Eye gunk – concern?

[Salem Fluffle]

My 9.5 yr old Mini Rex, Rascal, has been sneezing on and off for a couple of months. Sometimes there are boogers that I can wipe from his nose though they are clear and do not affect his breathing. He’s been to a rabbit savvy vet twice since this started and she’s not worried about it since he doesn’t have signs of a URI (plus a good dental exam and full blood work). Tonight my husband noticed Rascal had eye discharge for the first time. What is most concerning to me is the color but it also didn’t seem like blood. I wiped it away after getting a photo and he didn’t seem bothered. It was only in this one eye and there are no obvious injuries. Has anybody else had this happen or have an idea what it could be? Of course with it being Friday night my vet is closed until Monday morning and I’m an anxious momma.

[DanaNM]

Hmmm, I’m sorry no one replied to this yet. How is he doing now?

 

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Salem Fluffle]

Hi Dana,

Rascal is doing much better. After I wiped away this pink gunk, his eye continued to weep throughout the night (though it was clear in color). I finally couldn’t stomach the idea of waiting it out until his vet was back in the office so we drove across the state to the closest animal hospital that would see a rabbit. He’s being treated for an infection and irritation with Meloxicam, Ofloxacin, and Enrofloxacin. In just two days his eye looks soooooooooooooo much better. I plan to follow up with his regular vet this morning as well.

[Wick & Fable]

Has the tear-duct area always have a more bulbous, pink growth, or is that new to the runny eye situation? If normal/unchanged, I would be tempted to try allergy medication, such as Children’s Benedryl, to see if it helps at all. I wrote a short topic on my experience with it here (dosing recommendations should be determined by a vet): https://binkybunny.com/forums/topic/childrens-benadryl-tx/

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[Azerane]

I think the pink growth is actually the eye gunk that was wiped away.

[Salem Fluffle]

Azerane is correct – that pinkish stuff is actually the eye discharge. The fact that it was pink was what worried me the most initially, since my buns do get the occasional eye boogers like people do. But I’ve never seen eye discharge like that. He did end up going to an emergency vet on Saturday and he’s currently taking 3 meds to help with an infection and irritation of his eye.

[Azerane]

Has your vet done a culture swab to feed for pasteurella? It could be ttg early stage of an infection that your rabbit is keeping at bay for the moment, but it may not stay that way.

My rabbits occasionally get eye gunk, just like we get sleep in the corner of our eyes, but if this is something new, the same with the wet nose, then it’s worth investigating further. How is your rabbit’s debasing health also? An overgrown tooth root or dental abcess can also cause these symptoms.

[Author]

Messages