eye infection (UPDATE)

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

I have a 6 week old rabbit that has a eye infection. I never had one that is this old. I am pretty sure it is from the dust in the feeder because it litter mate keeps scratching in the feeder. Grrrr.
But i am having a hard time to clear it up. I put asporin(sp) in her eye. and wipe all the white slime out . But then in a hour it is closed again and more slime. She is getting really use to me cleaning it. Is there something else i can use. I dont think these drops are working.

oh ya, If you are wondering , Yes she dose have a half a ear. Mom went crazy on cleaning when she was born. I think she looks more adorable this way. I just need to give her a name alone with it. lol

 

[ladysown]

check her teeth.
check her feet legs nose to make sure she doesn't have a secondary infection.

Have you pulled out the eye lid to check if there is anything caught in there?

if you think it's dust from a feeder then I would put her in her own cage with a small crock as a feed bowl and then see how she does.

My personal opinion is this: if it's dust, isolate, remove the scratching/dust issue. Treat the eye. If it clears up within three days all is good. IF it doesn't, the rabbit becomes food. Not used for breeding.

The query is (or call it a thought-provoker if you wish)... if it has a cage mate, and the cage mate remains healthy and is subject to the same conditions.. WHY is this one reacting? and since it is reacting to something in the environment, why would you want to keep it? the goal of every breeder should be to breed for a healthy hardy herd. This one appears to me at this point to NOT be a hardy animal.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Try Vetricin spray. Breastmilk is also great for eye infections- I've never tried to milk a rabbit, but if you can do it, try putting a couple of drops of milk in her eye.

Pasteurella can present as white discharge from the eyes. Since she is six weeks old, I would separate her just to be safe- if it is being caused by her siblings scratching the feed out it will help that way too.

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

I didnt checked her teeth i will do that right now and i will remove her to another cage. I dont like moving kits if i dont have to.
It is the slime that keeps coming back for some reason.

 

[ladysown]

infection (or slime) that keeps reoccurring is often a sign of pasturella (or some type of infectious disease), ventilation issues, or a poor immune system (at least in my experience in my particular set up).

All these are good reasons to move bunnies.

Dust tends to cause a problem for a day or so (in my experience).

Once kits hit four weeks of age, isolation protocols can and should be followed just as they are for adult rabbits. The only caveat I make with the 4-6 week olds is that I move one other kit with them (one that I am willing to lose) and I provide a shelter area for them. (as in a half cut nest box).

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Yes, I had a couple of kits in a litter like this. No matter what I did, it kept cropping up. It started with one and then spread to another and then another. I culled those three and have had NO more issues since then. That can also be caused by a Staph infection as well.

 

[Miss M]

ILoveBunnies suggests "Clip" as a name... :lol:

Things aren't sounding promising, though.

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

ok, Thanks. This is why i like this forum.. THis is a first one for me. I went out and checked her teeth and everything is ok there and the rest of her body is ok to. But i beginning to think you guys are right because i notice that she was a bit warm when i picked her up. So i have to give a day or so to make sure it isnt just dust. Then i will have to cull her. :|<br /><br />__________ Wed Jun 06, 2012 10:06 am __________<br /><br />ok, I have to asked. How do you cull a small rabbit like this?

 

[MamaSheepdog]

When I had to cull the kit with the snotty nose, I held it upside down by its back legs and whacked it in the back of the head with an old axe handle.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

I believe my hubs did ours by manual cervical dislocation...

 

[Miss M]

Pellet gun below the back of the skull would do, too.

 

[ladysown]

under two pounds a good swift whack to the base of the skull works well. I have a brick wall that I use. Instantaneous death.

 

[Jessykah]

I stomp on the head if they are really small. I am not sure about 6 wk olds though. They aren't as small.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

ILoveBunnies suggests "Clip" as a name.

I like the name Clip! Poor little thing, if it only knew the discussion we are having right now.

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

yes, I like the name to. I am hoping it isnt what you guys say it is. I really hope it is the dust in the feed, In a few days i will be able to tell. She is on her own right now and she is eating ok. Her eye isnt glued shut anymore. I will do another check tonight when i am done feeding them.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

yes, I like the name to. I am hoping it isnt what you guys say it is. I really hope it is the dust in the feed, In a few days i will be able to tell. She is on her own right now and she is eating ok. Her eye isnt glued shut anymore. I will do another check tonight when i am done feeding them.

I know with the ones I had they looked worse than this...they were puffy and swollen, along with the gooey stuff. So maybe in your case it *is* just some stuff in the eye?

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

well, I couldnt wait that long i had to pull her out of cage and look at it. It isnt swollen at all. A little red but nothing like this morning. Moveing her out of that cage did help her allot. I still had to clean some of the white pus out of it. It seems to be coming out of the corner of the eye. It isnt stringy any more. And it wasnt close shut either. I will no more tomorrow morning. I keep putting eye drops in her eye. I will take a picture of her eye in the morning before i start cleaning it. I know it dosnt hurt her. She dosnt move when i clean it out with a wet kleenex and then put the drops in. It is improving. I made sure her food was in a crock dish not a feeder. There is still hope.<br /><br />__________ Thu Jun 07, 2012 6:42 am __________<br /><br />Here is a picture that i just took. I didnt start cleaning her yet. I really dont think this is anything but dirt in her eye that cause a infection. As you can see there is no swellen or redness. There is dried eye gunk around the eye. It isnt as wide open as the other one. What do you think
I cleaned it out again more drops went in. She is so good about this. She just lies there. I have to say i am getting attached to her. I am going to name her Cuttie. Cut for short like you guys mentioned.

 

[ladysown]

i look at that eye and say to myself... I would NOT breed that rabbit. if all her siblings are in good shape and she isn't there is something "off" with her system.

I just don't like the looks of it.

But we each need to make our own decisions for our own herds.

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

Well, Time will tell. I am not going to put down a rabbit that i dont think is need. I dont like to act to fast on something that i am not to sure on. If it stays the same for the next couple of days. THen i will cull her. But it has only been over night and it does look promising. There was only two in the cage at the time. And her brother was the one that likes to scratch out the food in the feeder. It is so easy to get this stuff in the eyes. If it wasnt because of that. I would of culled her. If she had a discharge from her nose that would be differnent also or her teeth.. So i am holding off.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

It doesn't look too bad, but I am concerned that the discharge is white.

Have you checked her eyelashes? In the pic the ones closest to her nose seem to curve down and in. Maybe some of her lashes are scratching the eye.