What do you make of Sparky's 'twitch'?

From Sparky's Humum:

For some time it has been noticeable that when Sparky is startled, she does not jump to alert in quite the same way as normal  rabbits.

In fact, even if she is not startled, when she been washing and stops to go back into a normal posture, she does not just straighten up but sort of squirms to one side. Last night I actually managed to get one of these 'squirms' on video. I've put it on at normal speed, then slowed down. Be warned -the bit that is slowed down is actually kind of distressing to see.

I'm not aware of whether she always squirms to one side or both but I shall make a point of noting that when I see her do it in future.

This is one of the things that increases my conviction that there is something odd going on in her brain.

Here's the video - I'd be interested in people's thoughts and whether anyone has seen anything like it before:

Poor sweet angel! First thing that pops into my mind is she might either have an ear infection or something trapped in that ear. For example, do y'all have ticks there? They can crawl down an ear and attach.

It also looks like a very short focal seizure of her right frontal cortex These seizures are not painful other than for us to watch.

Love you Sparky! .

oh that does look odd
i would show that clip to your vet hun hugs all round i hope its nothing serious

It looks to me like some sort of spinal related fit. When you watch it Sparky's legs go out completely from under her indicating total body weakness. It could be pasturella related  but I have a horrid thought that it could be caused by E.C. lesions. I suggest vets trip armed with the video - or email it over in advance.

Oh, the poor girlie  

I agree - it could be something in her ear bothering her, but with the other strange behaviour you've described lately it might be worth taking her and this clip to the vets and seeing what they come back with

Goodness, that is a concern, it's almost like she is out of it for the smallest second as you can almost see her nao out of it at the end.  

I hope you get to the bottom of it  We love you so much Sparky xxxx

Oh Bless her that's awful to see her like that

It's like a seizure, wonder if it's something to do with her central nervous system. It's almost as if she traps a nerve as she turns to groom.

 

Tuckerbunnies wrote:Oh Bless her that's awful to see her like that

It's like a seizure, wonder if it's something to do with her central nervous system. It's almost as if she traps a nerve as she turns to groom.

 

Yea I thought that too.

Oh Sparky     I hope its nothing serious

If it happens all the time when she changes posture like that, could it just be that her balance mechanism has been affected by her Pasteurella and she can't stabilise herself when she quickly moves position.  Although it is distressing, especially when you slowed it down, it might not be something to be very concerned about.

However, I would definitely let your vet have a look at the video and see what he thinks.

Oh Sparky

I do hope it's nothing serious.

Humum's going to stalk me all weekend with the HD video camera to try to get some better film of it

She has watched it frame by frame and says that the first thing that happens is my eyes roll back, leading her to think it might be neural. This video was taken when Hudad startled me mid-wash so is a more violent squirm than they usually are, which is good as it shows the extreme.

She's not *massively* concerned, I have been doing it for quite a while and seem absolutely fine in every other way.

She'll put the other video up later / tomorrow and see if any of you spot anything odd on that...

She has ordered me some of the calming-down medicine to try too.