Vvvvvvvv
Member
I just wrote a novel that was better suited to be a journal entry than a cry for advice, so let me try this again...
The "short"(er) version:
Toki is a 9 year old rabbit that has had a runny eye for the last 4-5 years.
His eye started started running after a severe impact to his head (he fell 12 feet onto a brick floor face-first). Luckily, his eye seems to have been the only injury resulting from the fall, but it has leaked ever since. I always assumed that he had gone to the vet and there was nothing they could do (my parents led me to believe this), but I have figured out in the last few days that no vet had EVER checked his eye.
The discharge from his eye is clear and has always been clear, which makes me think that his tear duct was damaged in the fall and cannot drain properly. However, it could also be a blocked tear duct, or an elongated tooth root from what I understand. Any other opinions?
I called the vet today and after explaining the whole situation to the receptionist, she told me she doesn't think I need to bother with bringing him in. The receptionist said that if he has been living with it for around 4-5 years and it doesn't seem to bother him (which it doesn't at all), then the stress of the car trip and the examination could do more harm than good for a 9 year old rabbit.
He is bonded to another bunny that grooms his eye (though very infrequently) and I try to clean it carefully whenever there's a little gunk remaining. He therefore has not lost any fur in the area (though the fur is much lighter in colour in the area) and his skin doesn't appear to be irritated or inflamed.
So, now I'm just trying to figure out what to do. It should be a relief to hear that he doesn't need medical attention, since I am student who can't really afford to take him in, but I still worry. Should I take him anyway to get his eye checked out when there's likely no treatment? Or, if it's not causing any pain, is it better to leave it be until something changes?
The "short"(er) version:
Toki is a 9 year old rabbit that has had a runny eye for the last 4-5 years.
His eye started started running after a severe impact to his head (he fell 12 feet onto a brick floor face-first). Luckily, his eye seems to have been the only injury resulting from the fall, but it has leaked ever since. I always assumed that he had gone to the vet and there was nothing they could do (my parents led me to believe this), but I have figured out in the last few days that no vet had EVER checked his eye.
The discharge from his eye is clear and has always been clear, which makes me think that his tear duct was damaged in the fall and cannot drain properly. However, it could also be a blocked tear duct, or an elongated tooth root from what I understand. Any other opinions?
I called the vet today and after explaining the whole situation to the receptionist, she told me she doesn't think I need to bother with bringing him in. The receptionist said that if he has been living with it for around 4-5 years and it doesn't seem to bother him (which it doesn't at all), then the stress of the car trip and the examination could do more harm than good for a 9 year old rabbit.
He is bonded to another bunny that grooms his eye (though very infrequently) and I try to clean it carefully whenever there's a little gunk remaining. He therefore has not lost any fur in the area (though the fur is much lighter in colour in the area) and his skin doesn't appear to be irritated or inflamed.
So, now I'm just trying to figure out what to do. It should be a relief to hear that he doesn't need medical attention, since I am student who can't really afford to take him in, but I still worry. Should I take him anyway to get his eye checked out when there's likely no treatment? Or, if it's not causing any pain, is it better to leave it be until something changes?
