Runny Eyes - How can i tell if he has gone blind?

Question
My 4 year old netherland dwarf rabbit has recently developed runny eyes.  i had this problem when i was young with a rabbit and my mum took the rabbit to the vet and was prescribed the same drug as humans use.  To cut costs I have purcahsed an antibacterial eye drop and applied a drop in each on Wednesday, the rabbit was very calm and only blinked when the drop went in.  i repeated the process yesterday and noticed that when i waved a fist or finger in front of him, and coming at it as if to poke it (obviously not making contact)was not triggering so much as a flinch as it would in you or I.  does this mean he is blind?  i feel bad as I have never noticed b4 and he could have been blind from when i had him.  do you think i need to try to see if it reacts to light?  I would appreciate any info on the reaction and also the runny eyes, could this have caused it as he was scratching them the other day.
many thanks Bex  

Answer
Dear Rebecca,

Rabbits do not have as strong a blink reflex or pupillary reflex as humans, so his lack of reaction to your testing may not mean he's blind.  If he's navigating the house normally, then he's probably fine.

But it's not a good idea to try over-the-counter medications for a rabbit, as some can be very dangerous. And they may not be effective at all in treating the underlying problem. Please read:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/sneezing.html

for the various causes of runny eyes, as well as:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/dental.html

A scratch is possible, but a rabbit will almost never injure himself this way.  Other causes are far more likely.

And then find an experienced rabbit vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

I hope this will help you get him on the road to recovery.

Dana