New bunny has some eye discharge

[HollandlopWinslow]

I’m a new bunny mom and I just got an 8 week old Holland lop. He is eating and playing and seems to be settling in well. Yesterday I noticed some moisture around his right eye and he had a hard whiteish clump in the corner near the tear duct. I used a wet qtip and got the clump off he has a little bit of clear watering from the other eye and a tiny bit of white liquid in the right one that I removed the hard piece from. I have an appointment for the vet next Monday for a check up already. Should I see if I can move it up or should he be okay until then so long as there are no additional symptoms. I’m trying to wait until next week if possible as I work everyday until then.

 

[Mariam+Theo]

He should be fine until Monday, just make sure he isn't in pain. I hope he gets better soon!

 

[JBun]

Could have just been a clump of fur. You can use plain saline eye drops to flush debris out. But if the eyelid gets red and inflamed, if there's sticky white discharge, and/or you see white cloudiness on the cornea, then yes, move up the appointment, as those are indications of an eye infection.

Medirabbit (white eye debris)

Medirabbit (runny eyes in rabbits)

Medirabbit (corneal ulcer in rabbits)

 

[HollandlopWinslow]

Could have just been a clump of fur. You can use plain saline eye drops to flush debris out. But if the eyelid gets red and inflamed, if there's sticky white discharge, and/or you see white cloudiness on the cornea, then yes, move up the appointment, as those are indications of an eye infection.

Medirabbit (white eye debris)

Medirabbit (runny eyes in rabbits)

Medirabbit (corneal ulcer in rabbits)

Thanks for this. It was definitely like the first link. But there was some hard buildup I got off with the q tip. No signs of pain. The first couple days I just kept him in the pen so he could get used to it then I let him explore the room. He seems curious and cautious but he runs around and is eating well. He also had some mucousy cecotropes the first day but now I haven’t seen any so I think he had eaten them.

 

[HollandlopWinslow]

Thanks guys. Everything I read says get them to the vet “soon” or “immediately” but I wasn’t sure if a few days was good or if it needed to be within like 24 hours.

 

[JBun]

Rabbits can get eye crusties in the corner of the eye, just like us. It's normal unless there is sticky white discharge in the corner and clumping up in the fur.

Mucous covered poop can happen from irritation in the digestive tract. This can be from food, a disruption to the microflora, after GI stasis from stress. The stress of a new home can certainly do it. As long as it's minor and immediately clears up, it's usually not an issue. If it doesn't clear up right away, worsens, or thick stringy or jelly substance starts being excreted, that is something that requires immediate help from an experienced rabbit vet. Understanding bunny poop is a good insight into potentially developing health problems in rabbits. It's good to know what changes in poop mean and what they might indicate is going on.

MediRabbit (normal/abnormal bunny poop)

https://bunssb.org/bunnies/guide-bunny-poops/

 

[HollandlopWinslow]

It was jelly like but there were two pieces of it and since everything has been normal.

 

[HollandlopWinslow]

Rabbits can get eye crusties in the corner of the eye, just like us. It's normal unless there is sticky white discharge in the corner and clumping up in the fur.

Mucous covered poop can happen from irritation in the digestive tract. This can be from food, a disruption to the microflora, after GI stasis from stress. The stress of a new home can certainly do it. As long as it's minor and immediately clears up, it's usually not an issue. If it doesn't clear up right away, worsens, or thick stringy or jelly substance starts being excreted, that is something that requires immediate help from an experienced rabbit vet. Understanding bunny poop is a good insight into potentially developing health problems in rabbits. It's good to know what changes in poop mean and what they might indicate is going on.

MediRabbit (normal/abnormal bunny poop)

https://bunssb.org/bunnies/guide-bunny-poops/

I have read this article but it doesn’t have much for different things that can be wrong. Basically just shows normal poop.

 

[LadyGrey]

Special glands in the eye secret a mucus when the eye feels irritated, this mucus can dry creating crusty bits in the corners of the eye or be seen as long goo strings (for lack of a better word). Most likely hay dust or house dust got in his eyes. Baby bunnies are really good at finding cobwebs under furniture.

 

[JBun]

I have read this article but it doesn’t have much for different things that can be wrong. Basically just shows normal poop.

For that you have to get more into research mode and read a bunch more articles, as it can be a bit complex, depending on what poop changes you're seeing. Those links I shared above, just show you what good poop and bad poop can look like, so that if things change, you know if something is wrong and if you need to get to a vet. Then the experienced rabbit vet tells you what's wrong(hopefully correctly) and what needs to be done to correct it.

If you want to understand for yourself what the poop changes actually mean in detail, you'll need to go into doing more research and looking at a lot more information. For the general rabbit owner that can be a little overwhelming, and they usually just want the basics of what to look out for so they know if they need to get to the vet right away or not. But if you would like to get into it more, to have a more thorough understanding of what abnormal poop changes mean and the illnesses they relate to, I'm happy to share some of the links I go to for my info.

 

[HollandlopWinslow]

For that you have to get more into research mode and read a bunch more articles, as it can be a bit complex, depending on what poop changes you're seeing. Those links I shared above, just show you what good poop and bad poop can look like, so that if things change, you know if something is wrong and if you need to get to a vet. Then the experienced rabbit vet tells you what's wrong(hopefully correctly) and what needs to be done to correct it.

If you want to understand for yourself what the poop changes actually mean in detail, you'll need to go into doing more research and looking at a lot more information. For the general rabbit owner that can be a little overwhelming, and they usually just want the basics of what to look out for so they know if they need to get to the vet right away or not. But if you would like to get into it more, to have a more thorough understanding of what abnormal poop changes mean and the illnesses they relate to, I'm happy to share some of the links I go to for my info.

Thanks. I don’t want you to think I’m average. I’ve probably read 10+ hours of info before even bringing him home and I’ve easily been through 10-12 more hours of reading since. And those articles would be much appreciated. The vet I am going to see is well established in my area and there aren’t many exotic vets nearby but she has wonderful reviews so we will see what I think when I see her on Monday. They’re still sound curbside here though which makes me nervous cause they’ll take him and I can’t go in but they said she would come out and speak to me herself so that’s a little relieving.

 

[HollandlopWinslow]

also this is how cute he is if anyone wondered and does anyone know how to get the yellow staining off his paws. He was in an enclosure with 2 other bunnies before I got him and idk how to make the stains go away.

 

[Janellek]

One of my bucks had that his eyes had some stuff and after a week it never came back

 

[JBun]

He is ridiculously cute! But I would know. I have a BEW holland that could almost be his twin.... or his grandpa Mine's 9 yrs old.

The best way to deal with light staining is to just keep a clean environment and clean litter box so it doesn't continue to stain, and it should mostly shed out when he sheds his baby coat in a few months. For deeply urine soaked fur from a health problem or an environment where they were stepping in urine a lot, there are things that can be done like butt baths, but that's usually only recommended when it's absolutely necessary.

I'll work on collecting links for those articles on digestive illnesses and the corresponding poop changes, and post them here.

 

[HollandlopWinslow]

He is ridiculously cute! But I would know. I have a BEW holland that could almost be his twin.... or his grandpa Mine's 9 yrs old.

The best way to deal with light staining is to just keep a clean environment and clean litter box so it doesn't continue to stain, and it should mostly shed out when he sheds his baby coat in a few months. For deeply urine soaked fur from a health problem or an environment where they were stepping in urine a lot, there are things that can be done like butt baths, but that's usually only recommended when it's absolutely necessary.

I'll work on collecting links for those articles on digestive illnesses and the corresponding poop changes, and post them here.

Now that he is getting used to his new home he is starting to be his adorable cuddly self again. He literally demands attention ALL THE TIME!! I have currently cut out pellets except as treat like once or twice a day and only a tiny handful like maybe 10-15 pellets at most. And just tons of hay. He has been begging for those pellets nonstop but I only had a small amount of his previous ones so I think I was switching too fast for his tiny tummy so after a week of just as treats I’ll reintroduce them for regular 1-2x daily feeding. Since cutting out the pellets his cecotropes have been better. I have had to clean a couple pieces off his rear but they’re not mushy just got separated

 

[HollandlopWinslow]

Also what is normal urine like? I haven’t really seen much info on that aside from it varies greatly but his is a bit cloudy and dark yellowy-orange but has no odor really. Apologies for all the questions. Just want to be sure I’ve understood as much as possible so I can keep him as happy and healthy as possible.

 

[HollandlopWinslow]

He is ridiculously cute! But I would know. I have a BEW holland that could almost be his twin.... or his grandpa Mine's 9 yrs old.

The best way to deal with light staining is to just keep a clean environment and clean litter box so it doesn't continue to stain, and it should mostly shed out when he sheds his baby coat in a few months. For deeply urine soaked fur from a health problem or an environment where they were stepping in urine a lot, there are things that can be done like butt baths, but that's usually only recommended when it's absolutely necessary.

I'll work on collecting links for those articles on digestive illnesses and the corresponding poop changes, and post them here.

Also does this mean that when he sheds he won’t be as soft??? I knew that they molt every year but I didn’t realize they had a separate baby coat and regular adult fur?

 

[JBun]

Also what is normal urine like? I haven’t really seen much info on that aside from it varies greatly but his is a bit cloudy and dark yellowy-orange but has no odor really. Apologies for all the questions. Just want to be sure I’ve understood as much as possible so I can keep him as happy and healthy as possible.

It can range from yellowish to orangish brown, to even a little red, depending on their diet and plant pigments affecting urine color. Slightly cloudy is just calcium sediment in the urine, which is normal unless it's thick and creamy, gel like, or pasty(indications of bladder sludge). Really dark urine can be from dehydration. Beige or brown urine can mean a UTI. Pink or foamy urine can be more infection issues. Spots of blood in the urine would be UTI, bladder sludge, and/or kidney problems. But it sounds like your rabbits urine is normal.
Medirabbit (rabbit urine)

http://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Urine

Also does this mean that when he sheds he won’t be as soft??? I knew that they molt every year but I didn’t realize they had a separate baby coat and regular adult fur?

Baby fur is usually softer, but it doesn't mean the adult coat won't also be pretty soft. My white holland at 9, still has a really soft coat, though a bit scraggly from his bun partner taking too much interest in grooming him(a little short now in spots) They also shed more than once a year. How much, depends on the rabbit, but mostly their big molts are spring and fall.

Two links that are generally good and my go to for rabbit health info:
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/index_en.htm
http://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Category:Health

 

[JBun]

Part 1
This is a list of articles about digestive illnesses and the poop changes you will likely see with them. Some are common digestive illnesses with rabbits, some very rare. Be warned, some links contain graphic medical related photos

Photo guide for poop changes:
https://bunssb.org/bunnies/guide-bunny-poops/http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/drop/Drp_en.htm (bunny poop photos)

General articles about poop issues in rabbits:
https://rabbit.org/disorders-of-the-cecum/http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/poop.html
Ileus, or GI stasis: reduced poop size, poop with excess fur, progressing to no poop, mucous covered poop from after a case of ileus(refer to photo guide links)
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.pdfhttps://rabbit.org/sluggish-motility-in-the-gastrointestinal-tract-2/
Cecal Dysbiosis(aka mushy poop, intermittent soft cecotropes/stool): sometimes mistaken for diarrhea but isn't, cecals will be mushy and/or watery but fecal poop will be normal round fecal balls, possibly mixed together (refer to photo guide links)
https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/cecal-dysbiosis-in-house-rabbits-what-the-hay/https://rabbit.org/intermittent-soft-cecotropes-in-rabbits/https://sawneeanimalclinic.com/downloads/chronic_intermittent_diarrhea_in_rabbits.pdf
Bacterial/mucoid enteritis(not to be mistaken for epizootic rabbit enteropathy):
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Generalities/Enteritis_en.htm (enteritis in rabbits)

Intestinal Parasites
Coccidiosis: threads of mucous/blood mucous in the poop, tear drop shaped poop (refer to photo guide links)
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Protozoal_diseases/Cocc_en.htmPinworms:
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Parasitic_diseases/Pass/Pass_en.htmTapeworm:
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Parasitic_diseases/tapeworm_2.htm
to be continued ->

 

[HollandlopWinslow]

It can range from yellowish to orangish brown, to even a little red, depending on their diet and plant pigments affecting urine color. Slightly cloudy is just calcium sediment in the urine, which is normal unless it's thick and creamy, gel like, or pasty(indications of bladder sludge). Really dark urine can be from dehydration. Beige or brown urine can mean a UTI. Pink or foamy urine can be more infection issues. Spots of blood in the urine would be UTI, bladder sludge, and/or kidney problems. But it sounds like your rabbits urine is normal.
Medirabbit (rabbit urine)

http://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Urine


Baby fur is usually softer, but it doesn't mean the adult coat won't also be pretty soft. My white holland at 9, still has a really soft coat, though a bit scraggly from his bun partner taking too much interest in grooming him(a little short now in spots) They also shed more than once a year. How much, depends on the rabbit, but mostly their big molts are spring and fall.

Two links that are generally good and my go to for rabbit health info:
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/index_en.htm
http://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Category:Health

Thank you so much for all your help!! And thanks for the info about sheds. I thought it was just once a year in spring.