# Weepy Eye



## LarryR (Feb 28, 2009)

:cry1:I've got a couple of Flemish that have gotten a 'weepy eye'. That is the lower corner of the eye seems to be wet with some type of drainage. Vet gave me Cipro and when that didn't work, he said if the rabbit was healthy and eating to wait & see what happens. The rabbits are healthy & eating---no problems there. No other external signs, no wet paws, no mucus drainage from the nose, and the problem is only in ONE eye oneach rabbit. I have tried over the counter eye wash that contains some boric solution. Any ideas what might be going on?? Thanks--Larry


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## ra7751 (Feb 28, 2009)

Hi Larry,

Be very cautious on using "over the counter" treatments especially with the eyes. As far as the Cipro, was it an eye dropor oral drug? And how well does your vet know rabbits?

There are several things that could cause a "weepy eye". The thing here is that it is two rabbits at the same time. Usually if one of my rabbits has a drainage from an eye, the first thing I do is "stain" the eye looking for an abrasion and/or possible ulcer. Could be some type of irritation....piece of hay, dust from pellets or even an eyelash irritating the globe. Sometimes there might be a disagreement between rabbits and a scratch from a nail can cause an abrasion.

Some type of infection....a stand alone ocular, upper respiratory or dental issue can cause this. A skilled vet would investigate further. We have seen just plain stand alone infections in the eye.....conjunctivitis....just like with people. In most cases, this is caused by the bacteria Pasteurella Multocida. In many cases, this bacteria has mutated to the point that most of thethe "floxacins"....Baytril (for most animals) or Cipro (human version) has become almost useless. Baytril, when it's effective against Pasteurella, is usually better when injected and at a higher dosing than the "standard" dosing for rabbits. A new generation of this family of drug, Marbofloxacin (Zeniquin) has not shown resistance issues as of yet. Zithromax is by far the most effective and safest (keeping in mind that all medical procedures carry risk) in dealing with Pasteurella. I have treated some horrible eye infections (and I will attach one to this posting) with Zithromax along with Gentamicin Eye Drops. Great combination for infections sensitive to these drugs. Few vets outside the "upper crust" know of using Zithromax in rabbits.....I have been using it for years...well before most vets knew of it. Upper respiratory infections are usually caused by the same bacteria. Your rabbit can have a URI and not have discharge from the nose. Sometimes a "raspy" sound can be heard with a stethoscope. In most cases, URIs are effectively treated with the same drugs as an eye infection. Dental issues can get a bit more complicated and those usually require a highly skilled vet especially if abscesses are involved. Dental problems usually require sedation and more advanced type drug treatments. Some may also suggest a "blocked tear duct". In over thirty years of treating rabbits, I have never seen this condition that could be shown to be a truly restricted tear duct....not saying it can't happen. The "blocked tear ducts" I have seen have always come back to a restriction caused by some type of infection in the head that we putting pressure on the ductwork itself.

I would push your vet for more aggressive diagnostics. If this is an infection, it is always better to treat a developing infection rather than an established infection....and more so if that infection is in the head. If your vet is not highly skilled in rabbits (no flaming intended to your vet....it's just a fact of life that most doctors receive very little training on exotics)....as for a referral. In the meantime, try to keep the area as clean and dry as possible to limit any skin irritataion. I would flush the eyes with saline several times per day. And use a lubricant....basic artificial tears...to provide lubrication to the globe in case there is any irritation in there. I prefer to use the "gel" tears rather than the "liquid" tears. They can be purchased at any pharmacy. I prefer the "Refresh" brand eye gel but there are numerous generic versions that are equal.

And here is a picture of a serious ocular infection. This is Danny. He was abandoned outside and suffered horribly. This infection was cultured as Pasteurella Multocida. This culture was performed when he has been on Bactrim and Baytril for nearly a month. Zithromax quickly resolved this issue. Today, Danny is a healthy gentleman in the autumn of his life. He is our oldest surviving bunny.....we estimate him to be at least 9 years old. This infection was about 6 years ago.







Randy


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## pamnock (Feb 28, 2009)

Flemish seem to be prone to this. I'd certainly follow Randy's advice and have a vet look further into possible cause, and be certain to check for blocked tear ducts. 

Pam


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## slavetoabunny (Feb 28, 2009)

In our rescue, we have found that nine out of ten times a weepy eye is tooth related. We are very fortunate to have a vet who has has advanced training in rabbit dental issues. I would definately have the teeth checked.


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## tonyshuman (Feb 28, 2009)

Definitely get it looked into more seriously. Are the Flemish related? If so, it could be a genetic tooth root problem. Clear discharge from the eye makes me think a tooth root problem (they can grow up into the face to interfere with proper eye drainage) or corneal abrasion. I'd expect something more pussy and opaque for an infection, like in Randy's pic. Tooth roots can be checked with a dental x-ray.

If the vet thinks it's an infection, definitely get a different antibiotic, as Cipro doesn't seem to have worked.


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## LarryR (Mar 1, 2009)

I thank everyone for their generous comments and advice. I too feel it is probably more tooth related than infection---and yes the rabbits are related. I think this will be the end of the line, for that line. I have actually been to the vet twice with this problem to the tune of $370.00 dollars total. He has stopped short of x-rays since he doesn't feel he is up to rabbits teeth. As I said, there is no nasal or colored discharge, just the wet around the cornor of the eye. Thanks again to everyone. Larry


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## dquesnel (Mar 2, 2009)

Hi, did you discuss the possibility of blocked tear ducts with the vet?

Often blocked ducts are caused by dust, hay bits, residue, scar tissue etc and it is quite common in rabbits. To see if the ducts are blocked the vet will put colored eyedrops into the eyes and see if it runs out the nose. If it does not, and the drops just drip out of the eye, then the ducts are clogged. 

It is simple to flush the ducts, and something most vets are capable of doing. If the ducts are plugged and not flushed it indeed can cause infections, skin irritation, eye trauma. The procedure can be done while the rabbit is awake and should not cost much money. After the procedure is done I use anti bacterial drops to use twice a day for three days to prevent the ducts from becoming blocked again. 

Especially since only one eye on each rabbit is affected it causes me to think this could likely be eye duct issues. I would look into that one more time, and actually am surprised if the vat hasn't mentioned it already.


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