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Closing a blind eye

smudgiebun

smudgiebun

Alpha Buck
Smudge only has one working eye now. The vet noticed a slight cataract a couple months ago and this week they have looked and said the eye is definitely not working and he could see a bit of bleeding inside.

What I am concerned about is that she will often close this eye. The vet said sometimes they can have pain that can cause them to close the eye, however she isn't showing other signs of being in pain like rubbing the eye. She's eating fine too.

So for now we are just keeping an eye on her, but there is the option of some rather expensive special eye drops. I'm in two minds about whether to go this route as we don't even know if it's causing discomfort. Could she be closing her eye because it's not working or is it more likely that it's starting to cause her pain?? Has anyone ever been through this with a rabbit before?

Thank you ☺️
 
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My gut feeling is also that it is pain so I've just gone to get the eye drops. They were £31 for 5ml of Acular eye drops, yikes! I'm just hoping it helps her.
 
Lots of vibes for Smudge. I hope the eye drops help. I have a blind bunny & her eyes seem open all the time - is is one of the questions I'm asked by my vet when they reassess her so it must be significant. I think you've made the right call. Now for getting them ! you won't want to be wasting any at that price x
 
joey&boo said:
Lots of vibes for Smudge. I hope the eye drops help. I have a blind bunny & her eyes seem open all the time - is is one of the questions I'm asked by my vet when they reassess her so it must be significant. I think you've made the right call. Now for getting them ! you won't want to be wasting any at that price x
Click to expand...

First drop went in fine but it did take two of us! I'm going to try the next one by myself. She didn't seem too bothered but she does clamp her eye shut when she doesn't want anything going in her eye!!
 
Thank you it's so sad seeing her get health problems in her old age. She still seems happy little bun though ☺️
 
Ahhh, eyedrops. The stories I could tell..... :roll:

Everyone here knows about Jenna's blindness, but Mimzy, my lop, had eye issues too and his turned out to be a dry eye problem, which the vet prescribed Genteal moderate moisture drops for. However we only saw the vet ophthalmologist in Alaska once with him and over the years he developed cataracts too and possibly an abscess behind his left eye. The vets I've dealt with since moving to Oregon were singularly unhelpful no matter how many times I brought up the issue. Had I know at the time that rabbits could benefit from the kind of treatment Jenna has received I might have made him more comfortable. :( But no one offered, it was just a given that he was an old blind bunny. :(

Yeah, these formulas are pricey! I think in the last 2 years (almost 3 now) I could've bought a villa in Italy for the money I've splashed out on eye medicine for her. (That includes the specialist visits.) And there hasn't been a day in all that time she's willingly accepted the drops. It's a fight every time. :(

Hoping this treatment is helpful for your little one. xxxx
 
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