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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Vivian has glaucoma & ulcer (old post)

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    • BinkyBunny
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        Vivian has cloudiness in her eyes as she ages but the last two weeks, I’ve noticed her not being able to see much at all out of her left eye and it also looked bigger. (she had scratched it a while back, but it cleared up with meds) so I thought maybe some infection was happening.  

        So I took her to my vet and it was determined that Viv has glaucoma in her left eye.  The pressure test also revealed her right eye was on the edge.   I don’t know much about glaucoma and so this  is an educational experience for me.  And I figured it could be for others too.  Also, if you have a bunny that has glaucoma, I would like to hear your stories too. 

        How my vet diagnosed her, after look thoroughly at her eyes with a light scope thing (Love my technical terms here?) she then used a handheld device that reads the pressure of the eye.   She first had to numb the Vivian’s eyes with some drops, then she used the gadget to gently touch her eyes. It then would give out a reading of pressure.  Under 20 is normal, though when it reaches close to 20, then that’s something to watch.   Vivian’s left eye was 32, and her right eye was 19.    

        Right now, we are starting off with meds. I think this is something she will have to take for the rest of her life — I forgot to ask, but just assuming.  There are few different types to choose from, but we are starting with Dorzolamide with two drops left eye twice a day and one drop in her right eye once a day.  I was told to watch for any irritation, as this med has a chance of doing that. If it caused discomfort, we would then choose another med.  So far, after her first drops, she didn’t react as if it was irritating her.  The hope is that the meds will help relieve the pressure in her left eye — possibly improving her vision in that eye a bit, and help prevent further decline in her right eye. 

        I will then see the vet in a week to see if the meds are helping. If not, then may have me try another med — though I may have to go to a vet ophthalmologist.    Hopefully the meds will work as surgery would be the very last resort in her case.  

        I asked the vet if it were an age thing and she did say that though it’s more commonly see in older bunnies, glaucoma can be genetic and can happen with younger bunnies too. 

        Anyway, thought I’d share since this is new stuff for me,  and hopefully it may be helpful to someone else someday. 

        And again, for those that know all about this, have been through it, please share, as we can learn from each other. 

         


      • Sarita
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          Oh no, poor Ms. Vivian. I really hope the drops work.

          Does it seem to be affecting her vision at all? Please keep us updated. Vibes to Ms. Vivian.


        • jerseygirl
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            Oh Vivvy! {{{Vibes}}} for her.

            I’ve noticed her not being able to see much at all out of her left eye and it also looked bigger.

            Do you mean her eye looked bigger or there was more cloudiness. It’s interesting that cleared up with the previous med. That was different to what you’re currently using?

            Is there any nutritional support you can give?


          • LittlePuffyTail
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              Poor Vivian. ((((Eye Vibes))))

              How old is she? I’m thinking 9 but can’t remember.

              I also have never experienced glaucoma. Hope they can get it under control so it doesn’t get worse.


            • Elrohwen
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                Vibes for Viv! I don’t have any first hand experience either, but I do know it has a strong genetic component. I hope you find meds that work for her. I can’t even imagine convincing my buns to let me put drops in their eyes every day.


              • BinkyBunny
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                  Posted By jerseygirl on 03/29/2013 12:05 AM

                  Oh Vivvy! {{{Vibes}}} for her.

                  I’ve noticed her not being able to see much at all out of her left eye and it also looked bigger.

                  Do you mean her eye looked bigger or there was more cloudiness. It’s interesting that cleared up with the previous med. That was different to what you’re currently using?

                  Is there any nutritional support you can give?

                  Sorry – – I didn’t make it clear.   Her cloudiness is the same – that didn’t clear up. (She had a scratch on her eye that did heal with meds a while back and the scratch irritation cleared up.  That is unrelated — sorry.     The cloudiness though is just from aging, not from glaucoma.  I asked the vet what that was as she said it’s not cataracts, its just the way the fibers of the eye change with age which can cause vision problems with not letting enough light in. Like how humans age —but you may not see the cloudiness in human eyes  

                  Her eye looked bigger and in fact it was.  The vet said that the pressure in the can do that.  

                  Good question about nutritional support — I don’t know. I will ask my vet about that when I go back next week.  Plus I will look online too for more info about that. 

                  Sarita asked about vision loss — and yes, there has been definite vision loss in her left eye due to the glaucoma (it was already a bit dull anyway due to her cloudiness — but she could still see).   However, if the drops work, then the vet did say she may regain some vision in that eye (whatever vision loss was due to the glaucoma as any vision loss due to aging/cloudiness will always be there). 

                  She’s not a fan of the drops, but she lets me put them in without too much of a  hassle.   But I did give half of her craisin before I put the drops in her eyes,  and then I gave her the rest of it after the drops.  She caught on really quickly, and this morning didn’t give me the slightest gruff at all. 

                  Hope I cleared things up and didn’t make them more confusing.  

                  She seems good though — happy, not in any discomfort, so I’m happy.    The meds are a bit pricey though so that is going to be about $600 – $700 extra a year from now on.  


                • tanlover14
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                    Poor Vivian! (((HEALING VIBES VIVVY!!!)))


                  • Monkeybun
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                      Aww poor Vivian. Hope the drops work! Craisins can work miracles, can’t they?


                    • TBpony414
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                        Poor Vivian! I don’t know anything about glaucoma. Please keep us posted on how she does with the medicines.

                        That’s funny that she is cooperative with crasins given beforehand. Two weeks ago I started giving my bunny eye drops twice a day to try to help his tear ducts from getting clogged up. He doesn’t mind the drops too much except for they have to be refrigerated so I think they probably sting a little bit at first. I don’t have any human helpers so it’s a bit of a gymnastics routine to try to get the drops in his eyes! I tried giving him a treat before the drops but he quickly figured out he could grab it and run… so now he has to wait until after the drops for his treat. Fingers crossed Viv feels better soon and continues being agreeable to treatment!


                      • BinkyBunny
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                          Posted By TBpony414 on 03/31/2013 08:44 PM

                          …. I tried giving him a treat before the drops but he quickly figured out he could grab it and run… so now he has to wait until after the drops for his treat. Fingers crossed Viv feels better soon and continues being agreeable to treatment!

                          I give half a craisin before….and the other half after.    While she’s busy chomping the first half she doesn’t mind me putting a drop in one eye, and then I pet her and she lets me do the other eye, and then looks for the second half of the treat.  She catches on quickly.  Either that, or I am just lucky, and she doesn’t mind the drops.  

                          I think I am seeing some good progress though as her left eye looks less swollen.  And today, she actually squinted a bit in her left eye right before I put the drops in (I have to hold the skin of the top part of her eye open a bit). It was as if she could see the drops coming (like she does with the right eye).   So either, she really has gained some vision back in her left eye, OR the swelling has dropped so much that the the little whiskers around her eyes and her eyelashes were touching the bottle alerting her to something near her eye. I will pay more attention tomorrow to see if that’s what’s happening.    Where before, her eye was pretty swollen and so it was easier to drop liquid in there without getting too close. 

                          I have an appointment later this week and we will find out then whether the drops have helped.  I really do think they have, but I don’t fully trust that it’s not just wishful thinking.  The pressure test will tell for sure. 


                        • MimzMum
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                            Oh Jennifer I’m sorry to hear this about Vivian. Poor bub. (((((((((((((((((((((((((Healing vibes and prayers)))))))))))))))))))))
                            Sounds like you’ve got a good handle on it though. I applaud you being able to get drops in her eyes, I’ve had several ointments and things to put in Mimzy’s over the years and he’s a right bugger, treats or no, when it comes to messing with his face area.
                            I hope things improve for her. Does her setup need to be shifted to make it easier for her to navigate or is she still doing passably?
                            (((((((((((((((((((((Big hugs)))))))))))))))))))))) for you and noserubs for Vivian from me and my crew.


                          • FooFoosMommy2
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                              Poor Viv! Vibes to you guys.

                              The only experience I have with glaucoma was with my grandmother, so I don’t think that will really apply or help you guys at all.


                            • Roberta
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                                Keeping fingers crossed for the tests coming back showing improvement…
                                Vibes for Vivian<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<


                              • BinkyBunny
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                                  Thanks so much for all your positive vibes, crossed fingers and well wishes! Means a lot.

                                  Mimz — so far she navigates around well. I have made sure to keep things in the same place for her when I noticed her vision was deteriorating from just her normal aging cloudy eyes, so she seems pretty confident in where things are and moves about well. However, today she was taking more time assessing the wooden hidey box before she jumped up on it— which then has a ramp on top of that that takes her up to her window lounge box. I was watching her and trying to figure out if it’s because she has lost more vision or if it is because she has gained more vision and is seeing things a bit differently. She also seems to be startled in a different way lately — runs to her hidey box the last couple of days. I don’t know if it’s because she’s regaining some vision and so movements are more startling or if she’s losing vision and it’s scaring her because she can’t see clearly. I am also saw her left eye more in the sunlight today and thought, though it looked less dull and a little less swollen, it wasn’t as “less swollen” as I thought. But at this point…. I’m really just over thinking things a bit. The test is only a few days away, so I just need to relax — she’s eating fine and other than the occasional run and hide scenarios, she seems comfortable and happy and I can be grateful for that.


                                • mocha200
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                                    Poor Vivian!

                                    I did a quick google search about Glaucoma in rabbits and it seems to be very common in New Zealand White rabbits often between 3-6 months of age! Just thought that was interesting.


                                  • Sarita
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                                      More vibes to Vivian – please let us know what the vet says at the recheck.


                                    • peppypoo
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                                        Oh no, I’m sorry to hear this! I don’t have any experience with bunny glaucoma, but I know that for people, as long as the glaucoma is caught and medicated, it’s generally a manageable condition. Vibes!


                                      • MimzMum
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                                          Poor thing! I’m sorry she is having startling episodes. I’m sure the biggest worry is that she doesn’t run headlong into anything solid.
                                          I’ll echo Sarita, please let us know how the recheck goes. I can imagine you are having to really bottle up some worry and it has to be rough. (((((((((((((((((Hugs))))))))))))))))))
                                          All the best Binky vibes for a good report (((((((((((((((((((((((((((Vivian))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))


                                        • BinkyBunny
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                                            Vivian had her pressure test today and it looks like the eye meds are working (Dorzolamide HCL Ophthalmic Solution 2%). Her right eye (which was just reaching the high end of normal) is now on the low end of normal. Her dosage for her right eye is now every other day. But the best news is her left eye went from 32 pressure to 21 pressure so it’s now just a point above normal. YAY! She still can’t see well though out of that eye, (can’t tell if she’s fully blind or not, sometimes it seems like it and sometimes it doesn’t. Today was not an exam, it was just a pressure test and so I wasn’t able to really talk to the vet for too long or to test her sight, but I have another appointment in month that includes an exam. But at least her eye must be more comfortable and I am so grateful that the meds have worked to lessen the pressure. For now, as long as they keep working, I don’t have to try out other meds or worry about eye removal. Just keeping my fingers crossed the meds keep working.


                                          • Deleted User
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                                              BB excellent news, good to know Vivian is feeling better, I can imagine how much better that is making you feel! Also very good to be able to skip the fiddling with and evaluating different meds. Please give her a pet for me!


                                            • tanlover14
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                                                So happy for Miss Viv!

                                                Sending her more vibes that everything keeps going in a positive direction!! Keep us all updated on her visit in a month!


                                              • peppypoo
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                                                  That’s great news!! Happy for you and Vivian .


                                                • Sarita
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                                                    That’s wonderful, continued vibes for Vivian. I’m happy that she is getting some good results.


                                                  • MimzMum
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                                                      Ah this is very good news! I am so happy for you both!
                                                      Continued vibes that her eyes stay normal and that your next appointment goes well.


                                                    • mocha200
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                                                        Yay! I hope she continues on the road to recovery! Keep us updated!


                                                      • LittlePuffyTail
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                                                          Glad to hear it!


                                                        • The M
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                                                            Just happened on this topic, so I thought to share.

                                                             

                                                            My Peter was diagnosed with glaucoma some 1,5 years ago, and has been doing well with the already-mentioned Dorzolamide eyedrops. Currently his eyes look normal, except when he gets excited or afraid. And he can see about as fine as a rabbit his age should, he has no other problems but the swelling of eyes due to pressure. Though the condition is incurable, he is in no pain, acting normally and is such a sport that giving him the drops is no chore. And, furthermore, he turned 11 years old today. Tried to attach a pic, but don’t know how that went through.


                                                          • BinkyBunny
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                                                              Thanks for sharing The M. I was just going to post an update about this as much has happened with Vivian. I am glad to know though that the drops worked well for your bunny. What is the pressure number? I know that pressure can begin to be painful (or so I was told) as it gets close to 30. I love his markings — looks like he has eyebrows…love it!

                                                              This is the update about Viv. Lots has happened over the last couple of months!

                                                              Her meds, (Dorzolamide HCL – the generic for Trusopt), stopped working, (or at least stopped working with only two drops per day). The vet gave me another med to try (Dorzolamide HCI Timolol – the generic for Cosopt) and it didn’t work, The pressure was at 30, and not only that, it seemed her eye was getting infected, so I was then referred to a vet ophthalmologist that is also knowledgeable about rabbits. The lens in her eye also began slipping and it has gone from cloudy to pretty much solid white. I’ll grab a photo of it soon. Anyway, she was also put on pain meds, which actually has made her more active so she may have had arthritis pain at her age that was more subtle.

                                                              The ophthalmologist vet found an ulcer on her eye which was causing the irritation. I never noticed the ulcer but it is very hard to see since the lens of her eye is pretty solid white now. Anyway, the ulcer looked like to be from a wound according to the vet.. She is now fully blind in that eye and I am not sure what to do to protect it from getting poked again! I am much more careful about how hay sticks out of her hay bin though! I was given an antibiotic (ofloxacin ophthalmic) that I placed directly into her eye 2 x day.    Oh, and I was also told that she could have scratched it from her foot as the drops could make it a bit crusty around her eyes and so I make sure to use a damp cloth to wipe off any excess every time I have to put drops in her eyes now. 

                                                              The the vet recommended that I also take her off the Dorzolamide HCI Timolol (Cosopt) as it has some adverse affects on the heart and at her age, it is not recommended. She instead recommended that I go back to the original Dorzalamide HCL(trusopt) and just up it to 3 x a day. I did that for the next two weeks and it did get the pressure down to 24, but the ulcer wasn’t healing. Due to her age (10 yrs old) and how rabbits don’t blink much, she said it could be due to that, so I was given some gel stuff (Optixcare Eye lube/Hyaluron)to put into her eye 3-4 times a day to help keep her eyes moist which promotes healing. 

                                                              However, I had to go out of town for almost two weeks and up her antibiotic to 3 x a week as well. So at that time, she had to have pain meds 2 x a day, glaucoma meds 3 x day, antibiotic 3 x day, and the lube 3-4 x day (and they could NOT be placed in at the same time – had to wait at least 5 minutes apart) AND I have to make sure to use a wet/damp cloth to wipe off any excess after every eye drop so it doesn’t cause irritation or itchiness so she won’t scratch at it!  She’s been a real trooper I must say!!  

                                                              I had to go out of town for 12 days and leave my husband in charge of this. OYE! He couldn’t always do it 3 x day as easily due to his crazy work schedule.

                                                              When I got back home, I just got things back on the recommended schedule until the next vet visit last Wednesday. I told the vet about the only 2 x day when I was gone, and she assured me that after looking at the ulcer that it would have at least showed some progress even with 2 x day, especially if I was giving it 3 x day for the first few days, and the week prior to the visit.  But it still wasn’t healing!  She blames the lack of healing on Viv’s age.

                                                              She performed debridement procedure (removed dead skin from the ulcer), and then put a hydrating contact lens on her eye! Amazing! I never knew they could do that. They said if it pops out, to start the lube then instead. The only problem is I can’t tell if it is in or not. Oye! Anyway, this is quite something and I really hope this ulcer heals this time! Her eye definitely looks better as far as irritation goes though and she keeps it open and seems more comfortable. The next vet visit to see how the ulcer is healing and get another pressure reading for the glaucoma is in a week and half. Keep your fingers, toes and paws crossed that this stubborn ulcer finally heals and that the meds continue to keep her glaucoma at a reasonable level. Good Grief it has been tedious to say the least!


                                                            • hannaroo
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                                                                It sounds like you’re got a great vet! I hope you you see some improvement with her eye soon! (((Vibes)))


                                                              • TBpony414
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                                                                  Happy 11th birthday to Peter! What a sweetie, his markings are adorable.

                                                                  What a roller coaster update on Vivian! Poor girl, she sounds like she’s been through the mill – you too, BB. The contact lens sounds really neat and I hope it helps. I’m interested to see what Vivian’s eye looks like in terms of cloudiness so if you get the chance to post a pic it would be a great learning opportunity. Let us know how the follow-up visit goes next week! Fingers and floppy ears crossed for you both


                                                                • MimzMum
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                                                                    Oh poor Vivian! I am just seeing this update now.
                                                                    All this interesting info on bunny eyes is very pertinent to me right now as Mimzy has just had an ophthalmic appointment and pretty much has a dry eye problem. I will have to ask my vet about this gel you have to keep her eyes moist.
                                                                    I really hope the ulcer heals and nothing more should need doing. 10 years old, man, what a trooper, Vivian!
                                                                    Thinking of you and sending hugs xx


                                                                  • tanlover14
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                                                                      Mimz – I know what you mean! Simba seems to be have some clogging of the tear duct (my vet believes) that is causing his eyes to become irritated slightly. She showed us a technique on massaging the area where his tear ducts are. Hopefully his doesn’t develop into anything but we are keeping an eye on it just in case.

                                                                      How has Viv been doing this week, BB?


                                                                    • mocha200
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                                                                        I don’t know much about glaucoma so excuse me if this is a stupid question, but if Vivian is blind in one eye and it is so infected, why not remove it?


                                                                      • BinkyBunny
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                                                                          Thanks everyone for your support. Vivian has a vet appt this Thursday to see if the ulcer has healed with the contact. It definitely looks much better as far as the redness in the whites of her eye, but it’s hard to tell as the ulcer is white, and her left pupil is white. So only the appointment will tell for sure.

                                                                          Mocha – eye removal is definitely the last resort at her age. (we are only estimating she is 10, but it is possible she is older).  The opthamologist  vet is not recommending this surgery. Even Vivian’s original rabbit-savvy vet said that eye-removal has successfully been done on older rabbits, but risk of life loss has been a bit higher than other surgeries for some reason.  

                                                                          Right now the ulcer was not healing partly due to her age. Her ability to heal and recover is slower, which of course is a concern for eye removal as well. If the ulcer can finally heal, then all I am dealing with is the glaucoma and keeping her comfortable with pressure meds (and as long as I can continue to keep her pressure at 24 or lower, she does well and is comfortable. The ulcer is what is painful at this point and the pain meds definitely make her comfortable. She has gotten somewhat used to the routine now (as she gets a treat afterward). So my main concern is for her to not be in pain and live comfortably. How we move forward though will be determined at the next appointment. It really all depends on if this ulcer is finally healing.


                                                                        • jerseygirl
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                                                                            {{{Vibes}}} for Vivian.

                                                                            That’s quite a medication routine you’re having to do!
                                                                            So do you have to take her in regularly to have the pressure tested?


                                                                          • mocha200
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                                                                              I understand now! Poor girl! Prayers for you and Vivian!


                                                                            • Sarita
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                                                                                Oh no, vibes for Vivian. That is quite a routine you are doing. It’s hard to see our seniors in pain.


                                                                              • tanlover14
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                                                                                  ((Vivian!))


                                                                                • bullrider76543
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                                                                                    I am so sorry, sending {{{{Healing Vibes}}}} for Vivian!!!


                                                                                  • BinkyBunny
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                                                                                      Good News! Vivian’s latest appointment was yesterday, and the contact lens has clearly made a difference. The ulcer has shrunk very much and went from the width of a pencil eraser head to the size of pin head. So the ophthalmologist vet refreshed/hydrated the contact and put it back in her eye. The vet will see her again in two weeks and by then the ulcer should be fully healed if it continues to heal at this rate. I also noticed at this visit, Vivian was much more alert and her more normal feisty-self surfaced. I noticed the difference – She seemed more like her normal feisty self as her pain related feisty is slightly different, but yet I wasn’t fully sure, just felt a difference but couldn’t put my finger on it. So it was good to know that I was right. The vet said ulcers are very painful and at the size it is now she must be feeling much better.

                                                                                      Her pressure was at 24 and the vet said there may be another med to give her but she can’t have it until the ulcer heals, so we’ll see. Right now 24 is still comfortable enough.

                                                                                      Jersey — yes, she will have to have regular pressure checks, but at the next appointment I will ask the vets opinion about how often in Viv’s case. 

                                                                                      EDITED TO ADD:  I realize that older post was a lot to sift through as I has also talked about glaucoma — so I found the post from  that may be the most helpful to you:  

                                                                                      So the last time I posted, her ulcer seemed to be healing with the contact lens. But the problem was that when her eye began to heal and open wider the contact would pop out and then the ulcer would grow! I was beyond frustrated as we would almost get there and bam, it would grow from a pinpoint to a pea size within a few weeks! So I told the optho vet that I wanted to come in weekly instead of every few weeks to try and figure out new plans of what was working or not. This seemed more expensive short-term, but believe me I have been dealing with this since earlier this year! — and decided that if we can try new things and see how they worked (as ulcer will show progress within a week if it works!) rather than waiting for 3 weeks between visits, and having it worsen, and having the expensive visits continue month after month, then maybe we could finally figure out a solution! So by doing it this way, we could try different things short-term and see what worked. Well, that approach seemed to work as we were able to narrow some things down. 

                                                                                      THIS IS WHAT FINALLY WORKED: 

                                                                                      1. A larger animal contact (size 16) was used to help prevent the edges from getting caught on her third lid. That did stay in longer than the other contacts (almost the full week) –The ulcer healed from a pea size to a pinpoint within a week. 

                                                                                      2. Less is more: Choosing to give less meds which meant messing with her eyes less, allowed it to heal. 

                                                                                      More info on this: So after the second week, even the larger contact would not stay in – as her eye got better, she learned how to shove it out with her third lid. The ulcer did not heal any further and we were fearful it would worsen like before. So the doc suggested a less is more approach this go round. Because I had to give so many drops, the vet had me cut the antibiotic down to 2x a day instead of 3x. And the opticare gel was cut down to once a day (from 3-4 times a day) I still had to give her her glaucoma drops 3 x day.( Well by the end of week three, it was healed COMPLETELY!)


                                                                                      3. Don’t rub excess moisture from eyes. Just pressed lightly the moisture from drops. For the hard crusties that build up in the fur from eye drainage, (which she would sometimes scratch or rub at which wouldn’t help healing), I was given “Imed Lid & Lash cleaner” Gel. I applied that and used a flea comb to help loosen the clumps — it was a very gentle cleaner and very helpful! 

                                                                                      When I heard the words — “It’s gone. It’s completely healed”. I didn’t even believe it. I asked “Are you sure, for sure..sure???!” I think I even made the vet doubt herself for second. We both took a second look and she showed me….for SURE! I can’t tell you how relieved and happy I was. I actually did a jump and happy dance in the vets office and made them laugh. They understood — I have been there so much for so long, they knew my voice when I called! I know most of the staffs names now and we’ve shared funny stories and family stories. GEESH, I have spent so many months and so much $$ on this and poor Viv has been dealing with this uncomfortable/painful ulcer for such a long time. I was so glad for both of us, that I couldn’t contain myself from the joy of it being healed! (Both my bunny and my benjimans are much happier!) 
                                                                                        


                                                                                    • Roberta
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                                                                                        Awesome news…. Go Vivian !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


                                                                                      • BinkyBunny
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                                                                                          By the way, here is what I her eye looks like.   Her pupil is almost solid white because her lens has slipped. (her own lens, not the contact lens).  This is common in glaucoma.  The way it has slipped though is not bulging out or causing pain, so it just looks ghostly.  

                                                                                          I drew an arrow to where the ulcer is, but you can’t see it.  I can only see a bit of yellow which is from the iodine that was placed on the ulcer and all around it when she was at the vets.  

                                                                                          The fur is a bit wet as this pic was taken right after the vet visit.    I do make sure though to keep it clean and dry as that keeps her from messing with it. 

                                                                                          Anyway, I can definitely tell she’s feeling better as I watch her coming out to the living room for longer periods.  Right now she’s exploring her tunnel and nibbling on her willow basket.  

                                                                                          Anyway, it really has been a long road to recovery with the ulcer!  Glad it’s finally healing. 


                                                                                        • BinkyBunny
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                                                                                            Thanks Roberta!!


                                                                                          • RabbitPam
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                                                                                              Glad she’s on the right track and recovering from the ulcer. That’s an excellent pix btw.


                                                                                            • MimzMum
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                                                                                                Aww…poor Viv.
                                                                                                Glad to hear she is healing. What an ordeal though! Bunny eyes are so easily injured and I am not certain if they heal as well as other animals eyes do. Mimzy has the beginnings of cataracts in both eyes I think (can’t recall what the ophthalmologist said the other month) but his down eye has less moisture than the top one and so I have to pester him with drops every night. He gets this hard crud sticking in his corners and I have a devil of a time getting it off no matter how wet I make it.
                                                                                                They need a good gentle eyewash for bunnies.
                                                                                                Continued healing vibes to Vivian. xxxx


                                                                                              • The M
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                                                                                                  Great to hear she’s recovering, I wish her all the best. Peter had the mentioned crust too, but that came off easily with a cotton wad and water with boric acid (or just plain water boiled first and left to cool). He never had the pressure test taken, the vet just prescribed him the drops (dorzolamide TEVA), at 20mg/ml rate twice per day. And those really helped, his eyes were nearly normal for the last three weeks.

                                                                                                  Though sadly I have to say that Peter passed away last Saturday. Old age finally got him, Found him just having slept away in his house when I got back from work. He was cremated this monday and received his ashes just this morning.


                                                                                                • jerseygirl
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                                                                                                    My condolences to you. That must be hard after having him about all those years. It sounds as if he went peacefully.

                                                                                                    ** Binky Free Peter Bun**


                                                                                                  • TBpony414
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                                                                                                      The M – Very sorry to hear about Peter’s passing. He sounds like a sweet fellow who had an owner that loved him to the moon and back.

                                                                                                      BB, thanks for taking the pics of Viv’s eye. I’m happy to hear she’s doing better! Does she seem to have any issues with vision in that eye, or has she adjusted OK? Is she hopping sideways or anything like that?


                                                                                                    • The M
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                                                                                                        Thanks for the condolences.

                                                                                                        He really just slept away. Just reclined and went to sleep, eyes closed and all. He had a long and good life, and now he’s with his mate who passed some two years before.

                                                                                                        But, the point still is that the eyedrops did help him a lot. I know glaucoma is incurable, but at the end, Peter’s eyes were as if he had never been afflicted. Just wanted to share that with all others who have rabbits with the same diagnosis.


                                                                                                      • BinkyBunny
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                                                                                                          So I haven;t updated in a long while and wow, there have been some major ups and downs since July for Vivian. The Ophthalmologist vet was doing all they could to heal this stubborn ulcer. The good news is as of about 3 weeks ago, Vivian’s ulcer is FINALLY healed! Ulcers in rabbits can be very stubborn (as I discovered!!) due to the fact rabbits do not blink regularly. — and Viv is also a senior and that can hinder the speed of healing.

                                                                                                          So the last time I posted, her ulcer seemed to be healing with the contact lens. But the problem was that when her eye began to heal and open wider the contact would pop out and then the ulcer would grow! I was beyond frustrated as we would almost get there and bam, it would grow from a pinpoint to a pea size within a few weeks! So I told the optho vet that I wanted to come in weekly instead of every few weeks to try and figure out new plans of what was working or not. This seemed more expensive short-term, but believe me I have been dealing with this since earlier this year! — and decided that if we can try new things and see how they worked (as ulcer will show progress within a week if it works!) rather than waiting for 3 weeks between visits, and having it worsen, and having the expensive visits continue month after month, then maybe we could finally figure out a solution! So by doing it this way, we could try different things short-term and see what worked. Well, that approach seemed to work as we were able to narrow some things down.

                                                                                                          THIS IS WHAT FINALLY WORKED:

                                                                                                          1. A larger animal contact (size 16) was used to help prevent the edges from getting caught on her third lid. That did stay in longer than the other contacts (almost the full week) –The ulcer healed from a pea size to a pinpoint within a week.

                                                                                                          2. Less is more: Choosing to give less meds which meant messing with her eyes less, allowed it to heal.

                                                                                                          More info on this: So after the second week, even the larger contact would not stay in – as her eye got better, she learned how to shove it out with her third lid. The ulcer did not heal any further and we were fearful it would worsen like before. So the doc suggested a less is more approach this go round. Because I had to give so many drops, the vet had me cut the antibiotic down to 2x a day instead of 3x. And the opticare gel was cut down to once a day (from 3-4 times a day) I still had to give her her glaucoma drops 3 x day.( Well by the end of week three, it was healed COMPLETELY!)

                                                                                                          3. Don’t rub excess moisture from eyes. Just pressed lightly the moisture from drops. For the hard crusties that build up in the fur from eye drainage, (which she would sometimes scratch or rub at which wouldn’t help healing), I was given “Imed Lid & Lash cleaner” Gel. I applied that and used a flea comb to help loosen the clumps — it was a very gentle cleaner and very helpful!

                                                                                                          When I heard the words — “It’s gone. It’s completely healed”. I didn’t even believe it. I asked “Are you sure, for sure..sure???!” I think I even made the vet doubt herself for second. We both took a second look and she showed me….for SURE! I can’t tell you how relieved and happy I was. I actually did a jump and happy dance in the vets office and made them laugh. They understood — I have been there so much for so long, they knew my voice when I called! I know most of the staffs names now and we’ve shared funny stories and family stories. GEESH, I have spent so many months and so much $$ on this and poor Viv has been dealing with this uncomfortable/painful ulcer for such a long time. I was so glad for both of us, that I couldn’t contain myself from the joy of it being healed! (Both my bunny and my benjimans are much happier!)

                                                                                                          By the way, she of course still has glaucoma. The meds keep the pressure lowered at 19-24.  It’s not great but she doesn’t show any discomfort from that. If it gets over 30 is when I really have to watch it. 


                                                                                                        • Sarita
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                                                                                                            Wow, thanks for the information – so interesting and most of all glad Vivian is all healed and back to her sassy self.


                                                                                                          • MimzMum
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                                                                                                              This is epic news BB! Doing the happy dance right there with ya’!
                                                                                                              I like the sound of that eyewash. Mimzy seems to have some kind of allergy that keeps his downward eye pretty messy. It went away for awhile due to a baytril round but now it’s back. Is that a prescription wash? I’d like to find something more effective than saline.

                                                                                                              So glad Viv is better. Please give her a snuggle from me.


                                                                                                            • LittlePuffyTail
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                                                                                                                I’m so happy for you both! What a relief that must be after dealing with the frustration for so many months!!!!! So glad you finally found something that worked.


                                                                                                              • Monkeybun
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                                                                                                                  Yay!! GLad it’s finally gone, what a battle!


                                                                                                                • BB Administrator
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                                                                                                                    Posted By MimzMum on 11/03/2013 03:03 PM

                                                                                                                    This is epic news BB! Doing the happy dance right there with ya’!
                                                                                                                    I like the sound of that eyewash. Mimzy seems to have some kind of allergy that keeps his downward eye pretty messy. It went away for awhile due to a baytril round but now it’s back. Is that a prescription wash? I’d like to find something more effective than saline.

                                                                                                                    So glad Viv is better. Please give her a snuggle from me.

                                                                                                                    Sorry — this is BB in Admin mode – forgot to sign out and resign in.   

                                                                                                                    I am not sure if Imed Lash & Lid Cleaner can only be obtained by prescription. The vet’s office sold it to me.  I haven’t seen it though in pet stores.  So it might be something that you can only obtain at a vets office (not necessarily by prescription).     Just note — it’s to help loosen the fur around the eyes and the harder clumps that can develop with eye issues.  It doesn’t go directly in the eye. It comes in a gel formula or as wipes.  

                                                                                                                    Thanks everyone for following this saga to the end with us and for your well-wishes and congrats! 

                                                                                                                    Helloworld!!


                                                                                                                  • LBJ10
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                                                                                                                      This is wonderful! So glad this was a happy ending! =)


                                                                                                                    • BinkyBunny
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                                                                                                                        OH and Mimzmum — were you referring to the Opticare gel??? (not the Imed Lash and Lid cleaner?) The opticare gel does go in the eye, and yes, it can help protect it from debris.


                                                                                                                      • MimzMum
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                                                                                                                          Hi BB! Yeah, I’m looking for something to help clean the fur around the eye and also something to protect the eyeball itself. Mimzy has both issues. I just can’t get the fur unstickied, it drives us both crazy. He’s currently using Genteel blue label drops to keep his down eye moist but they seem to be losing effectiveness. I’ll ask my vet about both of these when I see her next, thank you.


                                                                                                                        • Gailigator
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                                                                                                                            Thank you for your posts and I hope Vivian is doing well. Charlie my 2-year old Netherland dwarf, aka Charles Barkley, Charlie bear, Chuck Norris, just received the same diagnosis of congenital glaucoma . One eye is blind and about 50-65% of vision left in the other. His eyes look almost normal, and his IOP is in normal range but I just knew he wasn’t himself and pressed the vets until they figured out what was wrong. After learning about this disease, I am so torn up about the (what I understood to be) inevitable day I’d have to have his eyes removed. As sad as it is to know that Charlie is nearly blind, it is amazing how well he gets around. He is such a happy but stubborn bunny I think if the drops (same as you were prescribed) work, I think he will still live a very happy life. I am curious to know how Vivian is doing now?


                                                                                                                          • BB Administrator
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                                                                                                                              Galligator – This is BB (in admin mode–I’m in the middle of doing some admin work). I will be locking this post though as she has now passed (unrelated to her eyes). However, I am so glad that this post was helpful to you (and I hope it has been to others) . Vivian actually went fully blind eventually, but she handled it so well. It was a struggle at first, but she quickly learned to get around. I kept everything in the same place and that was a big help with her confidence and comfort level.

                                                                                                                              Please start a new thread so so that you can get additional advice and support that is just for you. Otherwise, people may comment about things related to earlier in this thread.

                                                                                                                              Helloworld!!

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                                                                                                                          Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Vivian has glaucoma & ulcer (old post)