Rabbits eye

Question
My rabbit has conjunctivitis in one eye.  I have taken her to the vets and got some cream for it  it is getting better but there is a white lining creeping up on her eye.  I have taken her back to the vet he said her eye is still reacting to the light but I'm worried that this eye will go blind. What are the chances of it coming good after it has healed?

Answer
Hi Melissa

Sorry to hear your rabbit's unwell.

Did the vet do tests to confirm conjunctivitis? There are many other disorders that can cause odd eye appearance, including dental problems, blocked tear ducts, abscesses behind the eye, cataracts and the Encephalitozoon cuniculi (EC) parasite. If the rabbit has scratched the eye, an ulcer can develop which is where the antibiotic cream or drops come in, the vet would have added some dye to the eye and then shone a blacklight on it to see if there are any ulcers present.

Cataracts are common in aging rabbits and will cause the eventual loss of sight, the only cure for that is major eye surgery and not usually worth the risk as rabbits can do quite well with limited sight. They can occur in just one eye. Cataracts in young rabbits is more unusual and may have a primary cause, including the EC parasite. You can read about and see photos of cataracts here:
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Eye_diseases/Disorder/Cat/Cat_en.htm

For eye ulcers, unless they're severe, you often can't see them without black light. They're usually caused by a scratch to the surface of the eye.
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Eye_diseases/Disorder/Ulcer/Ulc_en.htm

Have a chat with your vet if it looks like it's not getting better.

Hope that helps a bit!
Cat