Opal and her dodgy eye! u/d looking better :)

Hey,

I noticed Opal had a runny eye again this morning, all the fur around her eye was soaked, so i took her to my new vet, who seems quite clued up about bunsters. Took the benjamin too so she wouldnt be on her own. Anyway... she couldnt see anything in her eyes or any infection, but said it might be her tear ducts. So she flushed them (poor opal, i could tell she was hating me, and is currently sulking). The left eye (the good eye) flushed really easy and quickly, but the dodgy poorly eye wouldn't flush so easily, but she did manage eventually and a bit of pus came out with some white stuff, so the eye is cleared of the gunk now. She has also been given some Tiacil which i think is an antibiotic, she had Fusithalmic previously... but this obviously hasnt done the trick. She said her eye should clear up but it may be caused by underlying dental disease.

I said that she was just a young bunster and loves her hay, and has always had hay, so i didnt understand why she would have dental problems. She said that even though i was doing everything right, due to the inbreeding of rabbits over the years, it can be kind of genetic.

I really hope it is not dental problems, because i am not sure if my vet does dental work without GA... i know they do guinea pigs teeth without GA... but i dont know about bunnies. It isnt good for them to have GA is it, especially if it is often, i know it is ok now and again, but not often....

I know i am worrying excessively and thinking far too ahead, but i cant help it!

It is possible that Opal has a congenital Dental Problem where the roots of her teeth are pressing on the nasolacrimal duct and preventing it from draining. To establish if this is the case a skull X-ray would be needed.
Dentals without a GA are really only superficial treatment. Great if the Bun's problems are in a relatively accessible part of the mouth. The trouble is to get to the very back molars and be certain no spurs are missed cheek retractors are needed. There are numerous blood vessels in this area and one jerk from a Bun whilst the burr is at the back of the mouth and the Bun could haemorrhage.

Hopefully by continuing on her good hay based diet any dental problems will be slow to develop. The Buns most prone to Dental Disease appear to be the Mini and Dwarf Lops and Frenchies. I guess it must be their skull shape :?

Janex

Thanks for that Jane, you really are full of knowledge!! I knew you would reply... well she does stuff her face with hay... so hopefully it will be slow to develop, i suppose i will just have to deal with it, if it happens, and get more advice from you guys , hopefully it wont. Poor bun.

I know how worried you must be but eye problems are common, i have 2 bunnies that have constant runny eyes. i have also had a bunny that had dental problems and had 20 + GA's with no problems at all! so don't worry too!

bunny mad lisa said:

I know how worried you must be but eye problems are common, i have 2 bunnies that have constant runny eyes. i have also had a bunny that had dental problems and had 20 + GA's with no problems at all! so don't worry too!

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Well thats always good to hear, thanks for that. and yes i am worried, i love my little Opal to bits.

Hi there,

Benny has just had a head x-ray which showed that a tooth root is blocking his tear duct. As long as I've had Benny (2 yrs) hes had a runny eye and persistant infections but just recently it got so bad that his eye was completely closed so thats when they did the x-ray. Unfortunately Bennys eye now has an ulcer on it, which I presume is as a result of the infection. The infection is going now, and I'm hoping they will treat the ulcer when we go back tomorrow.

I'm sure it won't come to this for you, but I have been told the condition can be managed you just can't cure it if it does turn out thats what it is. Bennys tear duct has never flushed though, so it sounds like it could just have been an infection with no underlying cause (if you can have that).

Benny is on Fucithalmic at the moment and Oxytet injections every two days. I have previously used Tiacil but it didn't seem to do much for Bennys infection.

Benny is a fantastic hay eater too, so don't beat yourself up thinking its something you've done. Unfortunately these things just happen and we just have to do our best for our loved buns!

Gemma xx

Thanks Gemma, that has made me feel a bit better. We have just given her, her drops. I am worried now that she is going to start associating me with having things put in her eyes , shes had so much put in her eyes today, poor bun.

Sorry to hear Opals got an eye problem. I hope it isn't to do with her teeth. Fingers crossed!

oscarbunny said:

I am worried now that she is going to start associating me with having things put in her eyes , shes had so much put in her eyes today, poor bun.

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Aww I'm sure she knows you're trying to make her better.

Gemma xx

bunnies usually like having their eyes stroked and groomed (when closed, of course), so if you stroke her eyes gently and get her to like that, you could gently pop the drops in... I had to give Scipio drops when I first had him and he was an angel - he liked all the fussing around his head and cheeks.
fingers crossed that her problems don't persist...

CottonMather said:

bunnies usually like having their eyes stroked and groomed (when closed, of course), so if you stroke her eyes gently and get her to like that, you could gently pop the drops in... I had to give Scipio drops when I first had him and he was an angel - he liked all the fussing around his head and cheeks.
fingers crossed that her problems don't persist...

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Oscar does actually like having his eyes rubbed and his cheeks!
she didnt like being in the vets at all, but i am sure she felt a little comforted by having the benjamin with her, she was hiding underneath him . She seems fine when we put the eye drops in, and we stroke her little head, but she does a massive stomp when we put her back in her hutch!

Just put her second lot of drops in and her eye isnt runny yay!!!!!!!!!!!

Awww thats great.

I'm sure she'll soon forget about what has happened. I thought Barney was going to hate me after me having to syringe feed him but he's fine now. She knows you love her and give her food