eye goop

[Acacia-Berry]

I meant to post this a while ago but forgot. It's not a huge concern but every now and then Acacia will get this white goop on her eye which moves around until she grooms it out or I wipe it out.
I was thinking it's like the run-off from the tear ducts like dogs but I think it's only ever stuck in one eye and not the other. It doesn't bother her vision or irritate her in any way.
I was just wondering if any of your rabbits get it and what it is exactly and how you deal with it? Thanks

 

[LakeCondo]

I'd continue to wipe it off with a q-tip or something as often as you see it. It could be a low-grade infection. If it persists, you might try a saline eye drop, but that can't be easy to administer. I mean one made for people, but NOT an eye drop of the red-out kind.

 

[Acacia-Berry]

Hm, you think it could be an infection? I guess it couldn't hurt to have her checked up- she hasn't been to the doctor in a while. Problem is finding one- there has recently been a mish mash up of the vets who are taking bunnies :/ I don't know why but my old bunny vet is suddenly "too allergic" to rabbits and has stopped seeing them!! o.o
I can easily pick up more saline. I know the perfect kind to get. I used saline on my old minirex when she had eye retrobulbar. Thanks!

 

[mdith4him]

Our bunny gets this, too. I looked it up and found an article about it somewhere (sorry, I can't remember where). Anyway, essentially, the white goopy stuff is just like the white goopy stuff people get in their eyes (think morning crusties or as I like to call them "eye boogers"). It's not harmful and they wipe it out just like we do.

 

[LakeCondo]

It's not harmful for humans [unless a very immune-compromised one], but rabbits COULD be another matter. I sometime get an infection, such as a stye in my eye, not long after I have that kind of eye problem. With a stye I have to carefully use a needle to open the infection up & I doubt a rabbit would let anyone do that without sedation. The stye is on the edge of the eyelid, so rubs against the eyeball.

The drops can't hurt, I wouldn't think, as long as it's fresh & you don't touch the eye.

 

[mdith4him]

Agree, LakeCondo. If it was something that stayed in the bun's eye for more than a couple hours or if it got worse, I would get worried. Our bunny gets it out himself and is fine afterwards. If it was something that you saw more than once every now and then, I would probably take the bunny to the vet.