HELP! Baby rabbit has an eye disease, need your input.
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Rabbits By DK
Raising rabbits for meat and pelts since Feb. '23
One of its eyes are glued shut and a creamy liquid leaks from it every once in a while.
Clean the eye with warm water. I use cotton balls. You can use tetracycline.(like used for pink eye). Or Triple antibiotics salve without any pain reliever- just original,basic..or soak black tea bag and clean the eye with that. Make sure after soaking the eye , that the eye opens. Then, place a dab of your salve. Do this 2x daily.
We had something very similar a while ago, you can find our notes here: https://rabbittalk.com/threads/babys-eye-wont-open-all-the-way.35585/post-346044
For now, gently clean the white fluid away and squirt with saline.
If you can nurse the baby through, I'm sure it will be delicious, but don't sell or breed it. If either of the parents also has eye problems, cull the parent(s) too. In our case the doe was the problem, we culled her and have had no issues with subsequent litters from the same buck.
For now, gently clean the white fluid away and squirt with saline.
If you can nurse the baby through, I'm sure it will be delicious, but don't sell or breed it. If either of the parents also has eye problems, cull the parent(s) too. In our case the doe was the problem, we culled her and have had no issues with subsequent litters from the same buck.
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My approach. I give it one week. If not better in a week I hard cull.
My approach to nestbox eye.
Open the eye using a warm teabag compress. remove all pus. Soak with a fruit smell tea bag compress. This will encourage mamma to help clean the eye as well. Check the eye frequently, you'll have to clean pus out at least twice a day.
See if the eyelids are turned in. If they are... hard cull immediately. AND put mom and dad are your suspect list.
If it's just nestbox eye it should clear up within the week.
NOW future: day 9/10 check kits eyes. if they aren't open by the normal time for you (for me that's day 10 or others up to day 14) then use a teabag compress to open them gently.
check them every couple of days.
If momma keeps throwing kits with nestbox eye, or with turned in eyelids, cull momma from your program. If you notice a similar pattern with rabbits from your buck.... remove the buck.
My approach to nestbox eye.
Open the eye using a warm teabag compress. remove all pus. Soak with a fruit smell tea bag compress. This will encourage mamma to help clean the eye as well. Check the eye frequently, you'll have to clean pus out at least twice a day.
See if the eyelids are turned in. If they are... hard cull immediately. AND put mom and dad are your suspect list.
If it's just nestbox eye it should clear up within the week.
NOW future: day 9/10 check kits eyes. if they aren't open by the normal time for you (for me that's day 10 or others up to day 14) then use a teabag compress to open them gently.
check them every couple of days.
If momma keeps throwing kits with nestbox eye, or with turned in eyelids, cull momma from your program. If you notice a similar pattern with rabbits from your buck.... remove the buck.
Rabbits By DK
Raising rabbits for meat and pelts since Feb. '23
Thank you! I'll try using some of the ideas you sent.
RABBITGIRLFORTHEWIN
Well-known member
Are pics1 and 2 blurry for anyone else? I think one of my kits has this. Is it contagious to the other kits in the litter? The parents have never had this problem with any of their kits. Could it be caused by the eye being pried open when it wasn't ready(I would never pull the eye open myself. But I live with kids that might do it)? Will it go away on its own? if not what do I need to get/do to cure it(Lol, I need links to where you get yours)? Is it safe to eat If I grow it up to butcher? How can this be prevented? Would it just be better to cull now? Lol, so many questions.
follow the suggestions in this thread for treating
Yes will be fine to grow to cull out.
not contagious, but may indicate a problem in your herd management
It will not go away on it's own.
Not caused by opening eyes early... and teach your kids to be GENTLE with bunnies if that's a concern.
preventing by not breeding does that throw it, or bucks that throw it with more than one doe, and by practicing good cleanliness in nestboxes.
Rabbits By DK
Raising rabbits for meat and pelts since Feb. '23
Yes, the first 2 pictures are blurry. I was trying to take them one handed.
