Rabbit head tilt: what to do until you see the vet

A head tilt in a rabbit, often with a loss of balance or flickering eyes, needs a rabbit-savvy vet today, as soon as you can. Go now if it is rolling, cannot stand or has stopped eating. Until then, keep it in a small box padded thickly with towels, keep the room quiet, and help it eat.

Written by Justin Alcalde, AHA and American Red Cross instructor, CPR West Covina · Reviewed September 27, 2026

Read the video transcript

Your rabbit's head is tilted. Step 1. Pad a small box with towels to cushion rolling. Step 2. Keep it quiet, with greens and water in reach. Step 3. See a rabbit-savvy vet today, as soon as you can.

Pad a small box with towels to cushion rolling.
Keep it quiet, with greens and water in reach.
See a rabbit-savvy vet today, as soon as you can.

What does head tilt look like in a rabbit?

The head turns to one side and stays there. House Rabbit Network notes it can be a slight lean, or so far over that the head looks upside down. Vets also call it wry neck, torticollis or vestibular disease, after the system that runs balance.

Other signs often come with it: leaning or falling to one side, rolling over, walking in circles, and eyes that flick back and forth, which vets call nystagmus. Some rabbits cannot stand at all.

It can come on slowly or very suddenly, the Rabbit.org Foundation notes.

What should I do right now if my rabbit's head is tilted?

Until the vet, your main job is to stop your rabbit hurting itself while it rolls, Rabbit.org advises. Your second job is keeping it eating.

Pad a small box
A low box or small carrier, lined thickly with towels or fleece.
Line the sides with rolled towels
Tuck them close so it has something to lean on and rolls less.
Keep the room quiet
Low noise, calm voices, and dogs and cats out of the room.
Handle it as little as possible
Lift it only when you must, and do not try to straighten its neck.
Put greens and water in reach
Hay, wet greens and a shallow water dish right beside it.
Offer food by hand
Hold a leaf to its mouth and let it nibble, piece by piece.
Call a rabbit-savvy vet now
Ask for the soonest visit today, and say whether it is eating.

The snug space is deliberate: vets use a narrow, padded cage in hospital to stop a rolling rabbit hurting its head or eyes, Vet Times reports.

Dogs and cats stay out because rabbits see them as predators, Vet Times notes, and PDSA says stress makes head tilt symptoms worse.

Is rabbit head tilt an emergency?

Yes, treat it as urgent. VCA says any head tilt or loss of balance in a rabbit needs immediate attention. PDSA says to contact your vet for any tilt, and to do so immediately if your rabbit is falling over, distressed or off its food.

So call the moment you spot a tilt, and ask to be seen today. The sooner the cause is treated, the better the chance of recovery, Rabbit.org and Veterinary Partner both note.

Not every clinic treats rabbits, so ask for a vet who sees them often, sometimes called an exotics vet.

Get to the vet now if

Your rabbit is rolling, falling over or cannot stand, seems distressed, has stopped eating, has made no droppings in 12 hours, or has a seizure. Go now, too, if the tilt followed a fall or a bump to the head. If your vet is closed, call an emergency clinic that sees rabbits.

If a friend or sitter looks after your rabbit, they can carry first aid steps for rabbits and other pets on their phone with PetAid, which we build for iPhone.

What if my rabbit with head tilt stops eating?

Many tilted rabbits are still hungry but struggle to reach food and water, Rabbit.org notes, so hold the food to the mouth.

If your rabbit will not eat at all, call your vet now. A rabbit that goes off its food can slide into GI stasis, which VCA notes can turn life threatening without treatment. Our rabbit GI stasis guide covers the signs.

House Rabbit Society treats 12 hours without eating or pooping as an emergency, and Merck draws the same 12 hour line for droppings. Watch the litter box, but do not wait that long once a tilted rabbit stops eating.

Syringe feeding is sometimes needed, but ask your vet to show you how first. Rabbit.org cautions that a rabbit can breathe the liquid in.

How should I carry a tilted rabbit to the vet?

Moving a dizzy rabbit makes its symptoms much worse, PDSA notes, so lift it slowly and hold it securely. Our guide on how to pick up a rabbit shows a safe hold. Pad the carrier like the box, with rolled towels along both sides.

Jot down what you have seen, with dates and times, a House Rabbit Society tip. Bring these details:

Tell the vet	Why it helps
When the tilt started, and how fast	A slow start was more common with ear infection in the Edinburgh study below
Any fall, drop or knock	Head injury is one possible cause
Sneezing, a runny nose, ear scratching or discharge	Can point toward an ear infection or ear mites
Weak back legs, leaking urine or a wet bottom	Can point toward E. cuniculi
Other rabbits, time outdoors, raccoons nearby	Some causes spread between rabbits or come from raccoon droppings
Any medicine or flea product used	Some that suit dogs and cats can harm rabbits

From Veterinary Partner (VIN), House Rabbit Network, PDSA, Merck and the Edinburgh study below.

What causes head tilt in rabbits?

Even with tests, the cause is often hard to pin down. A 2024 study of 73 rabbits with head tilt at the University of Edinburgh's vet school confirmed a cause in about half. Every confirmed cause was an ear infection, E. cuniculi or both, with both in about a third.

Possible cause	What it can look like	Good to know
Middle or inner ear infection	Tilt, rolling to one side, flicking eyes. Often still alert and hungry	Can follow snuffles. May take weeks to months to clear
E. cuniculi, a tiny parasite	Tilt, rolling, tremors or seizures. Sometimes weak back legs or a wet bottom	Spreads in urine. Many rabbits carry it without signs
Ear mites	Head shaking, scratching, thick brown crusts in the ear	Infection can reach the inner ear. PDSA says tilts that improve with treatment are usually these
Head injury	A tilt that starts after a fall or knock	Needs a vet quickly
Stroke	A sudden tilt and loss of balance	Rabbit.org says quick treatment gives the best hope
Raccoon roundworm	Tilt, tremors, loss of balance	Caught from raccoon droppings. Merck notes no effective treatment
Less common causes	Brain abscess or tumor, poisoning, a drug reaction, heat stroke	Your vet may check with blood tests, x-rays or scans

From Merck, PDSA, Veterinary Partner (VIN), Rabbit.org and House Rabbit Network.

The Edinburgh team recommends E. cuniculi blood tests and a CT scan of the head as the first checks.

Will my rabbit's head tilt go away?

Sometimes fully, often partly. In the Edinburgh study, about two thirds of the rabbits followed up kept some tilt, and balance signs came back in about 4 in 10. PDSA says most tilts are permanent.

A lasting tilt need not mean a poor life. Rabbit.org describes many tilted rabbits running and playing as happily as any other, and PDSA says most adapt with time.

Progress is slow: Veterinary Partner says even rabbits with a good outlook can need many weeks to months of care before they improve. Rabbits that stay dull, cannot stand or will not eat tend to do worse.

A tilt alone is not a reason to put a rabbit to sleep, Rabbit.org stresses. Talk quality of life through with your vet.

How do I set up a home for a rabbit with head tilt?

After the vet visit, give your rabbit one safe, low space it can manage while it relearns its balance.

Part of the setup	What helps
Floor	Rugs, fleece or rubber-backed runners for grip, with padding and no sharp edges
Levels	One floor only. Take out ramps, shelves and anything to climb
Litter box	A low entry it can step into without hopping
Water	A shallow dish, nothing deep, placed where it rests
Food	Hay and greens beside its resting spot. Keep hand feeding if it struggles
Eyes	Check the eye nearest the floor daily. Ask your vet how to protect it
Grooming	Help keep its bottom clean if it cannot reach
Exercise	Once the rolling stops, a bigger space where it can move in straight lines

From PDSA, House Rabbit Network, Rabbit.org and Veterinary Partner (VIN).

Keep the steps on your phone

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Questions people ask

The tilt is mild and my rabbit is still eating. Can it wait a few days?

No. Call your vet today anyway. Merck says several conditions cause the same signs, so a full exam is needed. Some mild cases settle on their own, House Rabbit Network notes, but you cannot tell which at home.

Can my other rabbits, or my family, catch it?

E. cuniculi spreads through infected urine, so PDSA suggests having companion rabbits checked. Merck cites reports of infection in 50 to 75 percent of pet rabbits in various countries, many with no signs. It can infect people too, mainly those with weak immune systems.

Does head tilt hurt my rabbit?

Probably less than it looks. Rabbit.org calls it disorienting rather than painful, though Veterinary Partner notes some pain may come with it. Merck lists tooth grinding and a hunched posture as signs of pain or illness, so tell your vet if you see them.

There is brown crust in my rabbit's ear. Should I clean it out?

No. Merck warns that pulling off ear mite crusts is very painful for an awake rabbit, and they loosen on their own as treatment works. Let your vet see them.

Can I give my rabbit our dog's or cat's medicine?

No. Merck warns that some antibiotics and a flea product that suit dogs and cats can seriously harm rabbits. Give only what your rabbit's vet prescribes.

More pet first aid

This is first aid, not veterinary care. Get to a vet or an emergency animal hospital as soon as the steps are done.

Sources