Keeping an eye on 'the eye'

[pinksalamander]

So, if you read my post about my new girl Lottie you will have also read about the 'eye' situation. :nurse:

I got Lottie from a rescue, and the lady said 'she's always had a bit of a wet eye, its nothing to be worried about'. Well, to be honest i don't think anything should be overlooked like that. I took the bunny anway mainly because i knew the lady would do nothing and she was also the only suitable bunny who got on with William.

The eye is a little bulged. Its not majorly bulged, its just bulged slightly more than when a bunny naturally bulges their eye. However, the white in the corner is showing constantly, and its wet all around.

So my Mum keeps saying 'its fine'. Its true that little Lottie is ver happy, washing, hopping, pooping, eating, relaxing, and not overally scratching the eye. I don't think its bothering her. :imsick:

So, i'm strapped for cash but i want to take her, at least for piece of mind. It might just be a thing she will live with, it could be more.

I have enough money for the appointment but i don't know what else they will add, i suppose it depends on what the verdict from the vet is. So, my mum is a webdesigner, and so i asked her 'if i do all these site updates will you pay for Lottie to go to the vets?'

So... i shouldn't be on here, i should be working!

Can't book the appointment until Tuesday what with is being Bank Holiday...

Wish me luck! :goodluck

 

[pinksalamander]

Picture of the eye:

 

[polly]

Thats great that you are going to be able to take her I hope everything is alright

 

[slavetoabunny]

Could it be conjunctivitis?

[align=left]In rabbits conjunctivitis is most often secondary to an infection of the lacrimal duct, that connects the corner of the eye to the nose. In rabbits this duct is very narrow at certain locations and may block, causing the eye to water, as tears produced then have to drain over the lower eyelid spilling onto the face. In some rabbits this problem is corrected after flushing the lacrimal duct and using topical antibiotics and/or steroids. In other rabbits the problem is linked to swelling of roots of cheek teeth very close to the lacrimal duct. An x-ray may be necessary in order to determine which tooth roots are causing the problem. As a result of the investigation teeth may need to be extracted. [/align]
[align=left]Conjunctivitis in the rabbit may also be caused by myxomatosis or infections of the upper airways. These conditions can be very dangerous for the rabbit and the conjunctivitis may be the only signs noticed immediately by the owner. Eyelid diseases such as in-rolling eyelids (entropion) may cause secondary corneal irritation and/or conjunctivitis.[/align]
[align=left]Hopefully, one of ourinfirmary mods can chime in on this, as this is only a guess on my part.[/align]

 

[pinksalamander]

Hmm, it could be. I hope its not myxi, although i doubt it is. She'd had this condition for a few weeks apparently, well since she was found, and although she hasn't had her jabs, i'm sure a rabbit with myxi would be much more poorly and probably dead after a few weeks?

 

[Spring]

Could the eye have been injured maybe? Bruno had mild conjunctivitis after Poppy bit his eye. Or maybe the part you're seeing is a torn secondeyelid? I really am not sure. With Bruno it was a bit of a scratch on his eyelid that got infected.. cleared up after a week on oral antibiotics.

 

[pinksalamander]

Hmm, to be honest im genuinley not sure :? She's new to me so i can't get a good look and i don't know her history. I can't see any evidence of a cut. Thats the thing, there is no real irritation. Its like all the symptoms without the cause :huh

I will keep everyone updated. I probably won't be able to do it until at least Wed or Thurs cos the vets open on Tues and i bet it will be busy.

 

[Michaela]

Glad you're getting a vet appointment!

I would say definitely not Myxi - a non vaccinated bun would not survive this long at all.

Again, it is possible that it's a head abscess. The bulging eye and third eyelid appeared on Berri when she had it. With a good vet these can be treated effectively, if that's what it is. I really really hope it's nothing bad! Good luck! :hug:

 

[pinksalamander]

Do you have any idea what that situation cost? I know it will be different, but i mean V. expensive? or what? I'd appreciate just knowing the rough cost if that is what it is.

 

[Michaela]

Errm well for us it did cost quite a lot, but normally it shouldn't. My situation wasn't typical of what it should be.

To cut a long story short, vets here are crap because it's a rural area and all they know is cows. So they didn't treat it right. She got a whole series of abscesses and they tried to treat them by draining them, which I have since learned is like the worst thing you can do. Of course it didn't work.

Randy has had a lot of success treating abscesses I think, eg there is a good post about them in this thread, if it is that. Seriously don't worry, I'm just throwing in all possibilites.

 

[juliew19673]

Hoping it will be a cheap fix (oral antibiotics) for you! Poor bun - but at least it doesn't seem to be affecting her sweet disposition..

 

[ra7751]

Hi,

From the picture, it looks like conjunctivitis...an eye infection. That can have numerous causes and usually can be treated rather easily. There is a condition called Exophthalmos...aka Bulging Eye...that is usually quite serious. In that situation, the globe looks like it is going to pop out of the head. It is a really odd sight. It is usually caused by something putting pressure on the eye ball itself.....like an abscess. But as you are already planning, a vet visit is in order to find the root cause of this issue.

Randy

 

[pinksalamander]

Thanks for the help.

Will be booking a vet appt ASAP. Its just the worry of how much it will cost. Thankgod i have a mother who i can loan off of! Vets were closed today so couldn't call but will hopefully post an updates on the situation as they go! Its not looking any different and she isn't any different from the last 2 days so i'm guessing its just an ongoing thing. I know its still important, just not necessarily as urgent!

 

[pinksalamander]

I think i may have had a little breakthrough.

I was chatting to my mum (she had clearly changed her mind on the matter a little when she said 'i was looking it up on the internet') and i said one of the possibilities was conjunctivitis, or maybe 'the sniffles'. She then turned around and said 'oh, i did hear her sneeze earlier, i thought it was Trixi (our cat) but i turned around and Lottie was the only animal there.'

That makes me think it is probably a cold/conjunctivitis rather than a bigger problem like an abcess?

So i've got my fingers crossed (as if i didn't anyway) thats its a minor thing. Her nose doesn't look runny or anything. Its literally only the eye....

Also, jus wanted to ask, if it was a cold/sniffles/conjuncivitis, what would they prescribe? I'd want to know incase it is, because i don't know if my vet is particularly rabbit savvy and i'd like to know what he will probably give if that is the situation. He did the neuter OK, and i believe he had good care. He told me alot of things that i new were true from here (less pellets, more hay, he said i was doing the right thing) and they also have lots of posters about rabbits in the waiting room so i think he is quite good.

Thanks.. long post... long rambling post... very long post.. OK i must stop now!

 

[Pipp]

Lottie is gorgeous!

Pipp was swatted in the eye by a cat when she was a young thing (the cat pleaded self-defence andwon the caseafter I put Pipp back on the ground to dial the vet, she ran right back up to the cat and bit her).

It turned out to be her third eyelid was scratched, it probably affected her tear duct,it still waters and collects hair andgunk to this day. But no bulge.

But it really has to be checked. Pipp's eye also waters when she hasmolar spurs, and I think having theminor the injury and tear duct issue makes her more vulnerable to infection. And the bulge is a littleworrisome.

She needs her jab, any chance of doing it all in one visit?



sas :clover:

 

[pinksalamander]

If i can get the jab done there and then i will. William is due for his in a few months. I know that sometimes they won't let them do the jabs if they are being treated for something else?

Jabs are v expensive where i am from, every 6 months its another £90 (thats about $180).

 

[Michaela]

pinksalamander wrote:

Jabs are v expensive where i am from, every 6 months its another £90 (thats about $180).

£90?! :shock: How many vaccines is that for? 2 VHD and 2 Myxi? That is expensive, wow..

 

[Pipp]

If you end up with two appointments -- one for the eye, one for the jab -- it will cost even more.

If you book the appointment for the jab, the vet may look at the eye, tell you it's fine and it won't cost extra. If they say it needs treatment and don't recommend the jab until the eye is treated, you haven't lost anything.

It depends on when you're planning to get the jab I guess, and whether it's cheaper to take both in at once, and if Lottie can wait until William is due. Summer/mosquitos are almost upon us.

Good luck with it all!



sas:clover:

 

[Pipp]

Can you take a couple more head shots, preferably from straight on? She seemed to be a little 'lop' sided (heh!) in one pic I saw. Best to make sure there is no 'bulging' in the cheek, jaw, eye socket or anywhere else.



sas :clover:

 

[pinksalamander]

Michaela, thats fir 1 myxi and 1 VHD, so its one rabbit, at £45 a jab. If you do two rabbits at a time it goes down to £150, so thats £37.50 per jab. Every 6 months :X

I'll book an appointment for the jab, and ask to check the eye, they will charge me for a double appointment cost.

Our vets are v expensive, as i said. Thats what you get for living in Kent.

I'll probably just take them together in a month. Lottie won't be out in the garden much so it shouldn't be a problem.

I'll try to get some better shots soon.