bunny cataract?

[sir-rabbit-pants]

A couple weeks ago, I posted about some strange behavior by Thumper (https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aft/136239/Default.aspx)….maybe this explains it….

The last couple days, I kept noticing one of his eyes looks different but I thought it was just the light reflecting.  Tonight, I managed to take a good look at him with a shield between that eye and the light and it turns out it is not a reflection.  It looks like a greenish orb in the middle of his eye…a cataract?  

Have people had experiences with anything like this?  Is there some other explanation?  If it’s a cataract, will he need surgery?  Or are rabbits pretty good at learning to live with limited eyesight?

[Tessie]

It could be that he’s just poked himself in the eye, though, so give it a few days to see if it goes away first.

If it’s a cataract, your vet will obviously advise on what’s best to do. I’m not sure if surgery is standard or not.

[tobyluv]

I have had elderly rabbits with cataracts. I don’t remember a green orb in the middle. With my rabbits, it was a white film covering the eye. Rabbits do cope well with limited or no sight. You should keep their things and your own furniture and things in the same place, so that they can map out their pathways.

[LBJ10]

Could be an ulcer or other injury. A vet can put dye in it to examine it more closely and see what it is.

[Megabunny]

Yup. I thought the same as LBJ…and if it’s an eye infection, the longer it goes untreated, the harder it is to cure, plus there may always be the scar on the eye anyway

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I would see a vet asap. It could be a scratch -I’ve had two with scratches and it was super cheap and easy to treat. I have one rabbit with very small cataracts now and they are much less visible than that-but the injured eyes looked more like that. So go to the vet and find out what your dealing with-it can be very easy to treat.

If it’s a cataract, I wouldn’t do surgery-unless it was like on a super young bunny maybe-but I’ve had a fully blind bunny before and he was a happy little trooper. Cataracts/blindness aren’t a big deal.

But make sure you know what you are dealing with first.

Let us know when you know!

[sir-rabbit-pants]

Hi all! We went to the vet today. Thumper has a mature cataract in the left eye and another cataract developing in the right eye. We’re not going to do surgery. He’s been adjusting pretty well to his sight loss so far. The vet said this has been progressing for some time and I’ve barely noticed until last week. She did suggest that there’s a chance he and his girlfriend may experience some relationship problems as a result, but others online have suggested that a rabbit partner may act as a “seeing-eye rabbit.”

I’m interested to hear any advice from other folks caring for blind (or near blind) rabbits. Thanks!

[LBJ10]

Oh no, so sorry to hear that this wasn’t something easily treated. I don’t have experience with blind bunnies, but my Leopold is deaf. His buddy, Wooly, picked up on it rather quickly and he now helps Leopold out. I think I said this somewhere else before, but if there is something of interest (like treats) Wooly will alert Leopold by running up to him and touching noses. Then he runs toward the thing of interest and Leopold follows.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Well that’s good news and bad news I guess! Nothing painful but nothing to do about it.

I had a blind bunny, and had two experiences bonding. My bonded pair were not super interested in him, so that was a no go. But I luckily found a nice gentle senior and they got on from the first time they met, and he did act as a seeing eye bunny. Though Chuck never had issues getting around, he was much more active with his friend. Since your two are already bonded, you may have no trouble at all. Also this seems to be coming on slowly so I’m sure they’ll adjust. You’ll want to watch to make sure the other one isn’t bullying him, and that they are eating together and grooming (signs of happy bonded pair).

You’ll want to ensure he has no access to stairs, drops or other dangers, or hot things-like floor heaters.

Also I saw these scented dots in a pet store-you might find them online. They are specifically for blind dogs, but rabbits have a good sense of smell too. Or you could get creative. Anyways they idea is all the dots smell different and you stick them on different areas and that helps the blind animal navigate. I didn’t find these until after Chuck had passed but I think they may be useful if you could find them.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

So a quick google search –

https://www.innovetpet.com/ap9_tracerz_blind_pets.php

[Megabunny]

LBJ My heart just melted!!

[sir-rabbit-pants]

Thanks friends! I will definitely look into those Tracerz. I’m also working on putting more rugs around his frequent paths. I’ve noticed he’s much more skittish about the floors since his vision started declining (now that I know that’s what’s been going on).

Flower has been a good partner to Thumper for a few years now. The rescue said she had been a bit of a bully to other rabbits but we tried a date and she fell for him instantly. She crashes around the apartment but is generally pretty gentle with Thumper. (They’re quite the pair – Thumper the curmudgeon and Flower the precocious bundle of energy.) We’ll see how things go.

[LBJ10]

Mega – Yeah, they are so sweet together.

sir-rabbit-pants – I would give them a chance, I’m sure they will surprise you.

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