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the return of the gammy eye....

G

Gummi Bear

New Kit
hi all! :wave:

stew's weepy eye has returned :(

it seems to come n go but i don't know why cos theres no change in his diet or bedding or anything so it seems quite sporadic!!

anyway i took him to the vets expecting them to throw another course of antibiotics at the problem but they have now said that he needs to be sedated and have his eye flushed (at a lovely price of £88!!)

i was just wondering if anyone had any thoughts about whether this was necessary (as i don't want him sedated unessecarily) and also if anyone has had to get this done how much they paid for it?

he is booked in as i want him to get medical treatment if he needs it but my vet isnt a rabbit specialist so i thought i'd come on here and ask the experts for a second opinion!! lol :D

thanks :D
 
has he ever had Dental problems or Pasteurella?

It may be worth getting a skull Xray to check for tooth root issues, as they can overgrow and put pressure on the tear ducts causing blockages and infections, resulting in weepy eyes.
 
hi sooz22 :wave: thanks for the speedy reply!! :D

they check his teeth every time i take him in but as far as they can see (by just looking in his mouth) he doesn't have any problems with them, altho someone i know who runs an animal sanctuary has mentioned getting an x-ray too to see if its the roots causing the problem rather than the teeth so i will definately ask them to do that now!!

i've not heard of Pasteurella though, what is it??
 
They wont be able to tell the tooth root problems by looking at his teeth so a skull Xray is well worth requesting.

Pasteurella is mor commonly referred to as Snuffles. Does he ever have a runny nose, of bouts of sneezing?
 
That's sounds expensive, although I've never experienced a flush before so I wouldn't know.

If it comes and goes and isn't too often what about managing the proble? (Given that other illnesses are ruled out). Bobbin has an occasional weepy eye, until I rule out tooth roots I manage it by bathing it in cooled boiled water, using a cotton pad. It clears up lovely and doesn't return for several weeks *touch wood*

I have also heard that regular flushing can actually worsen the problem with the ducts :?
 
Thea & Bobbin said:
I have also heard that regular flushing can actually worsen the problem with the ducts :?
Click to expand...

It shouldn't be done regularly. If its still recurring after flushing then that was never the problem and skull xrays are the next logical step.

The reason it worsens the issue is:
1. It can expand the ducts making it easier for foreign objects to become trapped and exacerbating the problem.
2. It can cause scar tissue to develop which narrows the ducts and again causes more problems.
3. The vet may use to much pressure to move the 'blockage' and actually rupture the duct. Often the fluid running from the nose that is declared to be the 'problem' clearing is the result of the duct rupturing.....if the duct ruptures and then heals, you get scar tissue and narrowing.
 
thanks for all the advice!!

he's had the problem on and off for about a year now but ive always taken him to the vets when it got bad and he's had antibiotics etc.

he has over the last few weeks started making snuffly sounds though, he is generally an outdoor rabbit but i have since brought a slightly smaller hutch for him and set up his home in a nice and warm shed / outhouse area which i hoped would help get rid of his sneezes!!

im a bit worried about this pasturlla thing though as the vet hasnt mentioned it at all, is it serious??
 
I would also advise you to request an x-ray as my bun always used to suffer with weeping eyes since she was little. The vet checked her mouth but never x-rayed her. Poppy had her eye removed yesterday due to an abcess, this could have been prevented by a x-ray months ago. Never ignore eye problems, they can accelerate very quickly.
 
Hun, if he is sneezing then Pasteurella is a strong possibility.

He needs to be placed on to a course of Baytril to try and shift the infection.

Bare in mind there is the possibility the pasteurella and the runny eye could be two seperate problems or they could be two symptoms of the same problem.

It can be serious but the sooner it is caught and treated the better. It is liable to reoccur at times of stress or illness though.
 
We had to have the ducts flushed out, his teeth are find but its a bacterial infection that he had when we got him (although we were not told this at the time). To have the ducts flushed cost us about £60 pounds and did not work. From doing it they discovered that he has permanent damage to his ducts and will have to be on drops for the rest of his life. Which is very costly!!
 
hello :wave:

sorry for the delayed reply but what with christmas and all i haven't had much chance to get on here! by the way i hope everyone has had a lovely time and got everything they wished for! :)

thank you for the advice, stews snuffles seem to have got worse so i am going to try to take him tot he vets 2moro for a course of baytril to see if that does the trick, i think i'll cancel the eye flushing for now to see if the problem clears up with the antibiotics and then go from there. altho it doesn't seem like anyone has had a good expereince with the eye flushing!!

from looking at the forum pages though it seems like a lot of bunnies are suffering from snuffles at the mo!! :(

anyway thanks again and i'll keep you updated :D
 
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