Eye problems with 8wk olds

[Vovo]

Hello! I'm brand new here but I have been reading from this site for months now. I'm raising Californians for meat and I have only been in it for about 7 months. The first litter was great but this last litter had a few problems with a bit of nest box eye. It only affected a few but quickly cleared up. But for the past few weeks I have noticed that suddenly all of them had a bit of crust in the corner of their eyes. Also, the rims of their eyes are red instead of a pink. Moms eyes seem to be fine except I found one eye booger and found her inside forepaws to be crusty. So I'm trying not to panic... At first I was thinking they might have been irritated from some ammonia but after I raised them up, cleaned the cage corner, cleaned out under the cage AND did tea and honey compress plus a drop in each eye for 4 days, I go out and find a few kits with their eyes crusted shut. Recent crust is yellowish on a few clear(or white??? The rabbits are white...) Nobody is sneezing, no obvious signs of snot besides moms front legs.
I stopped giving hay when this very first started. Also during the day I go out and find them all to be huddled together, a lot of the time with all their noses together. The litter before seemed more active. The only time they're hoping about is dinner time. So they're eating and nobody is looking thin. If you 're wondering I feed them out of mesh J feeders. Pellets and picked grass. Not drinking a whole lot...bottles, if you're wondering again...
I'm sorry if this is a lot. I've read as much as I can and cant seem to find anything that addresses the red rims and everything else mentioned.
My eyes are tired of reading everything on the internet and my heart is heavy since I have just barely begun and now the whole herd will have to be culled (my buck seems to have an eye crusty in one eye). I'm still waiting a few days so any advice would be much appreciated.

 

[Dood]

The hudling could be due to the cold - I keep my wooden nest boxes in the cage for 4 to 6 weeks during the cooler months (Sept to May in my area ) so the kits can go in and huddle to keep warm - their grow out pen is a 10x10 colony with several houses that they can shelter in and bundle up in the straw bedding.

I had never had a case of nest box eye until I got a new Cali buck and 40% of his offspring came down with it, now that he is no longer fathering kits I haven't had one case of it in my rabbits - so I FIRMLY believe it is a genetic factor more so than a disease or hygene issue.

I would suggest replacing/culling any does who's kits develop this problem and possibly replacing your buck or at least start growing out a robust male kit to use as a sire in 5 months.

The mucky paws could be a seperate issue and could indicate some sort of respiratory infection, unless the **** is from the rabbits rubbing their eyes :shrug: either way their immune system isn't up to par and they would be on my short list for replacement.

 

[Vovo]

I think most of the kits will be culled very soon. Will be 8 weeks old tomorrow. I think here was originally 2 bucks that seemed to be fairing far better then the rest. No eye crust and no red rims but eventually came down with those symptoms. The only one I have found with matted paws was their mother
but her eyes are fine. Not sure if the single eye booger on her was just one random normal one or not. Will check everyone over again in a bit.

 

[Easy Ears]

You could always just keep cleaning them, and do all you can for them! They have amazing regenerative properties!!!
My buck was sick for months, and after many hours spent in keeping him clean, and many prayers, he is just (In the last week) improved TREMENDOUSLY! I was just praying Protection and health over him, but just this last week I started praying energy and strength also, and OVER NIGHT there was a HUGE difference!!! :mbounce: He is almost completely back to his old self!
He got sick because I had a friend take care of him, and they all got really bad, and her dogs broke into the cages, and killed one of my rabbits (I was having her take care of three while I was gone.) and my buck got wounded really badly, suffering a cut lip, a bloody ear, foggy eyes, sneezing, and a puncture (Teeth wounds) on his neck and head. His recovery had been a miracle, especially the fact that he might have had snuffles, and weepy eye. His energy is restored, and he is doing amazing. So I would just suggest that you do what you can for them, and pray. God does miracles.

I put an image of him in here...I don't know if it will turn out or not...haha. But you can notice the healed cut on his lip.
Bless you all!!!

 

[Vovo]

Well I guess my overall question was, could it be pasturella even if there isn't any snot or sneezing? Seeing as they're still edible even if it is I will just have to mostly start over minus one doe. :roll:

 

[MaggieJ]

It's hard to say whether it is pasteurella or some minor eye infection. I would suggest you send them to freezer camp as soon as you can. The meat will be fine well cooked, but I would not feed any part of it raw to any of your other animals.

Many breeders breed towards healthy rabbits that do not pass on this kind of problem, even if it means culling certain breeders. I'm not saying that you should necessarily do this, but that doe does not sound too healthy. If you can replace her with a better rabbit, it is something to consider.

 

[michaels4gardens]

It's hard to say whether it is pasteurella or some minor eye infection. I would suggest you send them to freezer camp as soon as you can. The meat will be fine well cooked, but I would not feed any part of it raw to any of your other animals.

Many breeders breed towards healthy rabbits that do not pass on this kind of problem, even if it means culling certain breeders. I'm not saying that you should necessarily do this, but that doe does not sound too healthy. If you can replace her with a better rabbit, it is something to consider.

JMHO, - if the first litter was fine, you could just have a eye infection bug running it's course in your herd, and it will pass,or if it is pinkeye ,a little barberry tea in the eye or some vet eye drops will fix it, - however - if the doe has goopy or crusty paws, that is a different thing, -I would quarantine her- then - I would watch her closely and see if it clears up, if it doesn't , I would not put her back into service or in contact with the other rabbits. and-- IMHO if she ever exhibits the symptoms again, I would cull for sure

 

[Vovo]

Thanks for the input. I do believe all the kits will hit freezer camp. Doe & buck will also I believe. My experience with other animals, i.e. cats& dogs, is that an eye booger is normal here and there. Seeing it on my doe after all I had seen with her kits freaked me out, and then seeing it on my buck didn't help. Only saw it once on each but maybe they're just excellent groomers... I'll search over pink eye a ton now.

 

[ladysown]

matted legs on momma... kits with messy eyes... cull the lot when they hit butchering age. Don't keep any of 'em.

Like Dood I firmly believe nest box eye to be a genetic issue as since I"ve been culling for it my incidences of have dropped dramatically. It's actually rather depressing for me right now as of my two new to my herd bucks... one is having kits with eye issues and I was assured that they didn't have eye issues in their herd.

So I'm back to culling out lines of eye issue kits. ARGH!!!!!