Like their human caregivers, rabbits can have epileptic seizures, which can occur when neurons in their brain reach the point of hyper excitability. During an epileptic seizure, the rabbit can suffer from episodes of involuntary body movements.

If your rabbit is experiencing seizures, you must be very careful during these episodes as they can cause brain damage.

What does a seizure look like?

The signs and symptoms of a seizure depend on what's causing the seizure. Seizures can be epileptic in nature or non-epileptic, which can be caused by genetic malformations or brain lesions. Regardless of the type of seizure, here are common signs of epilepsy in rabbits:

• Signs of distress
• Rolling the body
• Paddling the paws or limbs
• Lost muscle tone
• A thick, creamy fluid or pus inside the ears
• Rabbit mentally confused
• Head tilts

Certain breeds, such as dwarf breeds are more susceptible to seizures than others. Since dwarf breeds are more likely to have weaker immune systems, they're more likely to be infected with Encephalitozoon cuniculi, which is known to cause seizures.

Additionally, lop-eared rabbits and white, blue-eyed rabbits are more likely to have epilepsy and seizures. Other causes of seizures, include head injuries, bacterial infections, parasitic infections, cardiovascular diseases, low blood sugar, and exposure to chemicals and heavy metals.

Diagnosing the Seizures

If your rabbit is experiencing seizures, a veterinarian can look for structural brain lesions and consider whether there has been exposure to seizure-causing toxins. Blood tests can help identify any infections that cause seizures. Lastly, a CAT scan or MRI can rule out inflammation in the central nervous system, tumors or lesions.

Once a diagnoses is made, the veterinarian can prescribe the appropriate treatment plan for your pet.

Is your rabbit experiencing unexplained seizures? Scroll through our directory to find a veterinarian who practices near you.