white spot in/on rabbits eyes

Question
my rabbit, Tillie, has recently developed a spot in her left eye. the best way to describe it is on her eyes, which are normaly black and dark brown, it looks as if someobdy dropped a spot of white-out right on the pupil. what does this mean?

Answer
Dear Steven,

Without seeing the spot, I can't really tell whether it's inside the eyeball or on the surface of the cornea.  But either condition should be seen and treated by an experienced rabbit vet, and preferably by a veterinary ophthalmologist who has rabbit experience.  You can find a good vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

If the whiteness is *inside* the eyeball, it could be an intra-ocular abscess (infection), a cataract (and there are many different causes for this, each of which has its own treatment), or other internal problem.

If the lesion is on the surface of the eyeball, it is most likely a corneal ulcer, possibly caused by slight trauma to the eye (a scratch from running into something, or getting something in the eye).  If this isn't treated, it can get worse, and though the bunny might not show pain, the condition *is* painful.  A good vet ophthalmologist can prescribe appropriate eye drops for pain and for healing, and I would not waste any time getting to one, before the problem becomes worse and possibly threatens the sight in that eye.

I hope this helps!

Dana