My rabbit has a very RED EYE AND WONT OPEN ONE OF THE EYES

Question
What should I do if my rabbit has one red eye and womt open it at all???? Please answer urgently!

Answer
Dear Gary,

Get him to a veterinarian, immediately.  An mammal eye is a mammal eye.  There may be a foreign body in the eye that needs to be flushed out.

If possible, get some sterile saline ophthalmic solution (0.9% saline, no other ingredients!), warm it slightly, and then flush the eye by holding the eyelids away from the eyeball as much as possible and squirting the liquid into the eye, rinsing it well.  DO NOT TOUCH THE TIP OF THE BOTTLE TO THE EYE.  Keep it sterile for future use.

If there is a corneal scratch, the vet might want to prescribe antibiotics eye drops.  Avoid anything with penicillin.  Drops such as gentamycin or ofloxacin, or ciprofloxacin or moxifloxacin are all safe.

For fungal problems, miconazole or ketoconazole creams can be used with the supervision of your vet.  But best to have the vet check the situation first, to see what the problem actually is. Many things can cause a red, runny eye, and knowing how to treat depends on determining the actual problem.

Some eye problems can even be caused by dental disease.  Please see:

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/weepy.pdf

I hope this helps.

Dana