and anything else I could get in him.... Wed  he seemed to be feeling better and Thur.. He was yucky again... By Friday morning he was bearly holding his head up at all....I called the vet and before I could even get him there he passed away.   ....  I really thought that because everyone else here had Ratties with a head tilt that Frank would just get *better*...
Im sorry to hear ur little one is sick. Sending healing thoughts ur way........ Gail

[Bonnie]

It depends. I know some rats can live a very long time with a head tilt.

Unfortunatly, I had a rat who developed a head tilt. I actually caught it before anyone else could even tell... I just knew my rat that well that I knew something was off.  

His was due to an inner ear infection. We did baytril, ear drops... and then went to prednisone (sp?) and finally we just tried to get him to eat baby food, water, nutrical. He unfortunatly didn't make it.    He survived I think somewhere around 2- 2 1/2 weeks after I first noticed the tilt, and he died in my hands.  

I definatly don't want to stomp all over what everyone else said, but I just wanted to say, don't give up. I really hope your rat turns out more like everyone else's, and not like my Thunder.

[menagerie]

Unfortunatly, I had a rat who developed a head tilt. I actually caught it before anyone else could even tell... I just knew my rat that well that I knew something was off.  

His was due to an inner ear infection. We did baytril, ear drops... and then went to prednisone (sp?) and finally we just tried to get him to eat baby food, water, nutrical. He unfortunatly didn't make it.    He survived I think somewhere around 2- 2 1/2 weeks after I first noticed the tilt, and he died in my hands.  

Bonnie, are you certain it was an ear infection? A pituitary tumor can also cause head tilt, although in my experience with pituitary tumors there have been other signs prior to the head tilt.

Siberian Hamster, what type of antibiotics is your girl taking? You may need to switch to something else if it isn't working, also you could ask the vet about some prednisone, it may help reduce the swelling. You're doing a great job with her.

[Bonnie]

I am pretty sure it was. They looked in the ear and said that's what it was....

[Siberian Hamster]

Progress report - I am seeing a small improvement in her tilt, and she seems to be getting on fine.  I think she's over the hump, though she may have a permanent tilt.  Thanks so much for everyone's feedback and support - it really helped me guage her progress.  From the responses, it seems that progress is slow but the ones that don't make it go fast, so that's a good sign for Tandy.

BTW, I decided to adopt her permanently!

[menagerie]

I'm glad to hear that Tandy is improving and that she's found a forever home. Keep up the good work and give Tandy a from me.

[Ree]

That's awesome news!