Eye Problems

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Eye infections can be caused by a wide range of problems, some of them genetic. They can be caused by bacteria, a entropic eyelid, dental disease, an eye injury or ulcer, a foreign body stuck in the eye or under the eyelid, and myxomatosis.

Rabbit eye placement helps them in the wilderness- they have rather large eyes that are placed on opposite sides of their head in order to enable the rabbit to see things coming at them from both sides.  Their tear ducts are anatomically close to their nose and teeth and are long and narrow and follow a route close to the roots of a rabbit's teeth, which means that an infection in any part of the eye, sinus, nasal cavity or mouth can easily spread to a rabbit's tear ducts. Their tear ducts drain tears away from the surface of the eye, ideally through the nasal passage. If these ducts become inflamed or blocked the tears can no longer drain to the nasal passage and they will drip over the lower eyelid onto the face.  Unfortunately, because of this eye placement and the design of their tear ducts, their eyes are rather exposed and prone to a variety of eye problems.

If you notice symptoms such as discharge, constant rubbing or scratching, swelling, or redness, then you may have a problem. A closed or partially closed eye indicates discomfort in the eye. The white of the eye may appear pink or red. You might notice wet or matted fur around the eye. There could be thin, clear tears present, or a thicker green, yellow or white discharge. You might also see discharge crusted on the front legs from the rabbit rubbing at its eyes.

"Nest Box Eye"

Sometimes kits can get eye infections from bacteria or a dirty nest box. Their eyelid often gets sealed shut and puss builds up behind the lid. Cleaning the eye infection daily is imperative. See instructions at the bottom of this page on treating an eye infection. It is VERY important to unseal the eye at each treatment.

Entropian

Entropian is caused by a rolled eyelid. This is often congenital (genetic) and usually cannot be corrected. The best option is to cull and remove this problem from your herd. If you are constantly treating infected eyes in a rabbit odds are good it is entropian.

Dacrocystitis aka Weepy Eye

Dacryocystitis or weepy eye is a common inflammatory condition of the tear ducts. It can occur in one or both eyes and is often associated with other issues such as conjunctivitis. Weepy eye is often caused by dental disease such as an abscessed tooth, foreign body tear duct blockage such as hay, a bacterial infection such as Pasteurella, tear duct trauma, eyelid wounds or respiratory infections.

Weepy eye is often accompanied with other symptoms such as decreased appetite, weight loss, depression, lethargy, matted or crusted fur around the eyes, rubbing their eyes with their front feet which can also cause matted or crusted fur on the front feet, swelling under or around the eyes, fur loss around the eyes, tear-stains on their fur, red and swollen eyes, conjunctivitis. Watch for wet fur around the eyes or on the face, and/or on the front paws. Also watch for green, gray, white or yellow eye discharge.

Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis aka "pink eye" is caused by either a viral or a bacterial infection. The conjunctiva is a membrane which covers the surface of the eye and the inside of the eyelids. Pink eye causes the membrane to become pink and inflamed. One or both eyes can be affected.

Pasteurellosis

​Pasteurellosis is a bacteria which affects the upper respiratory tract and can lead to eye infections, as the Pasteurella bacteria tend to reside in the nose, lungs and eye membranes. This bacteria can be present for many months without causing any discomfort or symptoms, but when a rabbit becomes stressed or sick, Pasteurella bacteria can flourish. The first symptom is usually "snuffles," but it can lead to a secondary eye infection as well. See the page on Pasteurella for more information.

Foreign Body

A foreign body is anything stuck in the eye or under the eyelid that should not be there, such as a sharp piece of hay or straw, and can cause redness and weeping eyes. Examine your rabbit to determine if this is a likely cause. If you suspect that your rabbit has a foreign body in its eye, use a cotton swap or a saline rinse to try to remove the item form your rabbit's eye.

Cataract

A cataract is an opaque film that forms on the lens of the eye. This film reduces the amount of light that passes through the lens, affecting the eye's ability to focus and causing reduced vision. Most rabbits adapt well to any reduced-vision cataracts by relying on their other senses. Older rabbits can develop cataracts. Cataracts cause a milky, cloud-like layer on top of one or both of the rabbit's eyes and can cause partial or complete blindness. Cataracts can be caused by poor diet, diabetes, or genetics. Cataracts are very uncommon in young rabbits and typically if you see signs of a cataract in a young rabbit it's caused by a E. cuniculi infection present at birth (see below). Surgical removal of the cataract is possible.​

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is essentially high pressure in the eye and can be genetic or secondary to cataracts, uveitis, or other ocular disease. Rabbits with glaucoma are unable to regular the fluid in their eyes so they either overproduce fluid or are unable to drain it properly. The fluid blockage creates too much pressure in the eye, which can cause damage to the retina, leading to blindness. Glaucoma is best treated by a veterinarian or by culling.​

Abscess

Abscesses are a serious condition. You may notice a bulging eye or a bump that suddenly appears under your rabbit's eye. The eye itself may even be punctured. Abscesses are usually caused by a scratch or a bite that got infected. Abscesses are a cavity containing of pus surrounded by a capsule of thickened, inflamed tissue. Usually abscesses are the result of a bacterial infection. The pus must be drained and the infection removed entirely in order to heal. 

Ulcers

A corneal ulcer is a hole or defect in the clear, outermost layer of the eye called the cornea. It can be a small spot or it can cover the entire eye. It's usually caused by damage to the eye cornea such as from rabbit's fighting, hay or grass affecting the eye, or from an accident. The damage causes a painful and irritating bacterial infection. Ulcers are best diagnosed by a vet. Veterinarians use a special eye stain that sticks to the ulcer then they use a special light that illuminates any stain sticking to the ulcer.

E. cuniculi

Encephalitozoon cuniculi (or E. cuniculi) is commonly believed to be caused by either a protozoal parasite or a fungal organism and can cause conjunctivitis and other eye issues. Some rabbits carry this infection without illness but others can develop inflammatory disease affecting the brain, kidneys and eyes. E, Cuniculi can lead to cataract formation and secondary inflammation of the eye, called uveitis. It is possible for mother rabbits to pass E. cuniculi on to kits before birth, and it can affect rabbits of any age. It may not present other symptoms. See the E. Cuniculi page for more information.

Allergies

Rabbits can absolutely be allergic to hay and dust. Symptoms include red eyes, clear discharge from the nose, rubbing at the face and crusty front paws from rubbing its face. Lengthy exposure to allergens can cause more serious issues such as respiratory infections and bronchitis. Try removing your rabbit's hay (if you are feeding a COMPLETE pellet, additional hay is NOT a required part of a rabbit's diet) and see if that helps.

Dental Disease

Tear ducts run from the eye to the nose and can become blocked ​by overlong tooth roots. This results in tears running onto the face, causing irritation and inflammation of the skin of the lower eyelid. This skin can become inflamed which spreads to the conjunctiva. Infected tooth roots can cause inflammation and abscess formation around and in the tissues of the eye.

Proptosis

This is the probably the worst (and rarest) type of eye problem. Proptosis occurs when the eyeball pops out of the rabbit's head. This is typically caused by major trauma such as a predator attack or your rabbit being squeezed too tightly. The only way to treat proptosis is to remove the eye, as it will be hanging from the optic nerve.

Iris Prolapse

Iris prolapse or protruding iris is when the part of the eye that constricts and dilates (called the iris) sticks out through the cornea. You might see a visible bump on the surface of your rabbit's eye. This is a rather rare eye problem.

Blindness

Sometimes rabbits are born blind due to congetical (genetic) issues, age, trauma or a medical issue such as cataracts. Rabbits can survive without their sight, especially if they are kept in familiar surroundings. They can smell where their food and water are. Be aware that blind rabbits may have trouble navigating outside of a familiar enclosure.

Treating Eye Infections

Use a warm, CLEAN, damp rag to clean the crusty bits off of the eyelid and around the eye. If the eye is stuck closed, then force the eyelid open gently. Express any puss out of the eye. I recommend a chamomile compress- you can take a chamomile tea bag and steep it for a minute in hot water, then let it cool until it's comfortable to touch. Squeeze most but not all of the water out (think damp not drippy) and hold the tea bag over the eye for several minutes. Chamomile has natural healing properties, is a natural pain reliever, and the warm damp heat will also help loosen the crusted on bits that will often be stuck in and on the eyelashes. Remove the compress and finish cleaning every bit of crusty or goopy infection from inside and outside the eye. Apply terramycin by smearing it into and over the eyelid. If you don't have terramycin, then you can use an antibacterial ointment. Be sure your ointment does NOT have pain reliever in it (the pain reliever is toxic to rabbits). I do not recommend creams, especially if your rabbit is still with its mother, as the mama bun is just going to easily groom it off. The ointment sticks better. Repeat daily until cleared up. Sometimes the eye turns cloudy during an infection. This is typical, and most of the time the eye will clear up once the infection is cleared up.

Persistent or constantly reoccurring weepy eye is usually best culled (or attended to by a veterinarian).

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