# Rabbit third eyelid showing and a bit swollen



## Mary1234 (Oct 1, 2020)

Hello everyone I'm new to the forum and came here in need of advice and guidance. 
So my pet rabbit just turned 6 years old and two days ago I noticed that is third eyelid was showing (something I never noticed him doing) the eyelid in is right eye seamed normal but in the other eye was a bit red and a tiny bit swollen, it seams scratch or irritated. 
Both of them retract, he can shut is eyes just fine and doesn't look bothered by it, he eats, plays, drinks just like usual. 
He doesn't shows any other symptoms, just the showing slightly irritated third eyelid. 
Should I try and wash it with a saline solution or take him straight to the vet.?(im a bit low on money right now doe to this pandamic crises) 



Here are some photos off how the eyes looked today
Thank you for your time! 

Ps:sorry if something is miss spelled I'm a non native speaker


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## JBun (Oct 1, 2020)

It could be just inflammation of the third eyelid or it could be something more serious. Heart problems and thymoma can both cause the third eyelid to protrude, but usually with those you will also see other symptoms such as increased respiratory rate and effort. Because he is a little bit older bun, those two possibilities would be my biggest concern. 

I can't say if it's an emergency that requires immediate treatment or not, it could be. But definitely if it's not back to normal by tomorrow I would want to get it checked by an experienced rabbit vet. Here is some info on possible causes of a protruding third eyelid.
Medirabbit (protruding third eyelid in rabbits)






Rabbit Vets Near Me – House Rabbit Society







rabbit.org


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## Mary1234 (Oct 4, 2020)

Hello, thanks for the reply but I believe that things are turning for the worst, so I could only book a Vet appointment for tomorrow. 
So I did what you recommended and waited to see if it went away and on Thursday the eyes looked better less red and the third eyelid wasn't has protruding as the day before, it retract almost completely everytime he blinked is eye, only showing when he did some head moviments or get scared/ to excided and for the rest of the day everything was normal. 
By Friday in the afternoon I saw him do some strange noise a squiky sound like a dog chewing toy it was supper weird, I believed he sneezed, so I called the vet and for that day they didn't have anyone that could see rabbits only on Monday, that being said I book a consult for Monday. 
Yesterday he was the same as Friday, he ate, drunk water not lethargic at all supper curious about what was going on in the kitchen(one of my cabenets fell ) the only difference is that he make that sound a lot more times and put everyone in this house hold on high alert looking for other symptoms. 
And today they came, the third eyelid is showing a lot more than it was before and it's more swollen in one of the eyes, kinda like cherry eye and the eye it self looks a bit bulging, and only now it looks like he as trouble breathing. There is no discharge of anything in both eye or nose, and it's a bit more lethargic but still moves around just fine and responds to food and water. 
I did some research and could it be snufles? (hopping for that and nothing wrost)


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## JBun (Oct 4, 2020)

I would be doubtful this is snuffles, which is a respiratory infection with nasal discharge. A protruding third eyelid and bulging eyes are not typically associated with a URI. If your bun does actually have bulging eyes, this is caused by pressure in the head or in the chest cavity, which are other indications of a possible heart issue, thymoma, or possibly an abscess/mass in the head.

If your bun is in fact having difficulty breathing, this would be considered an emergency situation. If so, then if you have an emergency vet around that has experience with rabbits, I would try and get your bun seen today. If you can't get your bun seen today, and if you don't have a morning appointment with your vet tomorrow, I would suggest calling when they first open and tell them about the breathing difficulties and try and get your bun seen first thing as an emergency. I don't know how experienced with rabbits your vet is, but I would for sure want chest and head xrays done.


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## Jayleen (Apr 6, 2022)

Did you ever figure out what was causing this? My bunny is having something similar that I just noticed yesterday. She’s 100% herself and eating.


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## SavannaJones1997 (Sep 1, 2022)

Jayleen said:


> Did you ever figure out what was causing this? My bunny is having something similar that I just noticed yesterday. She’s 100% herself and eating.


Hi Jayleen,
My rabbit Chino is exhibiting similar symptoms (excluding breathing difficulties). She has an inflamed third eyelid. It's red, puffy and veiny. She has some discharge from the eye to. She is eating well and seems happy in herself. Just a little discomfort.
I took her to the vets yesterday and she has damage to her eye from possibly poking it with straw. I had to get some eye drops and some pain relief. If no change I have to take her back to the vets.
If your bunny is having the some or similar symptoms I suggest you get her checked by a vet as she may need treatment like my bunny.


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