I'm beyond desperate!!!

[KanoasDestiny]

PLEASE HELP!!! My dwarf rabbit Willow got an eye infection about 3 weeks ago. We thought it was allergies at first because of the change in our weather, but after it wouldn't go away, I knew something was wrong. Willow gets beyond stressed during car rides, so I really didn't want to have to take him to the vets. I begged the vet's to give me some cream without having to see him, but after they said that I HAD to bring him in, we made the horrid trip. He had nothing in his eye, and no scratches (they put the dye in there), so they said to just put cream in it. I had to sit in the vets office for 30 minutes, just so Willow could settle down. He was breathing so hard, I thought he was going to have a heart attack. Finally, I decided that it was just better to get him home. It was a horrible ride home because he was breathing so hard.

A week later, cream inserted three times a day, and his eye is still watery. I called asking for another cream, and they said that I would have to bring him back in because they would need to do more testing. She also said that they may have to sedate him, to check. I WILL NOT put him through sedation!!! I hear that rabbits have a really low tolerance for it, and I don't have enough faith in my vet to accomplish a safe level of it. So what can I do??? Please, I am open to anything, except having to take him back to the vets. It isn't seeping pus, just water. He also doesn't act like it hurts. He is almost 6 years old, so the less stress...the better.

 

[jess]

I'm a vet tech not a vet but here are a few ideas. You can do a hot compress on it several times a day. Also you can flush his eye with just regular saline solution and if his eye is irritating to him you can buy any "natural tear product" from the drug store not visine or anything like that just natural tears. Also most vet supply catologs like Jeffers and Valley Vet Supply carry triple antibiotic eye ointment you want the ointment WITHOUT steroids. If his eye is constatly running but doesn't seem to bother him and isn't appearing infected it could well be he has a clogged tear duct that needs to be flushed rarely they will clear up on their own but if it's a clogged duct it'll most likely need to be flushed if it seems to bother him. Good luck with him.

 

[KanoasDestiny]

Thank you Jess. I currently have Neomycin/Polymyxin B cream. I have no idea if it has steriods in it or not. I will be trying the saline solution, as I just read about that on another website too. Thanks again.

 

[jess]

Your welcome. The ointment they have him on is just an antibiotic no steroids if those are the only things listed on the label. Hope he turns out ok. Can you post a pic of his eye? How often is it running just seeping or streaming tears?

 

[Ferrah]

If the eye is just watery the suggestions above will probably help your poor guy out.

I have had many rabbits that have had teary and watery eyes. After some treatment they were all ok.

If the eye has pusy discharge from it I would be a little more worried. He could have snuffles as this disease can affect the eyes as well. If he does have snuffles, he needs to be on antibiotics and in a low stress environment.

 

[runamuk]

I have another question....what breed is your rabbit? I am asking because in a number of breeds 6 yrs of age is considered senoir citizen. You are correct to want to avoid the stress of travel it can cause spontaneous death. Does the bunny sneeze or cough or keep it's head cocked to one side? Those are all signs of snuffles which often is a pneumonia and oral antibiotics can help but often are not effective long term. If it is just a runny eye and has been treated with antibiotics without resolution I would tend to agree it may be a blocked tear duct so flushing with saline or natural tears is the best solution. Is this a house rabbit or a hutch rabbit? Change of season can cause some watery eyes and if you have had wind or excessive dust this also can cause problems. Bunnies do not do well with sedation so it helps to have a vet who is very well versed in rabbits and preferably one who makes house calls (like a horse vet). Something to consider in the future to make life easier, make sure your bunnies travel well take them for car rides from a young age to get them relaxed about the whole proccess. It is just like teaching a horse to ride in a trailer or a dog to ride in a car. I always started taking my young bunnies to shows often with mom if they were destined to be show bunnies, that way they were relaxed with car trips and show noise.

 

[Reble]

You can also put a drop of Pen G in the eye which will kill bacteria. Have done my goat, calf, horses and dogs when they have had eye infection. Do it at least twice a day. Cannot hurt.

 

[KanoasDestiny]

Thank you everyone!!! I am just so against having to take him to the vets again. Especially because I asked when I was there, if there was any thing else they wanted to do (sedation was not an option!) while we were there. The vet seemed very certain that nothing was wrong, and just gave the cream. Since he doesn't act irritated by his watery eye, then I see no reason to put him through the trip again. I hate to say it, but if he is going to die from his eye problem, then he can go in the peacefulness of his own home...not during a stressful car ride.

When I first got him, he was 2? months old. This November will make 6 years that I've had him, so I'm guessing he'll be 6 in September (we've always celebrated his birthday on Sept 17th). He is a dwarf bunny, so I know he is up there in age, but he is in perfect health (minus the eye problem right now) and spirits. He lives indoors with us, and has his very own potty box. When we first got him, we would take him for rides in the car every now and then, but then in our 3rd year of having him, our cat scratched him in his eye, and we had to take him to the vets. Every since then, Willow HATES car rides. As soon as you put in him the car, he starts breathing rapidly and he basically goes into a zoned out stage. I thought for sure that I was going to lose him this last time. I sat with him for over 30 minutes in the vets office, so he could calm down. After I knew it was doing no good, I knew I had to get him home so he could relax. It took him over 20 minutes for his breathing to go back to normal after he was in the comfort of his own home. I can't put him through that again!!!

I have been paying close attention to his eye. At night time (he sleeps in a pet carrier), it doesn't seem to water up. His eye was as dry as could be. Then after putting him in his bunny area, it teared up a little but not much. I haven't seem any gunk, except maybe two or three times in a 3 week time frame. Kinda like milky colored water, but it usually isn't there. Just clear. And it isn't itchy for him or anything. No nose discharge or loss of appetite.

I had a question...what is Pen G, and would I need the vet to prescribe it? The vets office is refusing to try to help unless I bring him back in. And unless it is a dier emergency, that isn't happening.

 

[runamuk]

Sounds like a lucky bunny :bgrin :bgrin I would say as long as it is just one eye and not infected (pus ooze) that keeping it rinsed and using the ointment only if it seems infected should be fine. Is this by chance the eye that was injured when he was younger? It could be that the eye is more sensitive.

As soon as you put in him the car, he starts breathing rapidly and he basically goes into a zoned out stage.

That is a near state of shock in a rabbit....I would not put him through that again unless it is an emergency. A rabbit having heat stroke will also do that.

I'd say the guy is just showing some of his age as long as he is eating and drinking and hopping around I wouldn't worry too much.

Now you need to share a picture

: :bgrin :bgrin

 

[KanoasDestiny]

Thank you so much. I'd like to think it's getting better, but I just don't know. We stopped the cream yesterday because it seemed to cause him to water up even more. Plus after a week of seeing no results, we decided that we didn't want to use it because his eye can become tolerant of the cream and it may not do any good later on.

Anyways, here's my little man.

And this is a couple pics of his eye. One was taken Wednesday, Thursday and today.

Oh yeah, it isn't the same eye that Binx scratched a few years ago. Poor guy, it's always his eyes.

 

[Reble]

You can get the Penicilin G at TSC store or feed mills here in Ontario.

Do not need perscription... Yes, has also been recommended by our Vet is safe to use.

 

[SilverDollar]

My mini lop, Panda, is now 9 years old and over the past 12 years that I've had rabbits I have collected lots of books. Here's the brief overview of what I found in one of the more detailed books. It's called Rabbit Health in the 21st Century by Kathy Smith and reviewed by Dr. Noella Allan, DVM.

"Oral penicillins (Amoxicillin, Ampicillin, and Clavamox) can be deadly to rabbits.

Injectable Penicillin Procaine G with Benzathine is a fairly safe antibiotic for rabbits. It should not be used for more than five consecutive days. If a long-term treatment is required, your vet will probably suggest a regimen such as five-days-on then five-days-off or giving injections on every third day.

Like humans, a small number of rabbits experience severe allergic reactions (anaphylactic shock) to penicillin. Your vet should show you how to give the injections and should monitor your rabbit after the first dose for signs of anaphylactic shock. Make sure you know how to recognize and respond appropriately to a severe allergic reaction, just in case your rabbit reacts to a later dose."

"Eye drops that have been safe and effective for rabbits include:

Gentocin; Gentocin Durafilm (Gentamicin Sulfate--includes a steroid); Ciloxan Ophthalmic Solution (Ciprofloxacin HCI); Neomycin and Polymyxin B Sulfates and Dexamethasone Ophthalmic Solution.

Eye ointments include: Neobacimyx Ophthalmic Ointment (Bacitracin--Neomycin--Polymyxin); Chloramphenicol Ophthalmic Ointment; and Gentocin."

Actually, Willow's eye doesn't look too bad. And I'm totally in agreement with you about not subjecting your bunny to a stressful car ride. It's just not worth it. :no:

You might try contacting the House Rabbit Society for additional information. It sounds like you have checked another rabbit message board. Good luck with Willow's eye. He's a lucky bunny to have you as his guardian!

:

P.S.-Here's a link to the House Rabbit Society page on antibiotics: http://www.rabbit.org/health/antibiotics.html There's lots of other good info. there, too.

 

[Reble]

Injectable Penicillin Procaine G with Benzathine is a fairly safe antibiotic for rabbits.

Only talking about drops in the eye with Pen G not injecting.... But great info...

 

[KanoasDestiny]

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!! Everyone has been so helpful, I feel a lot better about my poor little guy. His eye is still the same, watery in the early morning and evening times the most, I think. I have been feeling his little nose to see if it is runny, and there's been a couple times that it has been moist, but not runny (like it has been a couple times over the years). I'm so scared that it is worst than just an irritated eye. If it was snuffles, would it take almost 4 weeks to show itself?

Silverdollar, that was great information. I was about to ask if the doctor should have put him on an oral antibiotic as a precaution. I had no idea that penicillian could be deadly to them. I think I'm just frustrated with the situation because the vet never checked him for a fever, or anything while he was already THERE, and now they refuse to offer any help unless I bring him back in. It's not my fault that they didn't do a thorough exam when he was in there. I love him so much, he's like my son (spoiled beyond belief!

: ) and I just want him to be ok.

Thank you again everyone!