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is my bunny blinde?

22 11:04:23

Question
I have a new albino bunny but i don't know how to check if hes blinded or not? also he grinds his teeth loads its this normal or is he scared?? please help!

Answer
Dear Becci,

Albino rabbits are more sensitive to bright light than rabbits with pigmented eyes, but unless you see evidence that he's blind (e.g., he's running into things on a regular basis, won't run around freely without very carefully taking one step at a time, etc.), then there's no reason to think he is.

If you wave your hand in front of him, does he respond?  Does he react when someone comes into the room?  Does he appear to follow things with his eyes?  If so, he's probably just fine.  IF he doesn't do those things, then write back and I'll offer other suggestions.

Tooth grinding can mean many things, depending on context.  If he does this while you're petting him, and his eyes are half-closed and he seems relaxed, then he's "tooth purring," which is a sign of happiness.  This is usually a very soft sound, not a "crunching" sound.

If the grinding is loud and slow, it could mean he's in pain, if he is also hunched up in a ball and refusing food and acting lethargic.  It all depends on the other body language cues he's sending.  

There are several excellent articles here on how to tell if your bunny is sick, and what tooth grinding means in different contexts:

http://search.atomz.com/search/?sp-a=00062824-sp00000000&sp-q=tooth+grinding&use...

You can also find all the best information on proper care of your new friend here:

www.rabbit.org/

Hope this helps!

Dana