tear duct flush...for or against???

Liquorice had his tear ducts flushed yesterday...well one of them.

The other tear duct (which has always been weepy) the vet couldnt do - she said it was too inflammed and couldnt even find the duct????? They checked his teeth and said that it wasnt them that was causing blockage (but no xray just examination whilst under GA)

This is the second attempt to flush this duct as our previous vet tried too - but again couldnt manage it.

The vet has given me some drops (Maxitrol) and said she thinks we should try again in a few weeks, maybe under local anesthetic....or if he struggles GA...which worries me for obvious reasons!

I am inclined to leave it and not put him under any more stress or pain seeing as they have tried twice now (even if they are two different vets) howver, my OH says we should go with whatever the vet recommends
What do u think???? Should i go with what the vet says: as OH suggests as he keeps telling me 'they know what they are doing' or should i go with my instinct.

What do you think of tear duct flushing...any advice would be apprieciated

I would think that if an attempt has twice failed that further attempts may have the same result AND there is always the risk of damaging the tear duct during the procedure. There is also the potential stress/GA factor to consider too.

I would be tempted to leave well alone for now but keep bathing the eye area to prevent the fur becoming too matted.

I have had two rabbits with tear duct problems and in both cases the eyes righted themselves. How old is Liqourice? Fingers crossed he may grow out of it.

Vanessa xx

Well Barley had intermittend problems with one of his eyes weeping... I had been given drops a few times but they didn't really do the trick! Autumn 2006 he finally had that tear duct flushed. He was a very good boy and after just had a bit of a red eye but seemed fine. I have had no further problems with weepy eyes and felt the few minutes of discomfort for him was worth it, so I'm very happy with the result I got and his eyes are no longer sore!

However of course your situation might be different, so it is difficult to judge what you should do.

Hannah

I don't see how your vet can say it's not teeth related unless they've done an X-ray?

One of my buns has teeth that look perfect from the outside (i.e. when you look in her mouth). It's only from an x-ray that you can see that the roots are too long and the jawbone is in the early stages of osteoprosis (fortunately it doesn't seem to have advanced in about 3 years )

Amy

Vanessa.B said:

I would think that if an attempt has twice failed that further attempts may have the same result AND there is always the risk of damaging the tear duct during the procedure. There is also the potential stress/GA factor to consider too.

I would be tempted to leave well alone for now but keep bathing the eye area to prevent the fur becoming too matted.

I have had two rabbits with tear duct problems and in both cases the eyes righted themselves. How old is Liqourice? Fingers crossed he may grow out of it.

Vanessa xx

Click to expand...

We bought Liquorice when he was 6wks old in May last year so he's about 8months old.

We bought him from pets@home (not knowing much about rabbits and what to look out for) he had a weepy eye then. But he was the bunny that came straight up to us and we had to take him home. I didnt realise his eye was a s bad not having bunnies before.

So he has had a weepy eye for as long as we have had him. The other eye just started weeping over past couple of montyhs - that one has been flushed and we will see if it clears up???

As long as the skin around his eye is not sore and inflamed I would still be tempted to leave for now and obviously see how the other eye goes.

I know of a couple of rabbit owners who's buns have tear ducts syringed several times only for the condition to re-occur.

It is a difficult decision for you to make. As a new bunny owner last year I would have gone down the syringing route but with experience (albeit a little) I am a little more circumspect now.

Is it worth asking you vet to carry out an xray to rule out teeth problems.

Another thought is to find Liqourice a wife - I have read that another bun washing around the eye area will keep things clean and helps with blocked tear ducts!

This is what I think of duct flushing:
http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showpost.php?p=2213176&postcount=2

Repeated flushes are only going to exacerbte the problem with inflammation and scar tissue. They are designed to clear a blockage or help with a build up of infected matter. If these have been ruled out you need to look further into the primary problem.

abbymarysmokey said:

I don't see how your vet can say it's not teeth related unless they've done an X-ray?

One of my buns has teeth that look perfect from the outside (i.e. when you look in her mouth). It's only from an x-ray that you can see that the roots are too long and the jawbone is in the early stages of osteoprosis (fortunately it doesn't seem to have advanced in about 3 years )

Amy

Click to expand...

Do bunnies have to be put under GA for xray to keep them still ????? how do they do it?

kelzuna said:

Do bunnies have to be put under GA for xray to keep them still ????? how do they do it?

Click to expand...

Unless there is a health reason not to they are usually aneathetised before any X-Ray.

do u think i should ask for xray beofre they try another flushing? i dont really want another flush anyway!!!! I dont think it will help - but im no vet?????

kelzuna said:

do u think i should ask for xray beofre they try another flushing? i dont really want another flush anyway!!!! I dont think it will help - but im no vet?????

Click to expand...

It would probably be a good idea because the gums are linked to the eyes, therefore any problems with the eyes can be teeth related.

Vanessa.B said:

....Another thought is to find Liqourice a wife - I have read that another bun washing around the eye area will keep things clean and helps with blocked tear ducts!

Click to expand...

Stella had her ducts flushed twice, then again under GA (had I been a more experienced owner at the time, I may not have agreed to this). She still has the problem and no primary cause can be found. The vet thinks she has narrow ducts, which don't allow all the fluid to drain away. I was bathing her eyes, but this was making her sore, even though I was being gentle. This is part of the reason I decided to get another rabbit. She still has weepy eyes but Bud cleans them for her, they are no longer red and sore and I don't have to interfere with them (which I'm sure Stella is happy about!!)

I'm wary about having Ducts flushed now after what Chi went through

Chi suffered with a weepy eye on and off for about three months, he had creams and drops and it still weeped, he was being neutered and I asked for the weepy eye to be flushed.

The vet did both eyes :shock: and he came out worse than when he went in, both eyes weep continuously now, some days one is so bad he looks like a myxi bun with sore puffy eyes

It doesn't seem to bother him though, worries me more

when done correctly for the right reasons(ie removal of a blockage when antibiotics do not clear up) and done by a competant vet then i see no problem with this being done. our vet uses a local anestetic( i know as he tried to do chelseas weepy eye) the ducts can be hard to do however was your rabbit not given any eye drops(the local anestetic first?) if she wasnt then she could have been tensing the muscles as it is an uncomfortable procedure (though apparently not painful)

i would definatly try a course of antibiotics and keep cleaning the fur around the eye(where it has been weeping) as the salt build up from the weeping can cause fur loss here. bathe gently when needed around the eye with a soft cloth which is damp with warm water (i would only do this as and when needed)
again im not an expert but i hope this helps!

My vet does tear duct flushing without GA, and after 2 tear duct flushes, and 2 course of antibiotics, Opals eyes have been fine for months. Hope you can get the little man sorted.