pygmy bunny with sore eyes

Question
Hi, we have a white male pygmy bunny named Houdini. We are unsure of how old he is as we rescued him from a lousy home. He has been very fit and well since we got him but has just started to have a white mucky discharge from his eyes and he seems a bit unhappy. He has pink eyes. He is still eating well. We have seperated him from our other female rabbit. Do you have any idea of what this could be and any treatment we could give him.

Answer
Dear Alex,

First I must ask:  are Houdini and the female bunny a bonded pair?

If so, then the first thing you need to do is put them back together! One should never separate a bonded pair of rabbits, even when one is ill.  The condition you describe is not contagious, but even if it were, the female already would have been exposed, and separating them will not protect her.  In fact, it's more likely that separation could make things worse, as the stress of being separated from a bonded mate can actually cause suppression of the immune system in *both* rabbits.  So Step 1.  Put the bunnies back together before they become unbonded, with disastrous results!

Second, if Houdini is a dwarf rabbit with a shortened face, then my first suspicion in a case like this is (1) tear duct occlusion and/or (2) molar root problems.  If the discharge from his eyes is thick, then it is probably pus, and he has an infection that needs to be treated with the proper, rabbit-safe antibiotics.  If this is the case, there is nothing you can do at home to safely treat him.  Please read the following three articles for complete information on this problem, and how it is diagnosed and treated:

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

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

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

You will need a good vet who is familiar with rabbits (and not give the wrong type of antibiotic that could kill him!), and you can find one here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

So please get Houdini to a good rabbit vet ASAP for diagnosis and treatment of his infection.  If this does turn out to be related to his molar roots, you should also read:

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

In the meantime, you can keep him comfortable by applying warm, wet compresses to the corners of his eyes to soften the gunk and carefully wash it away.  His mate will probably help with this by grooming him, which is yet another reason NOT to separate them.

I hope this helps.  Please write back if you have any other questions.

Dana