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› Forum › HOUSE RABBIT Q & A › Edson’s eye is wet! Need Advice!
I have not been on the site in so long but need to consult the experts here! Edson developed wet fur around his right eye a couple weeks ago. We have been to the vet 2 times now. First time, they prescribed eye ointment – didn’t work. They did a thorough exam, teeth were perfect, ears, nose etc all fine. Second time they flushed his tear duct – didn’t work, he still has tearing. He is absolutely fine other than this wet eye. He is happy, eating well etc. It is just clear, no mucus or anything like that. I now have another call into the vet. What could this be? I, of course, am researching the web like crazy and seeing all these horrible possibilities. Should we try another antibiotic?
Secondly, we are getting a kitten in 3 weeks and I am now worried that Edson could pass something on to the kitten. I have no idea how to keep them apart. That’s a separate topic I will address in another thread. Can rabbits pass things to cats though?
No expert. but I do know from regular topics here that very often it’s to do with tooth roots. You would need X-ray to investigate this.
Another thing to have checked is his eye pressure. Glaucoma is apparently common in rabbits and can affect just one eye or both.
I hope your vets able to get closer to an answer for you.
Ditto, Jersey. X-rays are needed, unfortunately, to rule out any tooth root problems. This a common cause of runny eyes.
My Bindi is currently dealing with runny eyes. My vet did head X-rays and saw that he has some sinusitis and bone thickening in his nasal cavity and that is what she figures is causing the runny eyes. He’s on antibiotics.
Yep, tooth roots could be the culprit and you do need a head x-ray to see this.
Drats – does that mean he needs to put out to do x-rays? I feel so sorry for this guy. Back to the vet for 3rd time today…
They may sedate him because it’s easier to get x-rays that way.
So, if it is a tooth roots issue what is the treatment? The vet wanted to do a second tear duct flush today. This kinda concerns me as I don’t think it’s a blocked tear duct. Wouldn’t the first flush have worked if that was the issue?
This is a good article that should help answer your question:
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/sneezing.html
Excellent information! Now the key is to find the exact problem, looking into the tooth roots first. Sounds like another tear duct flush will not do squat if it’s a tooth issue. Thanks.
Hey JK! (waves) I’m sorry you’re not back under happier circumstances but I have been wondering how you and Edson have been doing. (((((Hugs))))))
Hope this turns out to be something easily sorted. He didn’t get a little piece of hay in his eye or anything, did he? Mimzy has had head tilt since last year and his eyes pick up all sorts of grody stuff now (mostly because they’ve dried out a lot, but we just use tears to help him) due to how his head still leans to his left.
I don’t think rabbits and cats can pass anything to one another, but don’t quote me. That’s a question for your vet.
(((((((((((((((((Sending prayers and healing vibes)))))))))))))))))) for Edson. How old is he now?
Hope to see you post here more often.
Hi MimzMum! Head tilt? I am so sorry. So…went to the vet for the 3rd time yesterday. She really really really thinks this is conjunctivitis as now the other eye is inflamed. She did that eye dye thing and thoroughly checked teeth and did a very thorough exam. No eyelash or anything stuck in his eye. No scratches, eyes look great except for the redness. His teeth are perfect. Yes I know it COULD be a root issue but she feels that if it was that there would be some other symptom. So I had to get a human medicine -Ciprofloxacin. I hope to god this works because I don’t want to put Edson thru another vet visit. I get I have skated thru the last few years with no issues so I should be somewhat happy. I guess he must be 6 or 7 by now. So how the heck do you get conjunctivitis? His room and litter box are cleaned everyday. I am a clean freak so I just don’t get it. Perhaps the dogs passed something? They have no symptoms of this. Who knows. I wish Edson could talk!
Just because there is nothing there now does not mean something was not there previously intially causing the problem before being nudged out by tears. Some dust, hay particles, hair or even a little stray wee or poop. Thing is you now know what it is and have commenced treatment. Conjunctivitus, I think it’s also referred to as Pink Eye, is a pretty common infection…
If it is conjunctivitis then that ought to be sorted out easily enough. If this antibiotic doesn’t work, one with chloramphenicol in it might. You can use the human version of these drops.
This is probably one thing that could be spread to the kitten *if* it’s bacterial conjunctivitis. So best not to let them interact until its cleared up, i’d say.
Could anything in the environment be irritating his eyes perhaps? New cleaning product? Air fresheners? A formula change in his litter??
Kitten doesn’t come for 3 weeks so this should be cleared up…hopefully. See that’s the thing there is not one change in his environment. Could my dog, who does these drive by licks, have given Edson something? Who knows. Thanks – I’ll write that eye drop down.
OK this eye thing is getting frustrating. Edson has been on Cipro since Tuesday and no improvement as his eye is still is wet. Shouldn’t I see an improvement in 5 days if his diagnosis was correct – conjunctivitis? Should I try a different eye drop? Jerseygirl mentioned Chloramphenical.Is this prescription only? I also read Terramycin is recommended. I really can’t keep going to the vet. Been there 3 times now. Driving me crazy as I want this cleared up!
You may have to continue with this one a bit longer before seeing changes. Have you tried a warm compress on the eye or massaging below it? Many rabbits love this and it can give some relief. May move any blockages if there is one.
Re chloramphenicol drops, it’s not prescription where I live but I wouldn’t know for you sorry.
I do really have to wonder if its bacterial at all.
How about just ringing the vet and asking what else you might be looking at if antibiotics are not clearing it up? Another trip in might be unavoidable unfortunately : ( but if me, I dont think id be happy being sent home with another med without further investigation.
Yeah you are right. Patience is not my virtue. The vet did a tear duct flush and there was no blockage. I am thinking it is something else entirely but what. Yes I will be calling tomorrow before dragging Edson in again. I suppose though certain antibiotics may not work and others would. I read somewhere it’s sometime tricky to get the right one. Thanks…
Yes, keep up with the cipro – 5 days may not be enough…be patient :~)
I take it your vet looked over the eye for injuries in the initial visit?
I think it was MonkeyBun that had a dye test done on Monkey one time. It showed up an injury on the eye.
Yes, the vet did a really thorough eye exam and did the dye test twice, checked for scratches, eyelashes, everything – all clear. Teeth are perfect. No sneezing, runny nose or anything. This is a mystery but I will give the drops a full 7 days and call the vet tomorrow.
Hey JK, I’m just getting back to the forum today…any update on Edson?
Well not really. The vet said to keep him on the Cipro another week and also give him Baytril for 10 days in case it is some upper respiratory thing. This is such a drag. Still absolutely no improvement. I’ll report back in another week as to his condition. Whatever this is is very stubborn!
I’m sorry to hear that JK. Perhaps Edson will need more than one antibiotic to clear this up.
I don’t put much stock in cipro as a general rule, I know it’s supposed to be a good medicine for infection but anytime I’ve used it, either on myself or my animals, I get a lackluster result. I now cannot take it because I’m allergic.
((((((((((((((((((((((More vibes for Edson)))))))))))))))))))))) xx
Also offering some more (((((Vibes for Edson)))))
Bunny infections are notoriously stubborn so you have to be patient.
This Cipro does not seem to be working at all. I have another prescription and really don’t want to fill it thinking there might be a better one. I hear Baytril takes awhile to work too – he’s been on that for 6 days. Boy he loves that stuff! It’s like crack for him! Is this true that Baytril takes awhile. I hate that he’s on anything.
Baytril is a pretty basic antibiotic and since it’s so mild it usually will take a long time to clear things up. There are some instances where it doesn’t work, (really stubborn or deep level infections) but most of the time I’ve had Mimzy on it, he needs at least a month’s worth and then it works fine. If Edson will take it though that’s half the battle.
Is he having any elimination difficulties? Usually with oral antibiotics you see some dysbiosis (mushy cecals) which go away after the course is finished, or you can use probiotics to help bunny’s tummy handle it better.
Agreed with Mimzmum. Baytril can take a while to work. Bindi needed two rounds of 14 day treatment to help his runny eyes.
OK good to know from you guys. We are about out of the Baytril. It’s been 9 days. No improvement. No, he has no pooping problems at all. He’s getting 3cc’s twice a day and he’s 4.2 lbs. Does that sound right? I guess I’ll need more! Kitten comes next week and this isn’t cleared up which really concerns me. Great idea on the probiotics. Any particular kind you can recommend? Thanks for all the info.
I think that dosage sounds about right. I use Benebac which you can get from the vet – it’s pretty readily available and most vets do carry it.
I really feel it could be that tooth root issue. I had that in my first rabbit and nothing worked to clear the eye up. I have to doubt that it is a URI at this point too.
I don’t know other than to suggest a head x-ray to see if that is the cause. Seems like you’ve done everything but that at this point….
I know that’s my worry. The vet thoroughly checked his teeth. Is this something you cannot feel or see without an X-ray? So, if it is a tooth issue then what happens?
You would only be able to see that on an head x-ray – not much can be done really medically unless you remove the offending teeth that are causing the problem but there is no guarantee that would work either. So basically it would just be a matter of wiping tears from his eyes to try and keep the eye area dry.
Wouldn’t this be painful? I am not seeing anything that would indicate his teeth are bothering him. Does this lead to infection? Would he have to be on some drug the rest of his life? Ugh. This sounds awful.
I imagine it’s uncomfortable due to the continuing drainage problem – my rabbit who had this problem always had a wet eye and I had a hard time (well impossible) time keeping it dry and eventually the fur just wouldn’t grow around his eye area. I am sure it can lead to infection. My rabbit was not on any medication but he did have continuous molar spur problems…I can only guess this was related to the root problem.
I don’t think that you would see something indicating tooth problems though since it’s not actually the tooth.
UPDATE – So we have run out of Baytril. Called the vet and she decided to continue the Baytril for another week. I go to pick it up and they are out of it. Really? Not getting it in until the middle of next week. Great. They also conferred with a very respected rabbit vet as I really don’t think they know what the heck this is. She said it could be “dry eye” even though the symptoms are the opposite of that. They want to do a test to see if he is producing tears. This is crazy. I brought up the possibility of the tooth root issue and they want to do the dry eye test first. I am really distressed over this. There are no other vets to go to. I really like them but I am getting very frustrated that nothing is working. Anyone have experience with “dry eye”????
Even though I have pretty much -no- experience with rabbits, I DO have a LOT of experience with conjunctivitis, as I went through nearly 2 years of having it myself about every 3 or 4 months. There are 2 types, bacterial (which will clear up with antibiotics) and viral (which antibiotics don’t do anything at all with it). The first time, I toughed it out on my own, because I’m stubborn like that and hate going to the doctor. It did finally go away, after about 2 months. It came right back about 6 months later, which ended up making me go to the doctor. He gave me antibiotics and told me if they didn’t work, it would indicate that it most likely would be viral, in which there is nothing to do but wait it out. He said if it did not clear up in 8 weeks, he would do a betadine scrub on it (EEEK!). Approximately 7 weeks later, it was gone.
I did have it a few more times that year, with it going away within 8 weeks again. I’m pretty sure my problem was I had a tendency to put my hands in my eyes absentmindedly and my immune system at that time was less than ideal. I have been more careful about messing with my eyes and haven’t had it for over 18 months now.
As a side note, when It was really inflamed it drove me nuts and became quite painful when I messed with it, which was often. If it is conjunctivitis, I imagine the intense bunny grooming would aggravate it.
I hope they can figure out what it is and he gets better soon!
Mmmmm interesting. It does sound like it is viral. The eye drops aren’t even working and he’s been on that for 3 weeks. I really don’t think it’s conjunctivitis or snuffles but I know nothing. I sort of feel like doing nothing. Even if it’s a tooth root issue there’s really nothing to do there either. I will not pull any teeth that’s for sure. He is a totally happy bunny and no obvious signs of pain. He is doing something weird now though – nibbling our toes!!! Anyone that walks by him! What the heck does that mean!? I read that Baytril can cause hallucinations. Maybe he thinks our toes are hay…
Sending some more ((((Healing Vibes)))) for your bunny. That is very frustrating that your vet ran out of Baytril.
If it is a tooth root issue it will eventually need to be addressed because it will cause more problems than just runny eye.
Mimzy has dry eye on his down eye, JK. It is a simple test, they put a little spray in his eye so that they can put a strip of paper on it to test the moisture content and the strip gives off a number. Simple really, not a big deal at all.
Like as not he will be prescribed a gentle eye drop to keep his eyeball moist. I am sad to hear the Baytril will be delayed, because that will give the infection, if there is one, opportunity to come back and you don’t want it to be resistant to the Baytril this time. :-/ He may just have to be on it longer, so I hope they prescribed plenty.
As far as the toe nibbling…hm…sounds like he is a bit grumpy at the constant medicating and trips to the vet, (Mimzy definitely lets me know when he’s had enough car trips with a few nips here and there) but we want Edson well so he will just have to take his frustrations out on your digits for a bit. I don’t think it’s related to the meds. Just cranky bunny.
Hoping this gets cleared up soon. Thinking of you and sending vibes. (((((((((((((((Edson and JK))))))))))))))
Sorry…almost forgot…Mimzy just had a dental trip and while there we got an antibiotic ointment for his eye called gentamycin. It’s tricky to administer and a bit pricey, but that may also be an option, it seems to be helping Mimzy’s eye.
MimzMum – Was the symptom of dry eye wet fur under the eye? It’s so weird. I’ll write down that eye ointment too. Yeah it will be like starting over with the Baytril. This is ridiculous. How could a vet not stock it! Do you think he should continue on it? Hate this…but thanks for all the info!
As long as it works for Edson the vet will probably have you continue the baytril. I just hope he won’t need another covering antibiotic to back it up. :-/
We’re not sure what caused Mimzy’s eye to begin tearing up worse but I’m guessing it being dry didn’t help with whatever he’s got now… the stuff that comes out leaves a hard gooey deposit in his eye fur and his lids were reddened, so doctor decided we needed to use the gentamycin. We had a Neosporin type ointment that we were using before, but it just wasn’t handling it. She doesn’t like using steroidal drops of ointments because they are not good for most bunnies.
Will Edson let you wipe his eye area with some warm water to help keep it clear?
Well I don’t think Baytril is working, at least after 7 days it wasn’t. Yes he’s very good about letting me wipe his eye. There’s never been any goo just wet fur but the fur it slightly hardened now. I guess that must be the salt from his eye. Wow do we even have salt in our eyes??? I need to attack that and try and get that out..
Another update – Finally got the Baytril – 2 weeks worth this time and a probiotic, Benebac. The vet said to give the Benebac every 3 days. That’s weird, isn’t it? Why not every day? If none of this works, then the poor guy will get his tooth roots checked out by the premier vet here. My vet does not do dental. Ugh.
I usually do Benebac daily if I do it with meds – is it in a tube? I don’t think (but I don’t remember) how many days dosage it is…maybe 14 days – I don’t see why you cannot give it daily….
Yes and I have no idea either. I guess ANOTHER call to the vet!
I think the benebac depends on the amount per dosage, smaller amounts can be given daily but larger amounts can go a day or two.
Edson may not have been on the baytril long enough to affect a change. Sometimes they need a month’s worth, but let’s see how he does after the two weeks. If it looks like about day 12 there is no difference, maybe call and ask if something else might help better or if he needs to go longer on it.
That sticky, hardened stuff…yup…exactly what Mimzy has. I actually wish we could’ve gotten him an oral antibiotic because I think the infection may be a bit deeper than just the eye surface, but so far the gentamycin is doing a good job. It’s just such a pain getting it in there, he jerked away and I got it poked in his eye today.
I think in the lid corner is the place to aim for from now on.
((((((((((((More vibes)))))))))) for the handsome Edson. xx
MimzMum – thanks for all the info. I really appreciate it. Seems like I never ask the right questions when I am talking to the vet! You are right, the dosage for the Benebac is 1 gram every 3 days. The vet said that’s a larger dose so that’s why it needs to be spaced out. So now I forgot to ask – should I give the antibiotics at the same time as the probiotic or give the next day or after the antibiotics are done? What is your experience? I just can’t call the vet AGAIN
Oh I poked Edson the first time too. I also missed his eye completely the first few times too.. Gotta put my reading glasses on!
It really doesn’t matter. I usually do give it all at once because it’s just easier to do and less stressful all around.
OK I just didn’t know if one counteracts the other…
Don’t know – none of my vets have ever commented on this other than to give as directed. But that is what I’ve always done and had no problems.
My vet always has me give the benebac opposite in time to the antibiotics. Like if you have to dose in the morning and evening with baytril, give the benebac about 5 pm. I find it works pretty well that way.
Doesn’t it just make you want to scream when they don’t stay still for that eyedrop? 0_0 I need an extra pair of hands!
That really makes perfect sense MM – I usually just do it all at once because of time restraints in the past.
JK – I did actually look at the Benebac dosage recommendations on the package and the vet is doing what is recommended on the package for dosage.
Oh good. I’m not 100% confident in my vet I hate to say. She left off the dosage comnpletely and I had to call for the millionth time. Thanks.
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