My rabbit has hot ears and watery eyes. Should I worry he's sick?

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.

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.

Thanks for reaching out about Snowbow and including a photo. Scratching at the ears could be ear mites or an infection. Take a look inside of the ear to see if any accumulations, discharge, odor, blood. The discolored urine could be due to increased vitamin intake (B vitamins will often change the color of the urine). But he could also have a urinary tract infection. A veterinary visit is recommended for both conditions. 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!

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.

Thanks for reaching out about Misty. No much to recommended except an emergency examination now, ASAP. With lethargy and cold ears, she is potentially shocky and in need of medical attention, regardless of the cause. Try to provide some gentle warming but see a vet. Good luck.

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.