National Eye Care Month, typically celebrated in January, is the perfect time to raise awareness about the importance of eye health of your pet rabbit. Ensuring your bunny’s eyes stay healthy is crucial to their overall well-being.
Rabbits are known for their bright, expressive eyes, but maintaining their eye health is crucial for their overall well-being. Proper eye care for rabbits involves regular monitoring for signs of irritation, infection, or injury.
Why Eye Care is Important for Pet Rabbits
Rabbits rely heavily on their vision to navigate the world, avoid danger and interact with their surroundings. Their eyes are uniquely positioned on the sides of their head, giving them an almost 360-degree field of vision. This helps them detect predators, but it also makes them susceptible to certain eye conditions. Daily preventative eye care will keep your rabbit’s eyes healthy for years to come.
Rabbit Eye Anatomy
Understanding the anatomy of your rabbit’s eye is key to giving them proper eye care. They of course have the usual cornea, iris, pupil, lens, retina and optic nerve as all mammals do, however rabbits only have one nasolacrimal (tear) duct located in the lower eyelid. It has a long, narrow, twisting passage (canal) through the facial bones, passing close to the molar and incisor tooth roots.
Behind the eye there are two main blood vessels which branch out horizontally from the elongated optic disc. There is a large cluster of blood vessels present in the rabbit (retrobulbar venous plexus) eyeball. Because of this structure, disease in the neck or chest can cause the rabbit eye to be pushed forward. The upper, lower, and third (nictitans) eyelids protect the eyeball.
Symptoms of Eye Problems
Redness or Swelling: Could indicate conjunctivitis, uveitis, or an injury.
Discharge: Watery or thick discharge often signals infections like conjunctivitis or dacryocystitis.
Cloudiness: May indicate cataracts, corneal ulcers, or glaucoma.
Excessive Tearing (Epiphora): Often caused by blocked tear ducts or dental problems.
Eye Bulging: Possible sign of exophthalmos, abscesses, or glaucoma.
Changes in Behavior: Reluctance to explore, bumping into objects, or head tilting may indicate vision loss.
Scratching or Rubbing the Eye: Suggests irritation, injury, or ingrown eyelashes.
Sensitivity to Light: A sign of corneal damage, uveitis, or infections.
Common Rabbit Eye Problems
There are many potential eye problems your rabbit could experience. They can be susceptible to several eye diseases due to their unique anatomy and physiology. Common conditions like corneal ulcers, conjunctivitis, or injuries from hay or bedding can cause significant discomfort if left untreated. To prevent any permanent damage or loss of vision, all eye problems should be taken seriously.
Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye)
- Cause: Bacterial infections like Pasteurella or Staphylococcus, viral infections, irritants (dust, hay), or allergens.
- Symptoms: Redness, irritation, swelling, watery or thick discharge, excessive blinking.
- Treatment: Antibiotic eye drops or ointments prescribed by a vet, cleaning the area, and addressing the underlying cause.
Dacryocystitis (Tear Duct Inflammation)
- Cause: Blocked tear ducts often due to dental problems or infections, open rooted molars or incisors, pressure from abscesses, decreasing bone density, cancer in the sinus, eye or bone or swelling of the mucous membranes can lead to constant tearing and secondary infections. Cellular debris from the tear ducts can cause watery eyes. Many short faced rabbits such as lops and dwarfs are born with with narrow tear ducts. Neurologic disorders can also be a factor.
- Symptoms: Watery eyes, crusty discharge in the corner part of the eye which is usually thick and white, swelling near the tear duct.
- Treatment: Flushing the tear duct by the vet and antibiotics if infection is present.
Corneal Ulcers and Injuries (open sores on the cornea)
- Cause: Dust, scratches, hay pokes, or foreign objects. A rabbit may get scratched in the eye when fighting with another rabbit.
- Symptoms: Cloudiness, visible scratches, redness, excessive tearing, sensitivity to light.
- Treatment: Veterinary care, antibiotic eye drops to prevent infection, protective eye coverings if needed and pain management.
Cataracts
- Cause: Age-related changes, genetics, or infections (e.g., Encephalitozoon cuniculi, a parasitic infection).
- Symptoms: Cloudy or opaque appearance in the lens, reduced vision. Immature catarac: the lens is partially covered, Mature: the entire lens is covered, and in Hyper-mature: lens liquefaction (gel like substance) has occurred.
- Treatment: Addressing the underlying cause (e.g., antiparasitic treatment), sometimes surgery. Create a safe, familiar environment to help visually impaired rabbits navigate.
Glaucoma
- Cause: Increased pressure in the eye due to impaired drainage of aqueous humor.
- Symptoms: Enlarged eye, pain, cloudy cornea, vision loss.
- Treatment: It’s a painful condition and can lead to blindness if it isn’t treated. Pain management, sometimes surgical intervention to relieve pressure and create a safe, easy to navigate environment at home.
Eye Abscesses
- Cause: Bacterial infections, often secondary to injuries or dental problems.
- Symptoms: Swelling near the eye, pus-filled lumps.
- Treatment: Draining the abscess, antibiotics, and addressing the underlying infection source (possible tooth extractions).
Retrobulbar Abscess
- Cause: Infections behind the eye, often originating from dental issues such as tooth roots of the upper cheek teeth which can touch the eye and in very severe cases can even penetrate the eye. Bacteria from food can cause an infection which in turn causes an abscess.
- Symptoms: Bulging eye, pain, and difficulty closing the eyelid.
- Treatment: Surgery to drain the abscess, antibiotics, and sometimes tooth extraction.
Ectopic Cilia or Ingrown Eyelashes
- Cause: Misaligned growth of eyelashes, irritating the cornea.
- Symptoms: Excessive tearing, redness, blinking, and corneal damage.
- Treatment: Removal of the offending lashes and protective measures for the cornea.
Eye Proptosis (Eye Displacement)
- Cause: Trauma or excessive pressure on the head.
- Symptoms: Eye partially or fully out of the socket, swelling, and pain.
- Treatment: Emergency veterinary care, often requiring surgical intervention.
Uveitis (Inflammation of the Uvea)
- Cause: Infections (e.g., E. cuniculi), trauma, or systemic diseases.
- Symptoms: Redness, cloudiness, sensitivity to light, and pain.
- Treatment: Anti-inflammatory medications and treatment of the underlying cause.
Exophthalmos (Protruding Eyes)
- Cause: Abscesses, tumors, or other masses behind the eye.
- Symptoms: Eyes bulging from the socket, discomfort.
- Treatment: Get to your exotic vet immediately! Possible surgery and antibiotics.
Blindness
- Cause: Trauma, cataracts, glaucoma, or parasitic infections like E. cuniculi.
- Symptoms: Disorientation, bumping into objects, reluctance to move.
- Treatment: Focus on creating a safe environment; some conditions like cataracts may be treatable.
Infectious Diseases
Myxomatosis: A serious disease in rabbits that often begins with swollen, red eyes. Vaccination is key in prevention. It is caused by a viral disease transmitted by insects or direct contact. Symptoms are swelling around the eyes, redness, discharge, and systemic symptoms. Treatment is supportive care.
Pasteurella: can cause runny eyes, conjunctivitis and abscesses in severe cases.
Encephalitozoonosis: caused by the protozoan parasite E. cuniculi can cause uveitis, cataracts, ocular lesions and lens destruction. Your rabbit will probably exhibit nystagmus (rapid uncontrollable eye movement). Treatment will include fenbendazole as well as a rigorous treatment of other drugs.
Eye Care Advice
The heart of rabbit eye care is regular daily observation. This is key to catching issues early. If there is visible injury, keep the eye clean using sterile saline and consult a vet immediately. For discharge, gently clean around the eye with a warm, damp cloth. Avoid applying pressure. Avoid using over-the-counter eye drops without professional guidance. Provide your vet with a list of symptoms, when they started, details about any changes in behavior or appetite, their diet and habitat conditions.
Sometimes, basic at-home eye care can prevent minor irritations from becoming major problems. Make sure you have the following items in your rabbit’s first aid kit: saline solution for rinsing out debris, a clean soft cloth for wiping away discharge and a rabbit-safe eye ointment (consult your vet before use).
Mild Symptoms: for watery, slightly red or crusty eyes, clean with a sterile cloth and sterile water or saline. Monitor for 1-2 days and consult your vet if symptoms persist.
Moderate to Severe: for bulging, swelling, thick discharge, light sensitivity, cloudiness, or injury seek medical attention from your exotic vet immediately.
Perform Daily Eye Checks: Observe eye color and brightness, look for signs of redness, swelling, or discharge, check for excessive blinking and light sensitivity. Monitor their tear production (watery eyes).
Keep Their Habitat Clean: Dust, debris and sharp objects can irritate their eyes. Inspect your rabbit’s hay, remove soiled bedding and litter daily and make sure their enclosure is away from drafts or strong scents that could irritate their eyes. Good ventilation reduces the risk of airborne irritants like dust and smoke.
Grooming: In the case of long haired rabbits, make sure hair is trimmed around the eyes. Use a damp cloth to moisten the fur around the eyes then use an eyebrow comb or flea & tick comb to remove crustiness.
Teeth: inspect your rabbit for overgrown teeth
Provide a Balanced Diet: In addition to routine inspections, good nutrition plays a significant role in rabbit eye care. Hay should be the staple of your rabbit’s diet along with leafy greens which are rich in vitamins like A and C, and fresh water for hydration.
Seek Veterinary Care: Schedule regular check-ups and consult a vet if you notice any abnormalities.
Herbs for Eye Care
Herbs are rich in nutrients, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They can help enhance your rabbits eye care health by improving circulation, boosting the immune system and easing inflammation. Herbs can be given fresh, dried or in tea form. If foraging, make sure to wash thoroughly. If buying, choose organic.
- Astragalus Root: Astragalus root can help improve a rabbit’s immune function
- Basil: Basil can help prevent infections
- Bilberry: Bilberry anthocyanins can help protect retinal function
- Calendula: Calendula can help boost your rabbit’s immune system and help reduce inflammation
- Dandelion Leaf: Dandelion leaves can contribute to a rabbit’s overall health
- Dill: Dill has Vitamin A-an essential nutrient that is important for maintaining vision
- Fennel: Fennel has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties that can help prevent and treat eye diseases
- Goji Berries: Goji Berries contain an antioxidant that can help reduce the risk of eye diseases
- Nettle Leaf: Nettles are packed with Vitamins A, C, and D to support vision
Final Thoughts…
This National Eye Care Month, take proactive steps to protect your bunny’s precious sight. Educate yourself on common eye conditions, create a safe environment, provide a nutritious diet, and stay vigilant for signs of trouble. Make eye care health a priority in your rabbits daily routine. These tips will ensure your rabbit’s eyes remain bright and healthy for years to come.
