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Blocked tear duct - nothing they can do?

B

beckie20

Mama Doe
One of my bunnies was diagnosed with conjunctivitis a couple of weeks ago which improved with eye drops but he still had a wet eye which caused the vet to notice he had a blocked tear duct - he flushed it while he was awake and said to monitor for a few days and come back for a check up.

At the check up it was found his duct was blocked again so I booked him in for an unconscious flush and possible X-rays.

Just had the call from the vets who said that they couldn't do the flush as it was blocked so did the xrays and his tooth roots look great so aren't causing the problem, so they suspect it either may be a congenital issue or the result of some long term inflammation.

Now this bunny is from a rescue and estimated to be around 8-9 years old, and had no health issues at the prior to coming to me (I adopted him in December) so it feels to me like something doesn't quite tally up.

I'll know more when I pick him and chat to the vet in more detail, but does it seem plausible to you bunny experts that a congenital issue would come to light after 8 or so years, and that one vet was able to do a conscious flush successfully while another couldn't flush it while he was unconscious?

I've always had confidence in my vets, but they have two new ones in now and I don't know what level of bunny-savvy theyre at, and it was one of the new ones that did the procedure today so I just don't know what to think now :(
 
beckie20 said:
One of my bunnies was diagnosed with conjunctivitis a couple of weeks ago which improved with eye drops but he still had a wet eye which caused the vet to notice he had a blocked tear duct - he flushed it while he was awake and said to monitor for a few days and come back for a check up.

At the check up it was found his duct was blocked again so I booked him in for an unconscious flush and possible X-rays.

Just had the call from the vets who said that they couldn't do the flush as it was blocked so did the xrays and his tooth roots look great so aren't causing the problem, so they suspect it either may be a congenital issue or the result of some long term inflammation.

Now this bunny is from a rescue and estimated to be around 8-9 years old, and had no health issues at the prior to coming to me (I adopted him in December) so it feels to me like something doesn't quite tally up.

I'll know more when I pick him and chat to the vet in more detail, but does it seem plausible to you bunny experts that a congenital issue would come to light after 8 or so years, and that one vet was able to do a conscious flush successfully while another couldn't flush it while he was unconscious?

I've always had confidence in my vets, but they have two new ones in now and I don't know what level of bunny-savvy theyre at, and it was one of the new ones that did the procedure today so I just don't know what to think now :(
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear about your rabbit.

Flushing the tear ducts is a skill that some vets do better than others. Some vets will only flush an unconscious rabbit, whilst others will do it consciously. My vet taught me how to flush tear ducts and I have the equipment at home. It's a delicate operation, and it depends on how wriggly the rabbit is as well.

I would say that dental issues can appear in an older bunny even if they haven't shown signs beforehand. It can also be the case that flushing the tear duct can cause inflammation within the duct itself, and the swelling and scar tissue makes it harder to do the next time.

If this were me, I would seek an opinion from a very rabbit savvy vet, not necessarily one in your current practice.

Good luck xx
 
beckie20 said:
One of my bunnies was diagnosed with conjunctivitis a couple of weeks ago which improved with eye drops but he still had a wet eye which caused the vet to notice he had a blocked tear duct - he flushed it while he was awake and said to monitor for a few days and come back for a check up.

At the check up it was found his duct was blocked again so I booked him in for an unconscious flush and possible X-rays.

Just had the call from the vets who said that they couldn't do the flush as it was blocked so did the xrays and his tooth roots look great so aren't causing the problem, so they suspect it either may be a congenital issue or the result of some long term inflammation.

Now this bunny is from a rescue and estimated to be around 8-9 years old, and had no health issues at the prior to coming to me (I adopted him in December) so it feels to me like something doesn't quite tally up.

I'll know more when I pick him and chat to the vet in more detail, but does it seem plausible to you bunny experts that a congenital issue would come to light after 8 or so years, and that one vet was able to do a conscious flush successfully while another couldn't flush it while he was unconscious?

I've always had confidence in my vets, but they have two new ones in now and I don't know what level of bunny-savvy theyre at, and it was one of the new ones that did the procedure today so I just don't know what to think now :(
Click to expand...

It is possible for a duct to be permanently blocked due to chronic inflammation/ scar tissue from previous infections. It's excellent news that the tooth roots are in good shape. A chronic weepy eye can easily be managed with daily bathing with cooled boiled water or sterile saline. If any active infection ever occurs the Vet can prescribe a course of antibiotic eye drops . If the Rabbit has a partner the partner often helps by grooming around the effected eye. This is generally fine, but it's always wise to be observant about the eye cleaning becoming over zealous.

In some cases nebulization with acetylcysteine, a mucolytic , can be beneficial.
 
Thank you both for your replies!

I've not been in this position before, where I haven't had 100% confidence in the vets - I definitely don't like it :(

I'm relieved to read that it can be managed non-medically on a day to day basis with just antibiotic eye drops if/when necessary, and he does have a partner who has been very attentive to his eye throughout :love:

Safe to say I am looking into options to potentially move to a different vets - the only downside will be that my current vets are so close that if any of my buns have a stasis episode I can drop them off in the morning and make it to work only half an hour later than normal, and that won't be the case elsewhere.
 
beckie20 said:
Thank you both for your replies!

I've not been in this position before, where I haven't had 100% confidence in the vets - I definitely don't like it :(

I'm relieved to read that it can be managed non-medically on a day to day basis with just antibiotic eye drops if/when necessary, and he does have a partner who has been very attentive to his eye throughout :love:

Safe to say I am looking into options to potentially move to a different vets - the only downside will be that my current vets are so close that if any of my buns have a stasis episode I can drop them off in the morning and make it to work only half an hour later than normal, and that won't be the case elsewhere.
Click to expand...

I think it's always wise to do research and not rely totally on a vet, however good they may be. All vets have their strengths and weaknesses so it's good to do exactly what you're doing, and questioning :D
 
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