Sleepy eyes.

[VelvetLion7]

Velvet has had sleep in his eyes for a long time now.  I clean them when I can but they seem sensitive and he doesn’t like it and will bite me if I come near them too often.  (Which is unusual because he never bites me.)  But now I’m concerned cause all the sleepy stuff has built up by his eyes and in his whiskers and it looks awful cause his fur around his eyes is all straggly and clumped.  I don’t think it’s infected or anything because it doesn’t look cloudy or infected, but I don’t know how to clean all the build up off.  I feel bad though because I think maybe I should have done something sooner. 

[KatnipCrzy]

If there is enough accumulation it is in his whiskers- I would consider that abnormal.

My bunnies get a tiny amount of “sleep” in the corner of their eyes- when I first got each bunny they hated me cleaning it.  But I got them used to it by petting their nose and face, and then I would lick my finger and simulate “grooming” the corner of their eyes.  Now they do not mind at all and seem to like it- but it took some getting used to for them.

Does your bunny bite at any other time?  He might be trying to tell you that something is wrong or that it hurts to be touched.

The “sleep” my bunnies get is no minimal I can barely see it- and can usually feel it better as a little “crumb”.

[VelvetLion7]

The only times he bites is when I try to clean his eyes and when I check his teeth. I think part of the reason why it tends to accumulate on his whisker is because of the long fur around his eyes, he’s a lionhead, but now it’s tangled and icky. . . I’ll try the ‘grooming’ and see what happens.

[Jenna, Chubs & Comet]

Chubs and Comet both get sleep in their eyes, but I clean them pretty much daily. They usually actually seem to like it though, closing their eyes and sinking down into bunny loaf position. Once in a while though, they try to get away from me when I do it. If it’s built up enough that it’s even in his whiskers…I maybe would take him to the vet.

[Monkeybun]

If its that built up, definitely take him in. My Monkey had watery sleepy eyes, and she ended up having an ulcer in each eye that was causing it. better to be safe than sorry.

[Beka27]

I’d also recommend you take her in to the vet. The little bits around the eyes is normal, but not if it keep coming back all thru out the day, then there is some type of discharge going on. Is it possible that her nose is running and that’s why it is getting in her whiskers too?

[VelvetLion7]

I don’t think so, his nose is not runny or anything, but his eyes don’t seem to have that abnormal discharge either now that I look at them closely, it looks normal, just the yucky stuff in his whiskers. I really don’t know what it is. I think I’ll make an appointment with the vet.

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