Bunny with runny eyes
QOne of my three-year-old rabbits has watery eyes and has lost some fur at the corner of his eyes too. I have been bathing the eyes with sterile water. Is this likely to be serious?
AAny eye problem in a pet is potentially serious, particularly if the diagnosis and subsequent treatment is delayed. An immediate visit to the vet is recommended.
Your rabbit’s symptoms suggest it could be inflammation of the tear ducts caused by a common problem known as dacryocystitis. There are a variety of possible symptoms including the ones you have mentioned.
Others include an associated conjunctivitis, which causes reddening, swelling of the eyes and a discharge.
In more serious cases there can be pain around the mouth and face, and affected rabbits can become grumpy when handled.
Appetite may decrease with a reduction in normal faecal pellets.
In simple cases the problem is caused by a blockage of the tear ducts. This can be diagnosed by your vet after applying a fluorescein stain to the eye.
Tear ducts can be cleared using flushing procedures, perhaps with antibiotic drops.
This treatment is often successful. More serious cases, which sadly are not uncommon, are caused by the tooth roots impacting the ducts.
This is usually the result of calcium deficiency, which can occur when rabbits are fed a nutritionally inadequate muesli-based diet. Correcting the diet may help in early cases.
QMy six-year-old neutered tortoiseshell cat has recently been diagnosed with granuloma. She developed lumpy red lines down the backs of both hind legs. My vet has started treatment but says finding the cause could be a lengthy process.
AI agree with your vet, because lesions like this can be caused by a number of underlying causes – and they need to be ruled out one by one before reaching a diagnosis.
The full name of your cat’s condition is linear eosinophilic granuloma.
This is one of a group of diseases with similar causes. Others are indolent ulcer of the lip, which used to be called rodent ulcer, and eosinophilic plaque, which most often occurs on the inside of the thighs or abdomen.
I have also seen lesions inside the mouth and on the chin, which is called fat chin syndrome.
As the name suggests the lesions have an infiltration of eosinophils, which are white blood cells often associated with parasitic infestations or allergies.
Therein lies the clue as to why your vet is warning of a possible lengthy investigation. Linear granuloma is most often caused by an allergic reaction to parasitic infestation, especially flea bites.
Other possible causes are allergies to food, tree, grass or weed pollens, and to house dust mites.
Treatment will often involve some form of anti-inflammatory therapy which is designed to keep the cat comfortable, while investigations proceed to identify the cause. If fleas are ruled out by a comprehensive flea control programme, food allergy would be the next to be investigated, before moving on to other allergies.