Chronic Runny Eyes

[MiniLopHop]

I have been treating my rabbit's runny eyes for about two months. We have used three different antibiotic eye drops and for the last two weeks added oral antibiotics as well. Both eyes get a clear, sticky wetness around them. They aren't closing or getting crusty. They also flushed her tear ducts last month. The whites of her eyes look red like they are irritated.

Do you think this is an infection? I'm calling the vet today to see where we go from here, but would like your opinion. Could this be allergies? Something else?

She has a slight head tilt that she has had since we got her in December. Connected?

She does not go outside but I do open windows. I keep dust and chemicals to a minimum because I am asthmatic. I'm not sure what to think anymore. :?

 

[tamsin]

Pressure from tooth roots can irritate the tear ducts and cause weeping but it would be slightly unusual to effect both eyes at the same time and I'm guessing they'll have checked the teeth already?

I expect ingrown eye lashed would also have been noticed by now. Do her eyelashes stick outways like normal?

You could have a culture done so see what if any bacteria is present. That would tell you if it's an infection and if so give you an idea what is best to treat it.

The other option would be to try out allergy meds and see if that makes a difference. If it does you could then start trying to identify what exactly was the culprit.

 

[MiniLopHop]

They checked her teeth when she was out for her spay, and then looked with a scope again two weeks ago. The teeth look fine and she eats well.

All of her eyelashes look ok to me. I think when they flushed her tear ducts (which were cloged) they would have noticed.

I will ask about a culture and the possibility of allergies. Thanks for the ideas.

 

[tonyshuman]

The roots of the teeth would be what is causing the problem and they cannot be seen without a dental x-ray.

 

[MiniLopHop]

The vet left a message and suggested bringing her in to flush the tear ducts several times in a week. That seems so harsh to me. She's not a fan of going to the vet, so stressful.

I looked and her bottom eye lashes go streight up, not really out. Is it possible her ears (she's a lop) are pushing the bottom lashes into her eyes when they swing forward? If so, what do I do about it?

If it is the tooth roots, what do they do about it?

Is it possible this is just the way she is? Is there always an issue if they have teary eyes? (there has never been crusty or white material)

 

[MiniLopHop]

I decided to give a wholistic vet a try. We will see what this second opinion says.

 

[tonyshuman]

Entropion can occur in rabbits--that's when the eyelashes grow toward the eye, not away from it. It isn't due to her ears or anything, but is genetic and has to be corrected with surgery. I would think your vet would recognize entropion if that is what it is, though.

Here's some info on that:
http://wildlife1.wildlifeinformation.org/S/00dis/Miscellaneous/EntropionEctropionRabbit.html

That page says some lop breeds are more prone to it.

If it is tooth roots, which are also commonly a problem in flat-faced lops, the only correction is removal of the teeth that are impinging on the eye, and the ones opposite them (they will grow too much if they opposite one is not also removed because the top and bottom wear each other down).

 

[MiniLopHop]

Her eye lashes go streight up and down, not in or out.

I watched her very carefully on her level. Her ears will flop into her eyes, touching the eye ball. I had thought that she would keep her ears out of her eyes, but she doesn't. I think it is probably due to the neurological damage she had previously.

 

[tonyshuman]

Hmm that is interesting. Sounds like she has problems with her eye blink reflex. Will she blink if you come at her eye with a finger? It is possible she has some nerve damage.

 

[MiniLopHop]

I think you are right, that it is nerve damage. Particularly on the right side she doesn't blink most of the time if I get close to her eye with my finger. I have been flushing her eyes with sterile "tears" to reduce irritation and make sure her eyes stay clean. This reduces the redness and running.

 

[tonyshuman]

That's a good choice. You may also ask the vet to give you some of the eye drops that they use on animals that are under anesthesia. They're not just saline--they are a bit more viscous. Might give her greasy fur around the eyes, but that's not a real problem.