DO RABBITS GET CATARACTS?

Question
I THINK MY 6 YEAR OLD FEMALE MINI LOP HAS CATARACT STARTING OR HAS ON HER RIGHT EYE, AND POSSIBLY GETTING A START ON THE LEFT.  I USUALLY TAKE HER TO THE VET IF SHE GETS SICK, DO THEY REMOVE CATARACTS ON RABBITS, DOES IT AFFECT THEIR VISION LIKE HUMANS?

Answer
Dear Sharon,

Yes, rabbits can get cataracts.  There are different reasons cataracts can develop (glaucoma, UV damage, Encephalitozoon cuniculi parasite), and each has a specific treatment.  That's why it's important to go to your vet for full diagnosis and treatment, as necessary.

In a case like this, you might wish to request a referral to a  veterinary ophthalmologist who has experience with rabbits.  This person will be able to tell whether these are truly cataracts, or whether they are corneal ulcers, or even an intra-ocular abscess, any of which can give the eye a whitish appearance (in different ways).  And yes, any of these also can affect the vision and even cause blindness.  So the sooner it's treated, the better.

A blind rabbit can live a perfectly happy life, with a few adjustments.  But let's hope it doesn't come to that.  Go here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

to find a good rabbit vet, and see what the doctor says about the condition and whether it is treatable.  Cataracts can be removed via lens removal surgery, but this is extremely expensive and may not fully restore clear vision.  Lens implant surgery in rabbits is not done often, and few vets are very experienced with this procedure.

Hope this helps.

Dana