cloudy eyes on kits

Question
I have been raising rabbits for about 13 years so I have a fairly good working knowldge of how care for my rabbits and many minor illnesses that may come up.  I am always looking for ways to improve and disinfect my rabbitry.  So what I am saying is, MY RABBITS ARE VERY MUCH CARED FOR and they do not live in a flea-fly infested, dirty environment.  When I see a situation come up, anything that concerns their health, I get concerned and start researching to find out what I can.  I only raise Californians now since my kids have graduated and moved on.  In the last batch of breedings (about 40 kits), I have noticed at least one rabbit in two different litters that appear to have a white cloudiness to their eye(s).  Normally, this means a blind spot.  Normally, there is an infection which we call "nest box eyes" where they have got bacteria in their eye in a dirty nest box and it caused an infection which is almost impossible to get rid of once they have it.  I have checked my pedigrees on these two particular litters and I do not find any genetic pre-disposition (or kin) to indicate why I would get a few rabbits with blindness (and absent any runny eyes or infection).  Any ideas?

Answer
Hi Karen,

Does this white spot go away when washed with a saline solution or does it eventually disappear on its own?  We have noticed an increase of white spots in all of our rabbits and as with yours they are very well taken care of, with impeccable husbandry.  The solution that our vet gave us that it may possibly be caused by dust in the hay we give them.  Some rabbits are very prone to allergies.  We have noticed that in certain lines the allergies are worse than others.  

Of course the other options are what is called moon eye.  This will not go away with a saline flush and is hereditary.  My best advise to you would be to try some terramyacin opthamolic ointment once a day and see if you have any improvement.  This is the most recommended treatment for eye problems among breeders.  

Even the cleanest rabbits can get allergies and infections as well as hidden hereditary problems that may not pop-up for generations.  I am certain as a breeder that you most likely don't want to go to a vet but again if it is a huge problem you might consider going to an exotic vet specialist and get a culture.  This may tell you what is causing the problem so that you can fix it.  We recently sent a rabbit to a veterinary hospital for every test under the sun because we were having a problem with mucoid enteritis.  The bill was outrageous but when I thought about it I realized that it was cheaper to get to the bottom of the problem than to have to invest in a whole new herd.  This is just a suggestion.

If you have anyway to get me a photo please send me a private message and I will give you my contact info.  Another good person to contact is Barbi Brown.  Her web-site is:

http://www.barbibrownsbunnies.com/

She is one of the most knowledgeable breeders I have ever met and she has solutions to almost all problems.  You can e-mail her and she will usually give you her contact information.  

I hope that you can find a solution.  Due to my ethical responsibility I can't tell you what I would do and can only recommend a vet but again if you send me a private message I will be more than happy to assist you as a fellow breeder.

Sincerely,

Pam