My rabbit has eye pain. What can I give him before seeing a vet?

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!

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.

Poor Oreo! Unfortunately there aren't any OTC pain relievers you can give him. Many human ones are toxic to rabbits and can be fatal if given. The ones that are safe should only be used under strict vet supervision, and because I can't see him in person, it's illegal for me to recommend any of them. I would see if you can give your vet a call about his pain and discuss pain medication recommendation. If he does appear very painful, I would take him into an ER vet right away. Good luck with him, I hope he feels better soon!

You can take a warm damp cloth and hold it over the eye to loosen the discharge, then gently wipe it away. Do this as as often as needed. Please don’t put anything in the eye unless you get an exam with your veterinarian. They will examine the eye and once they have a diagnosis then they can prescribe eye ointment if needed. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your rabbit.

Collect some dry grass outside. Unfortunately rabbits can get digestive problems, sometimes they also can have hair balls which cause problems. Without a hands-on exam it is not possible to recommend a medication. Do not give any antibiotics to your rabbit or any other human medicine. Oral antibiotics are likely to kill the bacteria a rabbit needs for digestion and she will die. Try to find some hay, dry grass. Maybe there is a veterinarian in the next town who can help you.

There's nothing over the counter that you can safely give to your ferret for discomfort. If you can, make a small e-collar (cone) and place it on Bear to prevent rubbing or pawing at the eye. Ideally, he should be examined by your veterinarian as soon as possible. Potential eye injuries should be considered veterinary emergencies.

Oh gosh! I am so sorry to hear this! Rabbits should not be given any over the counter pain medication- it can be fatal to them. Do you have hair or beard clippers? #40 blade is best but a 10 will do the job. Put her in a dim room but enough light for you to see what you are doing. Clip/shave all the hair around the wounds. Use warm water to compress and clean the wounds. If you have the opportunity to have her evaluated by a veterinarian that would be ideal. Sometimes equine veterinarians will help with the rabbits too . Getting the fur off can really help decrease the chance of infection as well as allows you to see what is going on and if it is improving or getting worse. Keep her indoors so flies can’t get to the wound. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon! Thank you for using Pet Coach.