NEARLY BLIND BUNNY

[lyn]

hi my friend as a bunny that is going blind we are busy reseaching how best we can help her with lighting ect any suggestions are much appreciated

 

[Imbrium]

I can't offer anything too specific, as I've never had a rabbit that was blind or going blind... but rabbits in general are creatures of habit who appreciate structure and predictability. Routines and steady schedules, that sort of thing. Also, while rabbits normally have keen eyesight (particularly for very far-off things like hawks), they also rely heavily on scent to recognize who is nearby and how they're moving.

I found this article on rabbit eyesight absolutely fascinating. Here's a great excerpt from it:

Rabbits see things in two dimensions. They do not easily tell distance and have virtually no depth perception. They can see a cat, but cannot visually tell if it is ten feet or fifty feet away. Their vision can identify a cat, but they tend to use their other senses such as smell and hearing to determine how far away it is.

When a rabbit sees things with both eyes, he sees a flat picture that is similar to page in a coloring book. Imagine taking one of those extra wide panoramic pictures and wrapping it completely around your head and then being able to see the whole picture at once. This is hard for most people to imagine and conceptualize. This is why we don’t easily understand a rabbit’s vision. It is absolutely nothing like our own.

Then add to that the lack of a full color spectrum and the inability to see things up close and now you are beginning to understand a rabbit’s vision. This is why they tend to rely more on their hearing and sense of smell to alert them to danger around them. Their vision is important, but for up close work (like eating) they use their nose more than their eyes.

Based on that article and my overall understanding of how rabbit eyesight works, I proffer the thought that as much as eyesight *seems* absolutely vital to rabbits from a human's perspective, it's probably actually not nearly as big a deal to the blind rabbit as you might think. The biggest piece of advice I can offer your friend is to be as consistent as possible when it comes to things like shampoo, conditioner, soap, perfume/cologne, laundry detergent/fabric softener and other significant personal scents and to speak to the bunny about what's going on around them (particularly greeting them when entering the room and stuff like that).

 

[MameJenny]

I had a bunny go blind due to cataracts from e. cuniculi. As the others mentioned, bunnies do very well being blind. My girl had a long term bonded friend, so she mostly followed him around. She would sometimes need to be picked up and put near food so that she’d get her portion. We also made sure there weren’t any sharp points for her to scratch her eyes. Other than that, she really didn’t need much adjustment. You’ll want to be careful with doors, moving furniture, etc., and tell children to approach the bunny carefully.

Depending on what’s causing your bunny’s blindness, make sure you follow up with your vet. If it’s from cataracts like my girl, your bun might be at risk of developing glaucoma or infections.

 

[JBun]

Here's a good resource for blindness and other disabilities in rabbits.
http://www.disabledrabbits.com/blindness.html