My bun got a watery eye about three weeks ago (clear discharge, no puss). First time the vet gave us some eye drops called Fucithalmic 1% (1 drop in the eye twice daily for one week). No change at all after 7 days so we took her back to the vet again (only change that the other eye started watering as well). This time we got Hydrocortison with Terramycin (Oxytetracyclin) and Polymyxin-B drops to give her twice daily for 7-10 days. We have done this and still no change... She is otherwise perfectly healthy - any ideas of what this could be? I really dislike giving her drops without knowing what causes the watering... the vets have just looked at her teeth very briefly - bun is 6 months old.:shock: Help please!
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Need advice regarding eyes
- Thread starter Sandra
- Start date
Hiya,
Teeth is certainly an option to investigate. Did the vet just look at the front teeth or did they use a scope (like an ear scope doctors use) to look at the back teeth?
What diet is she on (inc. food type/quantities)? When you run your fingers along the underneath of her bottom jaw is it smooth or are their bumps? Have you noticed any change in her chewing action or food preferences?
Tamsin
Teeth is certainly an option to investigate. Did the vet just look at the front teeth or did they use a scope (like an ear scope doctors use) to look at the back teeth?
What diet is she on (inc. food type/quantities)? When you run your fingers along the underneath of her bottom jaw is it smooth or are their bumps? Have you noticed any change in her chewing action or food preferences?
Tamsin
Thank you for your quick response!
The vet just looked at the front teeth, not very carefully though.. she did not use a scope. My bun was sneezing a lot some months ago and she got baytril (cant remember how it is spelled...) and she was fine after that so the vet just thought that it might be the same "cold" that was not in her eyes...
She is eating Cuni Complete rabbit pellets (Ingredients: derivatives of vegetable origin, cereals, vegetables (min. 10%) vegetable protein extracts, seeds, minerals, FOS, MOS, lecithin, yucca-extract, marigold extract. Contents: 15% crude protein, 3% crude fat, 20% crude fibre, 8% crude ash, 0,9% calcium, 0,6% phosphorus.) What seemed to be the best rabbit food I could find here in Iceland.
She weighs little over 3,5 kg (she is a rex) and she and my other bun eats about 200 g pellets per day and then hay and fresh veggies. I pretty much give them free access to the pellets so a bit hard to say exactly how much they eat..
And I haven't seen any change in her chewing action - she often sits in my lap and eats veggies but it looks just like normal. I am going to try to catch her and feel her jaw...
The vet just looked at the front teeth, not very carefully though.. she did not use a scope. My bun was sneezing a lot some months ago and she got baytril (cant remember how it is spelled...) and she was fine after that so the vet just thought that it might be the same "cold" that was not in her eyes...
She is eating Cuni Complete rabbit pellets (Ingredients: derivatives of vegetable origin, cereals, vegetables (min. 10%) vegetable protein extracts, seeds, minerals, FOS, MOS, lecithin, yucca-extract, marigold extract. Contents: 15% crude protein, 3% crude fat, 20% crude fibre, 8% crude ash, 0,9% calcium, 0,6% phosphorus.) What seemed to be the best rabbit food I could find here in Iceland.
She weighs little over 3,5 kg (she is a rex) and she and my other bun eats about 200 g pellets per day and then hay and fresh veggies. I pretty much give them free access to the pellets so a bit hard to say exactly how much they eat..
And I haven't seen any change in her chewing action - she often sits in my lap and eats veggies but it looks just like normal. I am going to try to catch her and feel her jaw...
I felt her bottom jaw - it feels completely smooth (I found a picture of a rabbit skeleton (http://www.scientific-art.com/portfolio vetmed pages/rabskel.htm)
and it feels just like on the picture. Very smooth...
and it feels just like on the picture. Very smooth...
bunny babe
Wise Old Thumper
My vet gave me the same drops as the first ones you had and they did nothing, she then prescribed Tiacil and flushed the tear ducts and my bun was then OK (however, he has recently been diagnosed with teeth problems). Teeth should definitely be checked thoroughly by your vet.
Hiya,
Those pellets sound fine
20% fibre is great! However, you need to cut back on quantity as it's the chewing action of hay that helps wear down the teeth. Pellets are very concentrated so they eat less hay.
You could easily half the quantity of pellets down to 50g per rabbit per day, or even further. Mine have about an egg cup full each per day. The rest they fill up on veggies and hay.
Rabbits teeth grow continually and if they don't wear down correctly they grow spurs or the roots can grow backwards. That can cause them to rub in the mouth and cause ulcers or put pressure on the teeth ducts. It's very difficult to see rabbits back teeth as they are quite far back on the jaw. Ask you vet to have a look with an ear scope (otoscope). This is what they are looking for: http://community.livejournal.com/bunnyowners/2841528.html
If that is the problem, feeding more hay will help as it wears the teeth down but he may need an op to correct them in the meantime. An xray can also show any changes in the teeth.
Tamsin
Those pellets sound fine
20% fibre is great! However, you need to cut back on quantity as it's the chewing action of hay that helps wear down the teeth. Pellets are very concentrated so they eat less hay. You could easily half the quantity of pellets down to 50g per rabbit per day, or even further. Mine have about an egg cup full each per day. The rest they fill up on veggies and hay.
Rabbits teeth grow continually and if they don't wear down correctly they grow spurs or the roots can grow backwards. That can cause them to rub in the mouth and cause ulcers or put pressure on the teeth ducts. It's very difficult to see rabbits back teeth as they are quite far back on the jaw. Ask you vet to have a look with an ear scope (otoscope). This is what they are looking for: http://community.livejournal.com/bunnyowners/2841528.html
If that is the problem, feeding more hay will help as it wears the teeth down but he may need an op to correct them in the meantime. An xray can also show any changes in the teeth.
Tamsin
FriskyClover
Warren Veteran
Optrex eyewash is pretty good for small furry eye problems, it's very soothing.
Has your vet done a swab to see if there is any bacteria present? This was an option when I had a guinea pig with a recurring eye problem (that eventually cleared with steroid eye drops).
Good luck
Has your vet done a swab to see if there is any bacteria present? This was an option when I had a guinea pig with a recurring eye problem (that eventually cleared with steroid eye drops).
Good luck
Thank you Tamsin for excellent advise on the diet! :wave: Will start right away (I now understand why they haven't been very interested in the hay...). And thank you for the link with the pictures - explains a lot!
I took her to the vet tonight. The vet examined her eyes properly, looked at her front teeth and felt her jaw. She didn't really know what to do, said she was going to research it and call me on Friday. When I take her back I will ask her to check the back teeth with a scope and do a swab!
Thank you!
I took her to the vet tonight. The vet examined her eyes properly, looked at her front teeth and felt her jaw. She didn't really know what to do, said she was going to research it and call me on Friday. When I take her back I will ask her to check the back teeth with a scope and do a swab!
Thank you!
bunny babe
Wise Old Thumper
The only proper way for them to check that teeth are OK i.e. not growing into the jaw is via and Xray.
I would recommend that you INSIST on this as my bun had weepy eyes last November time and I was told it was not his teeth (even after pushing th point) and they did not consider Xray was necessary. Now my bun has been diagnosed that his teeth have been growing through his jaw and now has to have 4 weekly dentals. I only wish I had put my foot down myself but you do put your trust in vets.
Please get their teeth checked properly.
I would recommend that you INSIST on this as my bun had weepy eyes last November time and I was told it was not his teeth (even after pushing th point) and they did not consider Xray was necessary. Now my bun has been diagnosed that his teeth have been growing through his jaw and now has to have 4 weekly dentals. I only wish I had put my foot down myself but you do put your trust in vets.
Please get their teeth checked properly.
hornetcarp
Warren Scout
is it really safe to use 'human' eye washes like 'optrex' on a rabbit?