Stray 2 week old bunny with potential myxi

I know there is another thread in this section just now about a young rabbit with myxi, but a friend of a friend has just rescued a stray baby domestic bunny, it has swollen eyes, it has been taken to a vet that I know is not a rabbit specialist. They have told her it might be myxi, but it could just be conjunctivitis, they have given it a 50/50 chance of survival. They have given antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, critical care milk for baby rabbits and flea treatment.

I have asked if it has also been given pain relief and if not suggested they take the rabbit to my local vet. Is that the right thing to suggest, even it if is just conjunctivitis?

Does this look like myxi to you guys? She has given me permission to share the picture.



Is there anything else I can advise her on? She is not as far as I know had experience of rabbits before so I want to try to help as best I can from a distance.

If the Kit is just 2 weeks old it may be 'nest eye', this can happen if the eyes dont open by about the age of 10 days.

How come a Kit that young managed to stray :?

I'd be more concerned about him/her having abx than anything else tbh. Hope he/she makes it, poor little soul

Thanks so much Jacks Jane, that sounds like there is some hope of it recovering if it is 'nest eye' then.

They do have antibiotics for the rabbit so that is good. Would you think pain relief is also necessary for that?

I don't know how it managed to stray and dread to think where the mum/littermates are, it was found in a car park at a local university.

helgalush said:

Thanks so much Jacks Jane, that sounds like there is some hope of it recovering if it is 'nest eye' then.

They do have antibiotics for the rabbit so that is good. Would you think pain relief is also necessary for that?

I don't know how it managed to stray and dread to think where the mum/littermates are, it was found in a car park at a local university.

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I actually meant I would be extremely anxious about giving abx to a 2 week old kit, especially one being hand reared. Gut dysbiosis/enteritis could be a very likely result

Personally I would want just topical eye treatment.

Oh I see, thanks for clarifying. Will pass that on. The vets prescribed it, but as I say they are not the most bunny savvy one as far as I am aware. x

Nest eye doesnt need such vigorous treatment,
With it being so cold, biting insects will be very low, so Id be less inclined to thing myxo although not ruled out completely,

Nest eye requires rinsing/cleaning the eye with an eye wash and poss an ointment, this should continue until the eye is clear for 24hours,

I only know this because we have recently had a litter with a kit with nest eye (not bred here, the orange doe we got in) baby buns eyes will just be opening around now, so it would be around the right time,

Best of luck for the little baby, hand rearing is hard work, really hope bun can pull through x

Oh and I do hope the littermates and mum are ok, hope a predator hasnt moved it on or worse dumped because of the eye!

we offered to take this bunny and handrear it with the other 4 we have ... but sadly baby bunny bunny has died .

without going into to detail the vet was useless and gave out totaly wrong advice . Sadly person with bunny chose to listen to vet even when it was pointed out that the advice on feeding was wrong ...

Not having a go at the person who had the bunny ... but want to say ... if you find or end up with an orphan baby bunny ...please get advice from someone who has handreared before ... and if possible pass bun on to them ... there is nothing like experience to give the baby the best chance .

and ... vets are NOT always right

bunnymadhouse said:

we offered to take this bunny and handrear it with the other 4 we have ... but sadly baby bunny bunny has died .

without going into to detail the vet was useless and gave out totaly wrong advice . Sadly person with bunny chose to listen to vet even when it was pointed out that the advice on feeding was wrong ...

Not having a go at the person who had the bunny ... but want to say ... if you find or end up with an orphan baby bunny ...please get advice from someone who has handreared before ... and if possible pass bun on to them ... there is nothing like experience to give the baby the best chance .

and ... vets are NOT always right

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Well said Angie

Thanks for updating this thread Angie & for your generous offer to take the bunny from the lady and handrear it with the others you have & also for trying so hard to give advice to the lady.

It was a very upsetting situation as we were both trying to get her to see that the vet had given her poor advice, and incredibly frustrating. I haven't stopped thinking about this little one for the last 24 hours and feel so angry as it sadly didn't have much of a chance in the end, and wish it didn't have to suffer as a result.

helgalush said:

Thanks for updating this thread Angie & for your generous offer to take the bunny from the lady and handrear it with the others you have & also for trying so hard to give advice to the lady.

It was a very upsetting situation as we were both trying to get her to see that the vet had given her poor advice, and incredibly frustrating. I haven't stopped thinking about this little one for the last 24 hours and feel so angry as it sadly didn't have much of a chance in the end, and wish it didn't have to suffer as a result.

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thats just how i feel too
so sad .