Baby Rabbit with Popped Eyes

[PioneerPrincess]

Hi,

1) What type of rabbit , age and weight.
It is a New Zealand x Californian and just over two weeks old. I'm not sure how much it weighs.

2) How long has the rabbit been exhibiting symptoms?
I just noticed this yesterday. Also, I didn't check the kits' eyes closely until now.

3) Are other rabbits exhibiting the same symptoms?
No, both of its litter mates look fine. (The mother doe also has a sister we bred and her kits are fine too.)

4) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
Yesterday, I noticed it had one popped eye. The other eye was fine. Now, this morning I checked on it and its other eye is either sunken in or popped.

5) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
(1) Could have popped on wire. But twice in a row?? when the others haven't?
(2) A genetic defect? I don't think it's the buck as we have had at least six other litters from him that were healthy. This is the doe's second litter but her first litter with us.
(3) A disease?

6) What has the rabbit been eating and drinking, if at all.
It seems to still be nursing as it is the same size as the others and its stomach is filled.

7) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
Its bottom area doesn't look messy and its fecal matter is normal.

8) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
None.

9) Describe the housing/bedding in use
They are on wire and the kits have a nesting box filled with coastal hay and some fur.

I will try to post pictures today or tomorrow.

Thank you so much for your help!

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

What do you mean by "popped"?

Is the lid swollen over the eye? Lid closed? Is the actual eyeball "popped".


You can treat eye problems with Terramycin.

If the eye is truly "popped" then my best recommendation would be to cull, unless you have the resources and the want to keep a handicapped animal.

Sorry about your bun!

 

[PioneerPrincess]

Yes, one eye is actually popped. The other one I'm pretty sure is too.

 

[AuroraSprings]

Most likely, I would guess it's just a random genetic mutation. Nothing in my Merck's vet manual about the eye loosing all of its tension. Seems like the opposite effect of glaucoma. Definitely, do NOT save as a breeding animal, but as long as it doesn't get infected (pussing, runny eyes) and the baby seems to eat and drink fine, I'd say give it a chance. If you raise pet rabbits, then you might offer it to "special needs" visitation groups for the blind, they might be interested in adopting. If you raise meat rabbits, hopefully it'll make it to slaughter age/weight. If it seems to suffer, do put it out of it's misery and freeze asap. Might could get a few dollars off the whole baby as a feeder for large snakes. (Just trying to give you options) That's very odd either way.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Yeah it is odd. The only time I have ever seen that at the vets was on a dog that got kicked in the head by a horse. I wonder if there was infection that built up or something? I can't think of anything else that would cause that besides trauma.


Sorry about your bun!

 

[Akane]

A bad case of nest box eye?

I'm still not sure what "popped" eyes means. Normally when someone refers to eyes like that they mean the eyes are popping out of the head or swollen. Are the eyes shrunken so they are just smaller circles or are they a weird shape?

 

[therealsilkiechick]

if popped out of the actual socket i'd say a genetic defect most likely or birth defect. if u mean it is buldging out of the socket(swollen/misshappen) but still in it, is the lens over the eye a blue hugh or opaque looking when light shown on it? or when u look at the eye does the pupil look like a white/yellow reflective full moon looking if u shine a flashlight to it?

 

[dewey]

It is odd. Sorry about your bun.

To me, the 'popped' description makes it sound like an actual burst or a rupture. Bad eye infections can make it look like the white of the eye has burst or oozed out to fill the socket or like it's coming out of the eyeball itself when the lids are opened, but it's actually thick, white infection. Even if that's the case, it wouldn't explain the other eye going from fine to destroyed the next day. If it's not from infection it does seem like the only other options would be genetic or injury.

3 kits for that breed cross is a very low number. Were these the only 3 kits in the litter to begin with, and if not, what happened to the others? That might be a clue as to what's going on.

 

[therealsilkiechick]

here is a link with eye disorders w/ pics. some r nasty looking.

see if this helps ya to narrow it down better cuz we can't see what u r seeing. hope it helps.

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