Why can a rabbit have watery eyes?
Like any pets, rabbits are prone to standard diseases, which include increased tearing of the pet's eyes. There are many reasons why rabbits have watery eyes. It can be garbage, a draft, or an infectious disease. Straw and hay very often contain many trace minerals that can also cause inflammation. What to do if a rabbit has watery eyes? And why exactly does a rabbit have a watery eye?
The rabbit has watery eyes
The easiest way to help your pet is to rinse the damaged organ with tea or chamomile decoction. If the rabbit has a watery eye after first aid, the conditions of its maintenance should be reviewed and a veterinarian should be consulted. Let's take a closer look at the reasons why a rabbit has watery eyes.
Causes of inflammation of the eyeball and increased lacrimation
Rodent eyes very often begin to watery from debris and dust.
Rabbits are herbivores and should always have hay or straw in their diet. Alas, this complementary food contains many microparticles that cause the disease. An eared pet can accidentally scratch its cornea with a sharp blade of grass. Usually, if this happens, the animal begins to scratch its face with its paws, injuring itself even more. It is necessary to carefully monitor the animal and try to prevent this, otherwise a serious infection can get into the eye and the treatment will be very delayed. In some cases, you should even purchase a special rabbit collar to prevent this from happening. It is better to get timely and simple help than to put the rabbit at risk of being left without an eye. Here is a list of the main signs that a rabbit has eye inflammation:
- The animal has apathy and no appetite.
- The pet furiously scratches its muzzle with its front paws.
- Swollen eyelids, reddened cornea and peeling fur in the corners of the animal's eyes.
Conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the connective membrane of the eye.
The disease can occur for many reasons, including mechanical injury, draft or infection. Very often, a decorative rabbit can catch this sore after catching a cold. You should try to keep the cage away from the aisles between balconies and windows. Also, you can not treat the pet's house with aggressive chemicals and spray aerosol air fresheners near the animal. These simple measures will help prevent conjunctivitis.
Conjunctivitis is treated exclusively with medication. If a cloudy liquid is flowing from the rabbit's eyes and the cornea is inflamed, it is important to see a specialist immediately.
Keratitis
Keratitis primarily affects the cornea and most often occurs in a rabbit with conjunctivitis.
Also, the cause of the occurrence can be mechanical damage to the structure of the eye or infection.The first signs are tears, cloudy discharge, and mucus. If your pet has these symptoms, it is extremely important to see a doctor immediately! Keratitis is treated only with antibiotics, washing will not help here. A neglected disease can develop into an ulcer in just a couple of days. If the disease is already at this stage, then only surgical intervention will help the rabbit.
The most unpleasant consequence of keratitis is considered a thorn. It is a dense white body on the cornea that obstructs vision. To prevent such a disease from affecting the pet, it is necessary to carefully examine its eyes and carry out preventive actions.
Cold
If the rabbit is not feeling well, it is lethargic and sneezes often, it may have blown. With a cold, there is also increased tearing, but this is usually associated with a runny nose and the general condition of the pet.
If the fluid coming out of the eyes is clear, you should focus on treating a cold. Usually, after recovery, the eyes of the animal stop watering.
The rabbit's teeth are teething
It is known that the incisors of an ornamental rabbit grow throughout its life, and the animal needs to grind them down, otherwise the tooth may grow crooked and touch the lacrimal canal. This is the most common cause of watery eyes in rabbits.
It is important to inspect the gums of the rodent. If they are inflamed, and the rabbit is gnawing the rods of the cage with might and main, it will be useful to contact a veterinarian and review the pet's diet.
In compound feed, the rate of corn, dry peas and other solid cereals should be increased. There should always be a log or twigs in the cage. You can also give solid vegetables and fruits such as carrots or apples.
Garbage in the tear duct
This problem occurs among those owners who neglect the sanitary standards of maintenance. The rabbit should be kept away from tobacco smoke, harsh chemicals, or dusty places.
If the house is being renovated, the rabbit must be kept in the farthest room or given to other hands for a while. Whitewashing and plastering can also contaminate the tear duct.
If such a nuisance has already occurred, then you should rinse the eyes of the animal with boiled water or a decoction of herbs. A chamomile or calendula will cope with this task.
Lack of vitamins and food allergies
If the rabbit's eyelids are swollen, the eyes do not open completely, lethargy and a runny nose appear, then the reason is probably an unbalanced diet or food allergies. The rodent menu should be reviewed with a specialist. Depending on the decision of the veterinarian, the rabbit should either be put on a diet or diversified into its food. A young rodent needs a lot of green food and various mineral supplements. If he receives a monotonous meal, his body ceases to function properly and health problems appear, including with the organs of vision.
Sometimes the cause of tears can be intolerance to certain vegetables and fruits. In this case, tearing is accompanied by a runny nose, the animal rubs not only the eyes, but also the nose. These rabbits are put on a diet and food samples are taken in the laboratory to find out which ones can be introduced into complementary foods. Sometimes allergies are caused by poor quality hay. Before drying, the grass should be carefully sorted out, it should not contain poisonous specimens. It is also important to rinse the future workpiece with water: sometimes the leaves and stem can be covered with the pollen of a poisonous neighbor.
Medicinal methods of treating eye diseases in a rabbit
There are many ways to treat your pet while the disease is in its early stages. Some of them are possible at home and without a doctor's prescription:
- sodium chloride saline solution up to 1%;
- furacilin;
- decoction of chamomile;
- tea;
- ordinary boiled water.
These products can be found in the home or purchased over the counter without a prescription.However, if the disease continues to progress, then you can use the following list of medications:
- Albucite;
- Tsiprovet (Tsiprolet);
- Futsitalmik;
- Tetracycline ointment;
- Levomycetin.
To treat a sore rabbit's eye with a solution or decoction, you need to use cotton swabs. They must be moistened in a solution and gently wipe the eye from ear to bridge of the nose. This should be done until the cloudy mucus is removed from the cornea and from the corner of the eyes.
In order to use the drops, the lower eyelid should be pulled back and the medicine should be instilled there in accordance with the dosage.
Prevention of eye diseases in rabbits
Any disease is easier to prevent than to cure. To do this, it is enough to comply with a number of rules and sanitary standards for keeping a rabbit. The cage should be in a quiet and warm place. There should be no drafts and strong odors near the pet's home. The house should be cleaned twice a day. If you want to make repairs, you need to think in advance about where to put your pet for this time.
Don't forget about a balanced diet and good hay. The decorative rabbit has a weak gastrointestinal tract, and therefore it is important to carefully sort out the herbs to avoid allergies or poisoning. You should check your pet at least once a week. Such simple rules will help to warn the rabbit against conjunctivitis and tearing of the eyes. Being able to save the animal, hoping for a chance, will not work, and if at least one risk factor is present, it can negatively affect the health of the pet.