Why Is My Rabbit Losing Fur Around His Eye?
How do you treat eye problems in rabbits?
My Rabbit Has a Weepy Eye, Hair Loss, and Is Making Weird Noises
"I have a bunny that is almost 7. He has a big patch of missing fur right under his eye that keeps getting bigger. I do not have a local vet—the nearest is 3 hours away—and he does not see bunnies. I asked him, and he said he would take a look, but he really didn’t tell me much.
So, I am wondering if he could have either a parasite or mites. I have never seen anything like this on any of my pets. Now my cat seems to have the same weird thing by his eye. I am wondering if I should put my bunny down because I do not want him to suffer. My bunny is very inactive and makes weird little noises sometimes. I hope he is not dying or suffering. Do you have any idea what it might be?"—Lindy
How Do You Treat a Rabbit’s Tear Duct Infection?
I am sorry to hear that you do not have a local vet to look at this as your rabbit is probably uncomfortable and in some pain. This should be taken care of as soon as possible.
Based on your photograph (below) the hair loss pattern looks like it is secondary to a clogged and maybe inflamed tear duct, which is not uncommon in rabbits. It is called dacryocystitis. Their tear ducts are rather narrow, twist around inside the skull, and run right at the base of the teeth.
When a rabbit gets older, these ducts are more likely to become clogged and the rabbit has both discharge and sometimes a pattern of hair loss on the face.
The hair loss below the rabbit's eye may indicate tear duct inflammation, known as dacryocystitis.
Photo by Owner
How to Treat Inflamed Tear Ducts in Rabbits
The simplest treatment of this problem in an older rabbit is to flush the tear ducts and remove any thickened material that is blocking it. The hair loss on the face clears up in just a few weeks.
The lacrimal glands are able to repair even after the duct has been blocked, so the rabbit does not lose the use of the eye after this is treated; a rabbit can live for many years if this problem is taken care of. (1)
What About the Noises?
Unfortunately, since you describe the weird sounds your rabbit is making, he may be in pain from a dental problem and is grinding his teeth. If that is the case, he will need to have his teeth floated and maybe have a tooth extracted, which will be expensive. Rabbits also do not do as well under anesthesia as dogs and cats.
Treating the Eye
Since you do not have anyone there to examine your rabbit and see if the teeth need to be taken care of, you can flush the eye with OTC saline eye drops (you can buy these at any drugstore).
Follow the instructions in the video below, and rinse the eye twice a day for 10 days to see if the discharge decreases or goes away. If it is not getting better, the only thing to do would be to take your bunny to a veterinarian that treats rabbits.
If you cannot do so, and the rabbit does not respond to the saline eye drops, putting him to sleep is a definite option. He may be with you for another year, but if he has dental problems, that is unlikely.
The hair loss and eye irritation that you have noticed with your cat are not related. You should have that checked by a veterinarian, and if the cat has inflammation in the eye, they will give you an ointment to treat that.
Reference
- Lin H, Liu Y, He H, Botsford B, Yiu S. Lacrimal Gland Repair after Short-term Obstruction of Excretory Duct in Rabbits. Sci Rep. 2017 Aug 15;7(1):8290. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-08197-2. PMID: 28811503; PMCID: PMC5557958. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28811503/
This article is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from your veterinarian. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.
© 2024 Mark dos Anjos, DVM
