White lump on eye?

Hello all, I'm posting a fair bit at the moment for advice so thank you everyone for your help - it's really appreciated!

I've just been to do their night hay top up and noticed our rabbit Poppy has a white lump on her eye! Does anyone know what it could be? I don't know if it's a discharge thing or something more serious?

She has had it a month or so ago, and I'd planned to take her to the vets the following morning but by morning it had disappeared. She's had her eyes checked since by a vet and all was fine.

I've taken a picture, it's not very clear but it's a white lump that's sitting on her eye just off centre. It's exactly the same place as before.

Any thoughts really appreciated. Thanks all!




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LarryMolly said:

Hello all, I'm posting a fair bit at the moment for advice so thank you everyone for your help - it's really appreciated!

I've just been to do their night hay top up and noticed our rabbit Poppy has a white lump on her eye! Does anyone know what it could be? I don't know if it's a discharge thing or something more serious?

She has had it a month or so ago, and I'd planned to take her to the vets the following morning but by morning it had disappeared. She's had her eyes checked since by a vet and all was fine.

I've taken a picture, it's not very clear but it's a white lump that's sitting on her eye just off centre. It's exactly the same place as before.

Any thoughts really appreciated. Thanks all!

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Hi there :wave:

This could be a bit of discharge that's come from her tear duct. Sometimes a tear duct becomes blocked, and occasionally infected.

What you could do, is to get a warm compress of just warm boiled water on a cotton pad and gently press just below the eye, where the tear duct is. This may help to release more gunk and then you can clean it away.

Have you tried gently wiping the eye with a cotton pad soaked in cooled boiled water?

LarryMolly said:

Hello all, I'm posting a fair bit at the moment for advice so thank you everyone for your help - it's really appreciated!

I've just been to do their night hay top up and noticed our rabbit Poppy has a white lump on her eye! Does anyone know what it could be? I don't know if it's a discharge thing or something more serious?

She has had it a month or so ago, and I'd planned to take her to the vets the following morning but by morning it had disappeared. She's had her eyes checked since by a vet and all was fine.

I've taken a picture, it's not very clear but it's a white lump that's sitting on her eye just off centre. It's exactly the same place as before.

Any thoughts really appreciated. Thanks all!

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What a pretty little Doe

If you gently bathe the eye with some cooled boiled water the discharge can be removed. I would advise you to get the Vet to check her eye again though as she may need some antibiotic eye drops. Also, the Vet will need to check that the nasolacrimal duct (tear duct) is draining and that there are no corneal abrasions.

A blocked nasolacrimal duct can cause recurrent 'gunky eyes' and secondary bacterial infections. A recurring unilateral 'gunky eye' might be associated with Dental problems (elongated tooth roots), so that is something else the Vet may consider.

Thanks for your replies and information both! I'll bathe her eye this morning and take her to the vets next week.

She did have her back teeth filed down when she was spayed a few weeks ago and we need to go back for another teeth check soon. When we took her in she'd not eaten hay before so a dental issue that's affecting her eyes is sounding likely to me. (She's eating hay like a trooper now, the cutie!)

Thanks again, we're only a year into having rabbits so a lot is still new to us, and our other three are not so much of a challenge health wise (touch wood) x




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LarryMolly said:

Thanks for your replies and information both! I'll bathe her eye this morning and take her to the vets next week.

She did have her back teeth filed down when she was spayed a few weeks ago and we need to go back for another teeth check soon. When we took her in she'd not eaten hay before so a dental issue that's affecting her eyes is sounding likely to me. (She's eating hay like a trooper now, the cutie!)

Thanks again, we're only a year into having rabbits so a lot is still new to us, and our other three are not so much of a challenge health wise (touch wood) x




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You're welcome

Yes dental issues can affect the eyes, as the tooth roots can press on the tear ducts. An X-ray would show this, but I would ask your vet if it would affect her 'treatment' in any way, and the value of doing it.

If her eye doesn't clear up with bathing, then I would ask the vet about some antibiotic eye drops to help. A partner rabbit will also do some helpful cleaning up as well

http://rabbit.org/chronic-runny-eyes-in-rabbits/

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/weepy.pdf

Fantastic - thank you, I will do that! We've found a rabbit savvy vet 30 mins away as well where she was spayed so will take her there for her eye and teeth check.

We're bonding her with Larry in 4 weeks time to make sure we've left enough time post spay. Can't wait for them to be little friends! And I'm currently bonding our other 2. Really looking forward to having 2 bonded pairs and no more bonding to do. Fingers crossed it all works out this time


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LarryMolly said:

Fantastic - thank you, I will do that! We've found a rabbit savvy vet 30 mins away as well where she was spayed so will take her there for her eye and teeth check.

We're bonding her with Larry in 4 weeks time to make sure we've left enough time post spay. Can't wait for them to be little friends! And I'm currently bonding our other 2. Really looking forward to having 2 bonded pairs and no more bonding to do. Fingers crossed it all works out this time


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Good on you :thumb: A rabbit savvy vet is worth their weight in gold

That's a lot of bonding! Will you be getting a crate of wine in to soothe your nerves :lol: Yes a little friend is excellent for eye maintenance

Let me know if you need any bonding help

LarryMolly said:

Fantastic - thank you, I will do that! We've found a rabbit savvy vet 30 mins away as well where she was spayed so will take her there for her eye and teeth check.

We're bonding her with Larry in 4 weeks time to make sure we've left enough time post spay. Can't wait for them to be little friends! And I'm currently bonding our other 2. Really looking forward to having 2 bonded pairs and no more bonding to do. Fingers crossed it all works out this time


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Great news that you have found a Rabbit Savvy Vet !! I hope that the bonding's work out OK and that Poppy gets on well at the Vets x

LarryMolly said:

Thanks for your replies and information both! I'll bathe her eye this morning and take her to the vets next week.

She did have her back teeth filed down when she was spayed a few weeks ago and we need to go back for another teeth check soon. When we took her in she'd not eaten hay before so a dental issue that's affecting her eyes is sounding likely to me. (She's eating hay like a trooper now, the cutie!)

Thanks again, we're only a year into having rabbits so a lot is still new to us, and our other three are not so much of a challenge health wise (touch wood) x




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Did the vet say why you need to go and have another teeth check so soon?

Thanks both! Haha, I will definitely be enjoying a few wines once all done, might even be cause for some prosecco! Ive chosen to do the slow bonding method with Molly and Indy which is something that seems to be working well for Molly this time. I'll definitely give you a shout MightyMax - thank you.

They didn't say re. teeth but the vet who did her spay wasn't the rabbit savvy one (just the same practice) - if I wasn't going back next week now then it would be 2 months (if that's makes sense). How long do they normally leave it to check teeth again? I also don't know if they meant they'd be putting her under either. Will get a plan in place with vet next week.


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LarryMolly said:

Thanks both! Haha, I will definitely be enjoying a few wines once all done, might even be cause for some prosecco! Ive chosen to do the slow bonding method with Molly and Indy which is something that seems to be working well for Molly this time. I'll definitely give you a shout MightyMax - thank you.

They didn't say re. teeth but the vet who did her spay wasn't the rabbit savvy one (just the same practice) - if I wasn't going back next week now then it would be 2 months (if that's makes sense). How long do they normally leave it to check teeth again? I also don't know if they meant they'd be putting her under either. Will get a plan in place with vet next week.


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Usually people get the teeth checked at vaccination time, which can be every six months if you space the two vaccinations out that way. I would hope that any spurs that the vet filed down wouldn't have regrown within two months, but usually the first thing to go is the hay eating.

To look at the back teeth is difficult if a vet uses just an otoscope, as they can only see about 50% of the check teeth. Unless your vet is able to do 'conscious dentals' then rabbits need a GA each time, which can be stressful. There are those on here dead set against 'conscious dentals', but having seen it done every time my rabbits have had it, I know the procedure and what happens

As you say, a plan with your vet would be a good idea


My lovely vet has done a series of blogs covering teeth issues:


http://www.twickenhamvets.com/rabbit-dental-problems-part-1-malocclusion-cheek-teeth/

http://www.twickenhamvets.com/rabbit-dental-problems-part-2-malocclusion-incisors/

http://www.twickenhamvets.com/rabbit-dental-problems-part-3-abscesses-fractures/

LarryMolly said:

Thanks both! Haha, I will definitely be enjoying a few wines once all done, might even be cause for some prosecco! Ive chosen to do the slow bonding method with Molly and Indy which is something that seems to be working well for Molly this time. I'll definitely give you a shout MightyMax - thank you.

They didn't say re. teeth but the vet who did her spay wasn't the rabbit savvy one (just the same practice) - if I wasn't going back next week now then it would be 2 months (if that's makes sense). How long do they normally leave it to check teeth again? I also don't know if they meant they'd be putting her under either. Will get a plan in place with vet next week.


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How often Dental checks take place depends on the individual Rabbit. If a Rabbit has no known Dental problems and exhibits no signs of them starting (eg selective feeding, episodes of gut stasis, mucky bum, runny eyes) then generally the teeth are only checked when the Rabbit has their Vaccinations. A good way to monitor a Rabbit's health is to weigh them once a week. Often the first sign of a health problem is an unexplained weightloss.

If a Rabbit is known to have some Dental issues then check-ups on their teeth would be needed more frequently. My Vet would not necessarily put a Rabbit under GA to check the teeth . She uses an otoscope to view the molar teeth, although it is impossible for any Vet to obtain a 100% view of the oral cavity of a conscious Rabbit. If the Rabbit was presenting with clinical symptoms that might indicate some Dental problems and a conscious examination was 'inconclusive' then my Vet would suggest a thorough examination under GA. She is of the opinion that a thorough Dental can only be done under GA and I agree

My Vet has a Blog and Rabbit Dental problems is amongst other topics covered

https://www.twickenhamvets.com/rabbit-dental-problems-part-1-malocclusion-cheek-teeth/

https://www.twickenhamvets.com/rabbit-dental-problems-part-2-malocclusion-incisors/

https://www.twickenhamvets.com/rabbit-dental-problems-part-3-abscesses-fractures/

Here is an examples of molar spurs





Dental problems that involve elongated tooth roots can present with gunky eye(s). However, elongated tooth roots can only be diagnosed from skull Radiographs

See image bottom right





But this is all jumping the gun really, Poppy may just have a bit of an infection in her eye which can quickly and easily be resolved with a course of antibiotic eye drops

I think you probably have info overload now - what with two copies of my vet's blogs coming your way :lol:

I should wait and see what happens with Poppy's eye, as you're going to.

I only gave you info to have as background - I didn't mean to create a snowball effect!

Definitely not TMI - thanks so much both for all that info! Going to digest it all later with a cuppa.

As you both say, hopefully just a minor eye thing but I can't be too prepared

Her eye has had a good bath and she did have a mucky bum this morning too, poor thing. Rabbit vet is next in on Wed so I'll call up on Monday.

Thanks again guys. Shall keep you posted x


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LarryMolly said:

Definitely not TMI - thanks so much both for all that info! Going to digest it all later with a cuppa.

As you both say, hopefully just a minor eye thing but I can't be too prepared

Her eye has had a good bath and she did have a mucky bum this morning too, poor thing. Rabbit vet is next in on Wed so I'll call up on Monday.

Thanks again guys. Shall keep you posted x


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Hope all goes well for Poppy

LarryMolly said:

Definitely not TMI - thanks so much both for all that info! Going to digest it all later with a cuppa.

As you both say, hopefully just a minor eye thing but I can't be too prepared

Her eye has had a good bath and she did have a mucky bum this morning too, poor thing. Rabbit vet is next in on Wed so I'll call up on Monday.

Thanks again guys. Shall keep you posted x


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Thanks for you PM

Look forward to updates