FORUM

What are we about?  Please read about our Forum Culture and check out the Rules

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately!  Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES 

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

FORUM HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Eye oozing a little bit

Viewing 15 reply threads
  • Author
    Messages

    • LBJ10
      Moderator
      17230 posts Send Private Message

        Hi everyone! This is my first post and I have a question about my new bunny. We just brought him home a few days ago and I noticed that one of his eyes has some ooze coming out of it. Not a lot, just enough for there the be a little “booger” in the corner of his eye and a skinny wet streak on his fur right below it. He has long hair and he is only about 8 or 9 weeks old. We have another rabbit, but he is in a separate room. We were going to wait a little while before attempting to introduce them anyway (since our new addition is so tiny). Is this something that could be contagious? Or did his eye just get irritated from something. We have never had a long hair rabbit before, so we didn’t know what to expect.


      • MissKris&Koji
        Participant
        279 posts Send Private Message

          Eye discharge can be due to a lot. Sometimes from teeth problems, allergies or irritation, problem with the tear duct, or infection. You should take the rabbit to see a vet – aside from this problem people recommend that you take all new rabbits to the vet for a physical checkup. I just found out why that can be so important – my rabbit seemed 100% fine but I took him in anyways a few weeks after getting him and it turns out he had ear mites. So even if the rabbit seems okay, and especially with a symptom like this, you should take the rabbit to the vet.

          I’m assuming you have a vet since you have another rabbit, but if not, usually you can go to rabbit.org and find your local chapter of the House Rabbit Society and they will have a vet referral list to help you find a vet that has experience treating rabbits.

          http://en.allexperts.com/q/Rabbits-703/eye-health-1.htm
          This article is also by a well regarded rabbit expert and seems to be similar circumstances. Perhaps it will give you some insights.


        • jerseygirl
          Moderator
          22356 posts Send Private Message

            Many rabbits enjoy having the eye groomed so you might be able to clean it with a slightly warm wash cloth or a cotton ball and saline. Be sure to wash your hands well before touching your other rabbit incase it’s anything contagious like conjunctivitis. But as suggested, a wellness check is always a good idea for a new rabbit.

            Another thing to note with longer haired bunnies it they can get bedding trapped in their fur more easily. They could then irritate their own eyes when grooming. So take care in the choice of litters and/or bedding. No sawdust or anything too fine.  Generally, they require more brushing to keep the fur under control, reduce the amount ingested and to help against fur irritating the eyes and nose.


          • Beka27
            Participant
            16016 posts Send Private Message

              All rabbits will get the “crusties” in their eyes from time to time, but usually they can keep it cleaned themselves. If not, like Jersey said, a slightly damp cloth can be used to clear away any discharge. If you notice it returning tho, I would definitely suggest a vet check-up, and like MissKris said, this is a good idea anyways for any new bunny. New bunnies are sometimes at risk for coccidia and other parasites depending on what kind of conditions they were kept in, so a fecal check and baseline exam is important.


            • LBJ10
              Moderator
              17230 posts Send Private Message

                It looks better today. He doesn’t mind me messing with it so I tried cleaning the fur a little bit with a damp cloth. It sort of looks like the typical eye goo that you will see in the corner of the eye except the fur right around the rim of his eye is “spiky”, presumably from being wet. Otherwise his eye looks clear. I just wasn’t sure if this was something to expect from a long haired breed or not. I could see how an eye could get irritated from fur or debris that is stuck to the fur. His other eye looks fine and the fur looks nice and pretty on that side. We take our other rabbit to the only small animal vet in town. All the others just do dogs/cats. We were planning on taking him anyway to talk about getting him neutered, but I guess he’ll just have to go a little sooner than we had thought. Like I said, we just brought him home a couple of days ago. I know that a new rabbit could potentially have something contagious, so obviously we are keeping him in a different room from our other rabbit.


              • Kokaneeandkahlua
                Participant
                12067 posts Send Private Message

                  Great news! Just keep a close eye on it, because eye problems can be signs of bigger things, and often it’s baby rabbits who get it from momma.


                • BinkyBunny
                  Moderator
                  8776 posts Send Private Message

                    The eye crusties are normal but the wet streaks down the fur are not. So, I too recommend getting him into a vet. Sounds like that is your plan, so keep us updated!

                    Oh, and congrats on your new bunny and WELCOME to BB!


                  • LBJ10
                    Moderator
                    17230 posts Send Private Message

                      Okay, so the vet couldn’t find anything wrong. She thinks that maybe he just got something in his eye and that was what caused the tears. And since he has long hair, she said his eye boogers would be a little more noticeable (as they tend to get stuck in the fur). She said to just pick them out whenever I see them. We talked about neutering him but she said he was too small (size wise), so we’re going to wait. From what we can tell, he’s only a couple months old anyway.

                      Do you think it will be difficult to introduce him to our other rabbit if he’s not neutered yet? Our other rabbit is also a boy, but he’s been fixed.


                    • Deleted User
                      Participant
                      22064 posts Send Private Message

                        Don’t introduce any rabbits who are still intact. Both have to be neutered to be able to start bonding with each other.


                      • Sarita
                        Participant
                        18851 posts Send Private Message

                          Like Petzy said, never ever introduce rabbits until both have been altered and healed.


                        • LBJ10
                          Moderator
                          17230 posts Send Private Message

                            Hmm… what to do with him then. He doesn’t really have anywhere to get out and play at the moment. We put him down on the living room floor last night and he was slipping and sliding everywhere. The other rabbit has his own room, complete with slip proof floor.


                          • BinkyBunny
                            Moderator
                            8776 posts Send Private Message

                              For his playtime out on the living room floor, can you put a blanket down? That should help him stay more stable and it’s easy enough to fold up and put away or throw in the wash if he pees on it.


                            • LBJ10
                              Moderator
                              17230 posts Send Private Message

                                Yeah, we will have to figure something out. Maybe set up a little playpen? His living situation (i.e. cage in living room) was meant to be temporary, but it looks like “temporary” will be longer than I had hoped. Serves me right for “rescuing” a rabbit without thinking things through. He is REALLY tiny though, so I can understand the vet’s hesitation.


                              • BinkyBunny
                                Moderator
                                8776 posts Send Private Message

                                  Many vets also want to wait until the testicles drop (which is usually around 3 months)


                                • LBJ10
                                  Moderator
                                  17230 posts Send Private Message

                                    Yes, he’s about there when comes to that. But he’s just so tiny, we had to crack out the gram scale to weigh him. I knew we couldn’t do it right this minute, but it is more of waiting for him to get bigger rather than waiting for things to drop. Hehe!


                                  • BinkyBunny
                                    Moderator
                                    8776 posts Send Private Message

                                      Oh, I gotcha — if he’s that tiny I do understand that vets will wait until more weight is put on.

                                  Viewing 15 reply threads
                                  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.

                                  FORUM HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Eye oozing a little bit