Two watery eyes!

Hi! Putting this as a new post in the hope that people with buns with watery eyes can help. Humphrey's eyes have been watering for weeks, since I got him six weeks ago. Started in one eye and then went to both. Seen 2 vets and had four lots of eye drops. (Fucithalmic, Tiacil and Maxitrol). Back on Fucithalmic after tear duct flush, both eyes still watering down both cheeks. Vet who did duct flush said duct very narrow at the very top, but I thought this was the case with bunnies anyway? Teeth checked under GA - one very slight spur removed, but Vet said not bad. Humph always eats loads of hay. We've been bathing eyes twice a day in cooled, boiled water and tried tea, etc. At a loss of what to do to help Humph - every day eyes are constantly watering and soaking his cheeks. Has anyone had any experience of this problem and what did you do? Am thinking of trying to find another Vet (third one!). Can anyone help? (I'm desperate!). Thanks, Claire x (Also tried removing hay and just leaving timothy hay in hutch for eating).

Hiya Minilops

Eye problems are so difficult i Know - Buffy has now been on treatment for almost 12 months, on most of the meds you've mentioned and also Baytril - her condition has varied from very severe conjunctivitus to how she is now which isnt bad for her - just slight discharge but watery eye most mornings. Like your boy she has been xrayed, although she does have reduced lung capacity so any form of op would be out of the question for her - but our bunny savy vet also confirmed notthing major wrong with her teeth and the main stay of her diet is hay, hay and more hay.

And yep just like u claire - I've tried different bedding, she's a house bun but even so I try to make sure her area is free from dust and that she gets plenty of fresh air in the garden.

My Vet who specialises in Rabbits has recently attended some research courses which unfortunately advised that there are no new treatments for eyes so the only thing we can do is carry on as is.

One thing i do find helps is to use the little round cotten baby pad wipes for her eyes and these do mop up the excess water really well - also if it gets really bad and wet I pop a little vasaline once ive dried the area to prevent any chapping for her.

So folks - if anyone does know of anything else we can try it would be worth its weight in gold :wink:

Good luck with your boy Claire - I know its a never ending struggle with nursing etc but its well worth it. :wink:

Thanks, Lany! I feel so much better now, knowing I'm not the only one struggling with this problem! I feel I've tried everything I can over the past six weeks and was hopeful something would help - Jane has been very helpful with suggestions (thanks Jane!) but I think, like you, I've got a stubborn problem here. I noticed in Buffy's picture that she's a lop, she's not a Frenchie by any chance, is she? I've heard that eye problems are more common in Frenchies, and have been doing lots of research, but nothing seems to have helped so far. Do you use any drops on a regular basis, Lany? If so, which ones do you find help the most? Can I also ask how regularly you bathe Buffy's eyes and is it just one or both? Sorry for so many questions, but I was hoping someone with the same problem would come along, so I could learn from their experiences. I just want to look after Humphrey and want to do the best for him. Claire x

Hiay Minilops

Buffy is a mini lop - talking to my Vet she says teeth problems together with Gut Statis are by far the most regular problems she sees in bunnies.

With Buffy it has always been just the one eye - and on occassions when it has been really bad she has had a little nasal discharge too. I think I've become used the problem now as its been going on for almost a year and she really was quite poorly at one stage, it used to take me over an hour each morning to bathe her eye to remove all the dried discharge and it was so sore for her - it was heartbreaking to see her.

Since last June she has varied between having to have her eye flushed once a week to now which is now approx every three weeks unless anything flairs up inbetween.

One thing my Vet does when she does the flush is - she will do the first flush normally which normally results in some gunk washing trhough and coming out of buffs nose (sorry Claire hope you've had breakfast!!) -
and then she pops a flush through of "chloromycetin" which you can get in both ointment form and also liquid.

After the flush we use the Chloromycetin Liquid drops for 48 hours and then we swop back over to the ointment.

I personally think Chloromycetin works better than Fucithalmic as its not so sticky - but every bunny is different and what works for one doesnt work for another :roll: - also my vet ays this cream can be used in conjunction with Tiacil - so sometimes I swop between the two.
She has been on as many as four lots of Chlormycetin a day but now were down to just morning and evening.

Buffs eye is done every morning and night and inbetween if necessary - as shes a house bun is easy for me to notice when I'm walking past her if there is any discharge that needs wiping, main thing for me has been to keep her eye as dry as possible and clean so shes comfortable.

Claire - have you tried bringing Humprey indoors for a few nights if you feel it might be allergy based to see if there is any improvement - praps take him out of his hutch environment just as an experiment to see if there is anything he is reacting to - you could pop him on some completely different bedding such as Vetbed for a few nights - just a thought - us Bunny Eye Nurses will try just about anything new eh

Hope this helps Claire.

Thanks, Lany, really helpful! Well, last night I took all hay out of Humph's hutch and put lots of towels in for him (with just Oxbow Timothy hay for munching on and SS). When I brought him home on Monday after his duct flush, he stayed in the conservatory overnight in the run and next morning both his eyes were watering down his cheeks - this is when we started the Fucithalmic and have been on this twice a day since Monday. Just wondering if this cream is actually making his eyes water more?? You say, Chloromycetin drops - do they have a brand name by any chance? Apparently, I've read on the Internet that Golden Eye or Brolene ointment can be used on rabbits. Have you heard of this? Wondering whether to ask Vet about chloromycetin. Actually, now I've read your second post, I don't think Humph's sounds as bad as Buffy's. We mainly get the chronic watering, rather than any thick discharge. What pellets do you feed Buffy - I've heard some rabbits can be allergic to some components in the pellets. :? Clairex

I'd definately have a chat to your vet re the Chloromycetin Drops and ointment (its available in both) - difference is with the drops you have to use twice as many but sometimes I think the liquid drains down the tear ducts better than the ointment - I think this is why my Vet suggests using the drops just for 48 hours after the flush - as techically speaking you would hope that the duct would be clearer for the liquid to drain through.

Buffs only gets very minimal discharge now and it is mainly watery at the mo but as mentioned she has been much worse.

I personally wouldn't try anything on bunnies eyes without consulation with my Vet - she is a very open minded Vet and does try meds not licensed for bunnies but only after referal with manufacturers to make sure there is no contradiction with other meds and no risk of reation - for example Buffy does tolerate Baytril really well and her eye does sometimes seem worse when she is not on this antiboitic so we did consider flushing with this but when my Vet contacted the manufacturers they advised that this had been tried before but had resulted in eye abssess :shock: - hence we stayed clear.

All my three bunsters are on Science Selective - but only minimal amount - small desert spoon morning and night (unless there are any weight problems) - their main stay of diet is hay, hay and more hay - and a nice selection of fresh herbs, basil, corriander, etc - which they love.

Also just thinking aloud here Claire - I presume the Vet checked for any nasal obstructions when xrayed - I guess even a small lodged piece of hay etc could cause irritation etc - just a thought :wink:

Thanks Lany - your advice and suggestions are really appreciated! Right, I think what I'll do is finish the Fucithalmic today, in case it's irritating Humph's eyes more - leave a few days to see what happens (but keep bathing if necessary) to see if any infection comes back. I think I read that if the eyes are watering clear, then there may not be infection, but if it is thick and white infection is present. Humph's eyes don't look red, although they did after the duct flush- I would presume this is because his eyes were bit sore after they did that. Sometimes they do look a bit pink when they are watering, hence my thinking of allergies, but who knows? Any more help and advice from you (or anyone with similar experiences) would be very welcome. Thank-you again! Claire x

Just read on the Rabbit Reference Section here that a diet that is too high in protein could cause watery eyes.......Humphrey has been having Junior Excel which is 16% protein and he does eat a large amount of this, as he's a Frenchie. Don't suppose this would have anything to do with it, would it? Am going to start weaning him off the Junior Excel soon anyway, but has anyone got any thoughts? Claire x

Hi, as you know Paddy has had a weepy eye for around the same time and although it isnt as bad, and is looking a lot better than it was, every few times he has dried hard fur so I know it weeps occasionally. Just on a random note, Paddy also has jnr excel so I would be interested in other peoples opinions on the eye problem and jnr excel.

Charlotte

Hi Charlotte! Is Paddy still having any treatment for his eye now? Or are you just bathing it, or not even having to do that now? As far as the Junior Excel goes, it was interesting to read in the Reference Section about Eyes on the Forum about a diet that is too high in protein and the Junior Excel is higher in protein as it's for growing bunnies. It's just that as Humphrey is a young Frenchie, he eats almost two bowls a day of Junior, which may be too high in protein for him? Not sure whether this is a theory or not, but I've started mixing in SS now anyway. Would be interested to hear anyone's thoughts on this, too. Claire x

Hi
My Dillon has permanent watery eyes now (not infected though)! I've had all the relevant checks and the drops don't work so the vet said there is nothing they can do other than me keeping them clean and taking him to the vets if they become infected! He seems happy and content and they don't seem to bother him! I put it down to breeding and the fact that he is a mini-lop!

I just keep round cotton pads by his cage and wipe daily. I don't bother with water every day as I was worried about his skin becoming sore.
Lian x

Hello! Do you find the fur gets very hardened under his eyes? That is the main problem - trying to keep it clean and soft for him. Seems to be lops that have this problem, though, whether mini, dwarf or frenchies! Can I ask what food your bun has? Claire x

minilops said:

Hello! Do you find the fur gets very hardened under his eyes? That is the main problem - trying to keep it clean and soft for him. Seems to be lops that have this problem, though, whether mini, dwarf or frenchies! Can I ask what food your bun has? Claire x

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Hi Claire

Yes, the fur underneath can be a problem! It becomes slightly matted but not really dirty. His fur hasn't really been soft underneath for a while since its always a bit damp but it hasn't affected his skin underneath yet but I have vaseline at hand just in case it gets sore.

They are on a small amount of excel for breakfast, plus hay and excel forage and a few bits of veg for supper! Pippa is dwarf lop and she has never been affected! Its strange because Dillon only developed it in the last 6-9 months and he is 4 years old!
Lian x