My hamster has head tilt and can't walk after Baytril. What to do?

Hello, I'm sorry to hear you don't feel trusting of your veterinarian's medical opinion. I can't do a physical or neurologic exam online, so it's difficult to advise much in these cases. Pituitary tumors are extremely common in female rats. I think an ear infection would be much less common and not a cause of such severe disease.

Thanks for reaching out about Auggie. With intermittent blood in the urine and a swollen abdomen, uterine enlargement, (probably cancer) is likely. Hamsters are induced ovulators and are constantly in heat, therefore estrogen. High sustained levels of estrogen can lead to uterine neoplasia. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Most likely, she needs to be spayed. If not going forward with that, palliative medications for pain are recommended. Good luck.

He could have had a stroke or these signs could be compatible with an inflammation of the middle ear (causing vestibular signs). I would recommend a check up to confirm or rule out these clinical suspicion and give appropriate treatment. In case of an otitis antibiotics may be needed. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation (where you can post pictures ) if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

I'm sorry that Carrie is not feeling well! Head tilts in rats are commonly caused by ear infections, however, other diseases such as certain cancers, or stroke can cause these signs. How quickly treatment needs to be started really depends on what the underlying cause is, so it is impossible to say what will happen in the next two days. If Carrie is having difficulty moving around, it may help to provide some moistened food (pellets with water on a small plate) for her so that she can access food and stay hydrated. In my experience, head tilts can progress rather quickly, but are not necessarily painful and most animals do well with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications. I hope this helps and that Carrie gets well soon!

Hello, and thank you for the update. I'm glad you were able to get Shine to a vet. Uterine infections can happen in any female that is unspayed (not fixed). I would keep her separate from the other hamsters for now, to allow her to rest and prevent spread of infection. Change any soiled bedding regularly to keep her area clean. Ensure she continues to eat a well-balanced pelleted hamster diet. If she is not eating well on her own, you can try to feed her with a syringe using Critical Care (a powdered diet that you mix with water - your vet may have it). If you are not seeing any improvement after 2 days of antibiotics, I would get her a recheck visit with the vet, and ask them about a culture and sensitivity test of the uterine discharge. This will help to pinpoint the type of infection that she is dealing with, and prescribe the right antibiotic. I hope this helps, and that Shine improves!

Head tilts in rabbits are usually due to one of two things, an ear infection or a neurologic condition caused by a parasite. Both of these conditions will require treatment by a veterinarian in order to get better. The head tilt will likely get worse and worse if the underlying cause goes untreated. If the cause is the parasite (E. Cuniculi), it will eventually spread to other organ systems and cause death. Even if it is just an ear infection, these can be painful and irritating enough to a rabbit to make them not want to eat. A rabbit who isn't eating is often one that develops gastric stasis, which is another deadly condition. Overall, I would recommend getting Buzz seen by a vet sometime sooner than later.

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am so sorry for your bunny chocolate. After a month, if the head tilt is no better, it is, unfortunately, not going to every correct. That being said, I would talk to your veterinarian about other drugs that may or may not have been tried. Most vets will go for Baytril, but it does not penetrate as well as others such as Chloramphenicol or Trimethoprim Sulfa. If these have been tried, you can try acupuncture & physical therapy to help Chocolate, but beyond this, there is not much more to really try. As for the eye, it really needs to be removed. That eye has to be very painful. You need to decide with your veterinarian what is the best thing for Chocolate. You are so right to consider her quality of life. It is up to us to make sure our pets do not unduly suffer because we love them so much. Take care & all the best for Chocolate.