Why is my rabbit's eye closed and ear down? What should I do?

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.

Thanks for reaching out about Fluffy and including a photo. Ocular secretions can become thicker and not drain through the lacrimal duct, when certain conditions arise. This could be an infection, dental disease (affecting drainage), stress and other problems. Continue to wipe the eye area with a moistened clear wash cloth. If worsens, a veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Remember, having your rabbit spayed is very important as rabbits have a high incidence of uterine neoplasia. Good luck.

I am sorry to hear that Paisley isn’t feeling well, and thank you for your question. From what you are describing, she could have an ear infection. Unfortunately this is very common in lop eared rabbits, and often gets quite severe before they show any clinical signs at home. It may also be affecting both ears, and she may not be showing it. Ear infections can be simple and only affect the external ear, or they can be deep and be present past the ear drum and into the middle and inner ear. My recommendation would be to take Paisley to a veterinarian who is familiar with rabbits. They can perform an exam of the ears and collect samples to look for infection. They can then prescribe anti-inflammatory pain relievers and may prescribe antibiotics as well. If they suspect that the infection may be deep, they would recommend imaging with radiographs (x-rays) or a CT scan. Please don’t give Paisley any human medications, as many of them are harmful to our furry friends. I would not recommend cleaning the ears until you have visited the vet either, as many cleaners are not safe to use if you don’t know if the ear drum is intact or not (i.e. they can be damaging/toxic to the middle and inner ear). I hope that gives you a place to start, and I wish you and Paisley the best of luck!

Thanks for reaching out about Flash. Warm ears are not necessarily a fever. Watery eyes could be lacrimal duct obstructions or infections. If still concerned about Flash being ill, a veterinary visit is recommended. Is he still eating? Try wiping the eyes with a warm washcloth. Good luck.

Hello, and thank you for your question. It looks like Pluffy has some sort of skin infection. One possibility is rabbit syphilis (treponema), which is a type of bacterial infection. Another possibility is a systemic infection (sepsis). I would highly recommend taking Pluffy to the vet within the next 24 hours. They can administer antibiotics and pain medication to heal the infection. In the meantime, encourage her to eat a more balanced diet which includes plenty of timothy hay, and limited pellets (no more than 1/4 cup a day). Keep her environment clean. I hope this helps, and that Pluffy is feeling better soon.

I am so sorry to hear that Blanco isn't feeling well! With what you are describing, I would be concerned about a few things with Blanco's eye. When the third eyelid is protruding and if the eye seems to be pushing out of the skull more than on the other side, this can mean that either the eye itself is big (and therefore sticking out more from the skull) or that there is something pushing the eye out (such as a mass behind the eye). Rabbits can get diseases within the eye that make them bigger than normal. They also can get abscesses (mostly related to their teeth), cancers, and other diseases that can grow behind the eye. There is also a cancer in their chest that they can develop, called thymoma, that also can result in the eyes being pushed further out than normal, but that usually affects both eyes, and not just one. I would recommend getting Blanco seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible. The reason for this is that I don't want his eye to dry out, as sometimes it can be hard for them to blink when their eye is protruding more than normal. You can purchase an over-the-counter tear gel to help with this until you can get to the vet. A couple of brands that I recommend are Optixcare and GenTeal. Please ensure that it is the gel only, with no additives for allergy relief or anything else as these can be irritating to rabbits' eyes. When at the veterinarian, they will evaluate the eye to ensure that it hasn't gotten too dry. They will assess it to see if there are excessively high pressures, and check to see if it is indeed too large. If they suspect that it may be something behind the eye, they may recommend diagnostics, such as imaging to look at the area and blood work to evaluate for systemic health and infections. I hope this gives you a place to start, and I hope Blanco feels better soon!

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!