My rabbit has an eye infection. Should I take it to the vet for meds?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is my pleasure to answer your question as well as possible. I will do my best to give you the clearest and most current information I can. If you need to follow up with further questions or need a more in-depth discussion, please do not hesitate to request a consultation and we can help you further. Cute bunny, and congratulations on your new family member. Yes, it is pretty common for bunnies to get eye infections but there are a number of different reasons for them. The most common of those include a blocked tear duct that would normal drain extra tears from the eye into the nose, an abrasion or scratch, or an E. Cuniculi infection. A blocked tear duct can be caused by something as simple as a dusty brand of hay to something as complex as a chronic tooth issue. In a bunny as young as yours the chronic condition is less likely. Unfortunately, the only good way to tell if there is a blockage is for a vet to stain the eye and see if the colored stain drains into the nose as it should. If it is blocked, the vet can flush it out. They could also get a very superficial look at the teeth to see if they appear normal. The vet would be likely to give you some medication to help the irritated skin in front of the eye heal faster as well, for now please keep that area as clean and dry as possible.

Hi there! It's hard to tell from this photo but it looks like this is a pretty normal-looking eye--do you have a picture of the infected eye? Has a veterinarian seen your bun to figure out what medication is appropriate to put in the eye you think is infected?

It looks as Buttercup is suffering from an eye infection, it is relatively common in rabbits. you will need to take him to the vet the first chance you get, the vet will check the eyes, if it is indeed a simple eye infection your vet will prescribe an antibiotic eye drops that will probably solve the problem in no time.

it sounds like he has an infection so he should be examined by a vet for treatment. Your vet can determine the severity of the injury to his eyes and prescribe medications to help. He may need an antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory to treat an infection.

What a cute bunny! From the photo the area on the skin looks as though it has healed- if there is a defect in the skin itself then an exam by the vet is recommended as he may need antibiotics. I cannot see any redness to his eyes in this photo, so I am not sure if you mean that his eye color is red or if he has red eye lids or the white of his eyes look red. If he is rubbing at his eyes/blinking alot, has excess tears or a green or yellow discharge from the eyes these would be cause for a vet exam as well. The red color to the urine can sometimes be a result of diet http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=18+1803&aid=2839. If he is not acting lethargic and is eating/drinking I would monitor the urine for a few days- if he becomes lethargic/is straining to pee/stops eating or drinking or the urine continues to look red then an exam is recommended.

I'm sorry Baby isn't doing well! Unfortunately there is nothing you can give him OTC. Rabbits are very sensitive to medications, and giving him a human one that isn't prescribed by a vet can be fatal. I would keep putting the warm wash cloth on his eye and get him into a vet asap. The eye is such a delicate and important structure that any problem with it should be considered an emergency. That's because leaving it untreated can lead to vision loss. I hope this helps, take Baby into a vet right away.

This is most likely Scabies (a mite infestation), this can become much more severe than that, i recommend taking him to the vet ASAP, he will need an injection of ivermectin (3 times one week apart), this should resolve the problem within 2-4 weeks.