Bunny Cataracts - advice on options

[iiisecondcreep]

Had the post op check up at 11.30 yesterday, it went very well and they are very pleased with his progress. He'll get another check up in 3 weeks either at the D1ck vet or the opthalmic surgeon I originally saw up here.

The journey home was pretty bad, we set off at about 1pm and our ETA was 7.15pm. The traffic was awful! It took us 5hrs to get half way (200miles), finally got home at 9.45pm.

Let the buns out for a run about when we got in, and what a difference in MJ since we left last saturday! Not quite up to full speed yet but he was having a good run about the place. AND! I had a bag of grass/herbs/dandelion leaves for the journey and there was some left, he was over rummaging in the bag and begging for food! Since he lost his eyesight his appetite has been so poor, he's been reluctant to eat and mostly needed to be persuaded to eat and generally wouldn't eat without his wifey bun by his side, and even then it wasn't much. Now he is grabbing leaves out our hands and asking for more and he is so much livelier! I think its safe to say he is a much happier little bunny!

 

[MightyMax]

Had the post op check up at 11.30 yesterday, it went very well and they are very pleased with his progress. He'll get another check up in 3 weeks either at the D1ck vet or the opthalmic surgeon I originally saw up here.

The journey home was pretty bad, we set off at about 1pm and our ETA was 7.15pm. The traffic was awful! It took us 5hrs to get half way (200miles), finally got home at 9.45pm.

Let the buns out for a run about when we got in, and what a difference in MJ since we left last saturday! Not quite up to full speed yet but he was having a good run about the place. AND! I had a bag of grass/herbs/dandelion leaves for the journey and there was some left, he was over rummaging in the bag and begging for food! Since he lost his eyesight his appetite has been so poor, he's been reluctant to eat and mostly needed to be persuaded to eat and generally wouldn't eat without his wifey bun by his side, and even then it wasn't much. Now he is grabbing leaves out our hands and asking for more and he is so much livelier! I think its safe to say he is a much happier little bunny!

Isn't it lovely when they get back to their old selves

Lucky bun to have such a caring Mom x

 

[iiisecondcreep]

Just had our first post op binkies!

 

[Tracy]

What a fantastic update

 

[iiisecondcreep]

Hi. That adjustment to being blind has been my experience with some rabbits as nwell but not with all. I recently had the same operation for lens replacement done on a bunny that had become blind very quickly with ec related cataracts and had become very very withdrawn and timid. He had the same behavior as the posters bunny. He could not even sense light to dark which many part blind rabbits can do. It was like watching someone with a total blindfold on who has been told they are standing at a cliff edge. After the op he can see light and dark but not detail as the ec had caused damage beyond the lens itself. However it has transformed his life. And he is noe confident to come out and move around again and interact with other buns. The vet school also have a rabbit specialist who came to charlie s operation to be back up to the aneasthetists and thme eye specialist. It is a lens replacement not just a catabract removal.

When we had our initial consultation with Rick Sanchez he asked a lot about MJ's typical behaviour and if/how that had changed since losing his eyesight, we described the change we had seen in him and he said that it is generally assumed that animals adapt and cope well with the loss of their eyesight, but he said that the more they have been speaking with people who's rabbits have lost their eyesight they are finding increasingly that many owners are saying that while the rabbits are 'coping', they are also describing them as more withdrawn, quieter and not very happy.

 

[Santa]

How wonderful, I'm so glad the op went well and that the results are looking so promising. It sounds as if his confidence has really come back nicely

 

[MightyMax]

When we had our initial consultation with Rick Sanchez he asked a lot about MJ's typical behaviour and if/how that had changed since losing his eyesight, we described the change we had seen in him and he said that it is generally assumed that animals adapt and cope well with the loss of their eyesight, but he said that the more they have been speaking with people who's rabbits have lost their eyesight they are finding increasingly that many owners are saying that while the rabbits are 'coping', they are also describing them as more withdrawn, quieter and not very happy.

Yes, it's a really interesting observation. I have never known my rabbits who have gone blind become withdrawn and unhappy, but it's true they are quieter - not so many binkies around the garden for example. They don't cease to be naughty though :lol:

 

[Santa]

I think it's one of those things where if it creeps up gradually you possibly don't notice changes in behaviour as that would creep up gradually too. A bit like if you don't realise you need glasses until you get the right prescription and suddenly realise you can see again! I do sometimes wonder if I should get Bertram's done, but he is about 6 and he doesn't seem particularly phased by it, he can still see light from dark and movement and is mobile and active. But would he be more mobile and more active if I got them done...and how long would it give him? I just don't know! Those who have had it done, do they seem to be in discomfort post-op or was it all pretty smooth going?

 

[iiisecondcreep]

I think it's one of those things where if it creeps up gradually you possibly don't notice changes in behaviour as that would creep up gradually too. A bit like if you don't realise you need glasses until you get the right prescription and suddenly realise you can see again! I do sometimes wonder if I should get Bertram's done, but he is about 6 and he doesn't seem particularly phased by it, he can still see light from dark and movement and is mobile and active. But would he be more mobile and more active if I got them done...and how long would it give him? I just don't know! Those who have had it done, do they seem to be in discomfort post-op or was it all pretty smooth going?

With MJ he lost his eyesight within a matter of days so he never really had the chance to adjust, the vet said it would be for him like someone just turned out the light so I suppose that could be why he never really got used to it like any other animals do. We don't know if MJ could tell light from dark if he could I suspect it was only extremes based on him bumping into our black sofa in an otherwise light cream living room and he definitely could not see movement. By our estimates MJ will be 5 this month (based on the rescue telling us he was 2.5yrs when we got him).

Apart from a couple of days of tummy troubles post op he didn't seem to be in any other discomfort, the vet also did not suggest that there would be any discomfort in his eyes from the surgery (although we kept him well shaded and out of bright light at first).

He is pretty much completely back to his old self now (though still separated from his wifey bun for a few more days), he's back to leaping through the air mouth open when there is food about (on tues he drew blood because I wasn't quick enough :| ), this morning he was running around the pen buzzing while I was getting his breakfast

We got the blood test results back today for his wifey bun, she is also 'strongly positive' for EC (long term exposure not active infection), she is also being treated with panacur again anyway. This is the third time they've been treated (since April), they'll be retested (again) after this one. What happens if the results come back the same again? I did ask my vet, he wasn't sure. We have an appointment on sept 4th at the D1ck vet for MJs eye check up so I'll chat to them about it then.

 

[iiisecondcreep]

MJ had his check up at the D1ck vet yesterday, we saw Victoria Machlin the eye specialist and Kevin Eatwell the exotics specialist.

Victoria said his eyes were fine (she actually said the sutures were "beautiful"), the only small problem is his eye pressures were slightly high, so she will call the vet in London just to check and he might be put back on the Azopt eye drops, but he doesn't mind getting eye drops so thats ok.

She also checked our other rabbits (Temperance) eyes and compared them with the drawing the vet in London done and says there does not appear to be any change in her eyes either.

Kevin Eatwell did the surgery on Temperance' mouth last year (she had a fibrosarcoma) so he had a look in her mouth and said it is looking great (I do have it checked regularly at my own vet but given the opportunity its good to get a specialist opinion!), he did it would be worth if she is ever under anaesthetic or sedated for any reason to have an in depth mouth check up done at the same time but based on what he could see there was absolutely no reason to have it done for that sole reason.