My blind bunny's eye is swollen with discharge. What should I do?

Thank you for the picture, and I hope that we can get Sophie feeling better soon! I like your idea of taking her into the vet on Monday when they open, as swollen eyes can be painful, and eye injuries can be serious. Until then, I would recommend keeping the area clean, and trying to keep hair from going into the eye, as it can scratch the cornea (front of the eye). You can also apply an over the counter tear gel (such as GenTeal or Optixcare) 3-4 times daily. Please try to get one of these two brands, and make sure they are just the year gel without any additives in them. This will help to keep the eye lubricated until Monday. Please do not apply any other medications to the eye, and don’t give any human medications to your rabbit, as many of them are harmful to them. If you feel that the eye is worsening tonight or tomorrow, I would recommend trying to find an emergency clinic that see rabbits.

Swollen eyelid can be a sign of a fatal disease called myxomatosis (rare in the US but possible). it could also be a sign of an eye infection or blocked tear duct. you need to take Ember to the vet ASAP in order to get it checked and treated.

Thanks for reaching out about Shila. There is suspect that trauma or infection is affecting the eye. Try gently wiping with a warm wetted washcloth to determine if any thick white discharge is noted. This is an infection. Since rabbit eyes are large and situated laterally on the head, it is not uncommon that the eyes become scratched or worse while sticking their heads into bushes, etc. Any chance of a predator (cat, other) encounter? A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. They should be able to examine the eye and present a treatment plan. Good luck.

Hi, and thanks for your question. That is likely to be due to a mild to moderate conjunctivitis, probably secondary to a trauma or infection. A check up would be needed as appropriate treatment would include antibiotics and anti-inflammatory eye drops. Corneal injuries must be ruled out as well. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Thanks for reaching out about Gouldo and including photos. This could be an infectious problem, trauma, or even other. A veterinary visit is recommended as it appears painful. Remember that most veterinary clinics close early on Saturday, and this should not wait until Monday. A wet warm compress can help reduce some swelling. Monitor appetite and water consumption. Good luck.

Yes! Holiday definitely needs medical care ASAP! I can’t see the eye in the picture but there appears to be raw, likely infected skin cranial to the eyes, possibly draining discharge from an eye infection (hard to see the eye in this picture). Holiday could benefit from sedation, very careful clipping of the crusted fur on his face, cleaning of the raw skin with chlorhexidine, a topical antibiotic /steroid ointment for the skin +/- injectable Baytril, likely ophthalmic antibiotics for the eye and an e-collar to prevent scratching and further injury. Holiday is very cute…best wishes for a quick recovery!

If your bunny has an eye ulcer and an actual puncture to her eye, that is unlikely to heal on it's own and she could lose the eye if it gets infected inside the eye or the eye perforates. She needs to see a vet to get some meds into the eye and probably oral meds as well. They can do a test to see how deep the scratch on the eye is to help get her better.