runny eye

Question
hi, i keep rabbits as pets and occasionally breed. i bought a new baby rabbit the other day, shes around 10 weeks old and i noticed she had a bit of white discharge from one eye. it got worse through the day and became red and swollen. my friend who is a vet nurse recommended washing it out with saline, which i did and it improved overnight. her eye has been like this 3 days now but seems to be getting better. my first though was pastuerella/snuffles. i have come across this before with an old rabbit, it wasnt bad and she recovered. this bunny has kind of sneezed once but cant be sure it was a sneeze, and its only one eye thats affected. her paws are all clean with no sign of her wiping her nose. i had a rabbit with the same problem as her before, his eye was worse than this bunny and was bad for about a month. i know its important to seek vet attention with eye problems but i havnt got her insured yet and cant afford a vet bill. her eye seems to be improving but do you have any idea what could be the problem and how long should i leave it before ringing the vets. she doesnt seem to be in any discomfort, her eye isnt red or swollen just weeping every now and again.

Answer
Dear Natalie,

Any eye problem that causes tearing (and possibly pus, if the discharge is thick and white) should be seen by an experienced rabbit vet.  Washing with saline is fine for first aid, but the baby might have a corneal scratch or ulcer, and this will often get worse unless it is treated with the appropriate antibiotic ophthalmic ointment.  If the eye is still tearing after this long on just saline, please find a good vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

In older rabbits, runny eyes are often associated with dental problems:

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

but 10 weeks is a bit young for that unless the bunny has a pretty severe congenital malocclusion.

Regarding breeding, please read:

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

Hope this helps.

Dana