cateracts or something else?

[thatrachel]

my rabbit is a 3 year old lop and in the past week she has been behaving differently. she usually loves to bound out of her cage when i open the door but starting last week she is not coming out. when i took her out, she just sat under a table and didn't budge. i figured she was scared of my houseguest but this continued. i looked at her eyes closely and there is a white film on both pupils. i am terribly worried about her. she is still eating and drinking and seems normal besides her eyes and behaviors.i took some pics tonight and they are below. i would appreciate any help. i am going to take her into the vet soon.


[align=left]

[/align]

 

[pamnock]

Most certainly a condition that needs to be examined by a vet for proper diagnosisand treatment.

A condition we sometimes see in the lops (as well as in other breeds occasionally) is "entropian", where adefect in the eyelid causes abrasion to the cornea which can eventually lead to infection and loss of the eye.

There are also many other causes of scarring or filming on the cornea.

Pam

 

[naturestee]

:yeahthat

Pam's right, this is something that needs vet attention to diagnose. If you want more info, Medirabbit has some great articles on eye conditions:

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Eye_diseases/Eye_diseases_main.htm

 

[edwinf8936]

Does the film move around when you have the eyelid over it and around? If so there is something that is irritating the eye. If not it is soemthing the vet needs to diagnos. I have been tald that if you shine a light in the eye and do not see the "red" of the retna and see green or gray it is a sign of cateracts.

Ed

 

[thatrachel]

thank you guys! i am going to take her in soon. i feel so bad for her edwin: the film seems firm. i used some saline to flush the eye and it did not seem to budge. i will try the light trick soon. would a flashlight be too strong? i don't want to cause further irritation.

 

[Spring]

Maybe try a camera with a flash then look at the film? I'm not sure, but I know the buns eyes show up red most times if you use flash for the camera.

 

[thatrachel]

here is her eye with flash, does not look red

 

[thatrachel]

I just wanted to show a before and after picture of the eye. Both used flash and a macro lens at about the same angle with a 16 month time difference.

 

[Cinnabunny]

I happen to be a teacher of the visually impaired. It looks very much like a cataract. Does the rabbit have the white in both eyes?

Cataracts are removable; I'm not sure if rabbits can have them removed but I don't see why not.

I wish you luck. Many animals learn to live with no eye sight. Leave furniture/bowls/etc. in the same place and people and animals learn where they are.

 

[thatrachel]

^^Yes it is in both eyes. I looked at pics of cateracts from the link above and they were similar, though the corneal ulcers also looked somwhat similar. I read that there is surgery and the lens would be removed so she could not focus but still see. Seems they do lens implants in dogs...not sure if they make them for bunnies?I took her out to play and she was able to cautiously hop about. She just is not acting like herself...seems too docile and not as excited about treats. She also cannot get into/out of the cage herself.

 

[Cinnabunny]

After reading a bit more at this web site: http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/vision.html

I put information together with what I recommend to parents' of my students. Cataracts cloud the focused vision and when they get very white very little light is coming it for use to see. This means that your bunny is seeing very little at this point. Removing the cataract will limit the focusing ability but rabbits are farsighted anyway. This means that rabbits see better at a distance than close up. Removing the cataract will allow vision; your bunny will be so happy to see again that it will probably not notice the loss of good distance vision but notice the gain of VISION.

The website said that rabbits see the blue and green spectrums best. You could try edging the opening of the cage with blue masking tape (can usually get it at Home Depot type stores). You can contrast to help the bunny find its food and water. This is done by putting green pellet in a white bowl with a black mat under the bowl. You can put green hay in a yellow bin.

 

[thatrachel]

Sorry for the late update. Our rabbit was diagnosed with immature cataracts in both eyes and a slight bit of pressure in one eye. They did an Ultrasound to see how thick they were and if she had glaucoma but she does not have that. They didn't really recommend surgery and we would have to wait for them to mature, which they have not.

At the same time, she has dry flaking skin on her back. They did a scraping and it is dandruff. She is on a topical cortisone and condtioner lotion.

She still refuses to come out of the cage and play so we are going to build her a ramp. Any suggestions on material? Are there other health concerns for blind rabbits? Thanks!

 

[Spring]

Don't know about the ramp, but my old bun Smokey went blind as she got older. Just make sure you keep the dishes around the same place they are always in, and be very calm and make sure she knows your there before you come near her or you could spook her.

 

[thatrachel]

Ok sounds good. I always say hello to her as I approach so she knows I am coming. She still can see light and dark and some shapes. Actually no matter where I put the food bowl in the cage, she instantly finds it by smell. She loves loves loves pellets and actually does little jump circles in the cage while she waits for me to fill the bowl.I was thinking a wooden ramp with popsicle sticks in the perpendicular direction for some traction.

 

[RexRabbit]

It could also be an Encephalitizoon Cuniculi (EC) induced Uveitis.

EC is a parasite that Buns can contract, often at birth. The parasite can remain dormant and just be excreted in the wee or it can produce spores which migrate in the blood stream to the Brain, Kidneys and heart. The Eye Lense is also effected.

Treatment is usually a 28 day course of oral anthihelmetic (wormer), antibiotics, anti-inflammatories. Any Lense damage done by EC is irreversible but treatment will irradicate the parasite and prevent further damage. Antibiotics and anti-inflammatoies will address the acute symptoms.

EC infection is diagnosed by clinical presentation and a series of blood tests.Although one blood test in conjunction with active clinical symptoms can justify a confirmation of EC. If no clinical symptoms are present then two blood tests are needed as a rising positive titre is needed to confirm active infection. One positive result in an asymptomatic rabbit just confirms CONTACT with EC and NOT active infection.

Janex



Janex