This is the first time we’ve had to deal with eye infections in our rabbit litters. I’m a little dumbfounded. I keep the nest boxes very clean as well as the cages.
I’ve been checking on the kits a few times a day and wiping any gooey eyes with a warm washcloth. Everything seemed fine until this morning when I found what I was hoping to avoid, pus in the eye of one of the kits. Pus in the eye is bad news. I called the vet but they wouldn’t recommend or prescribe anything unless I came for a pricey visit first. I can’t justify paying that much to see a vet and then pay for the prescription. After all, this rabbit is going to be in my freezer in 8-10 weeks. Seeing the vet plus the prescription would make for one very expensive meal.
I realize that I must sound harsh but please know that I don’t like seeing this little rabbit suffer. I believe that the baby rabbit has already lost vision in its affected eye. Without the prescription I’m concerned the infection will spread and the kit will die.
I’ve been trying a range of things to help it beat this eye infection. I’ve been wiping its eye every few hours with a warm wet cloth. I also went to the local pharmacy and bought some sterile antibiotic (pink eye) drops that I’ve been putting in regularly. So short of milking the mama rabbit and using her milk to treat the eye infection (which does wonders for a human baby’s eye infections – human breastmilk that is) I’m doing all that I can, but I keep on wondering (and hoping) that I’ve made the right decision.
2 comments
You could always try some of yours? Milk that is. It probably can't make things worse at this point…
…if not "milk", what about coconut oil? (It – coconut oil – has some of the same great things found in human breastmilk.) I've used it to quickly and naturally heal eye AND ear infections with much success in some of our children (those who've had need of it, anyways)…and I know it doesn't sting…will only make the eye temporarily cloudy…good luck! ~c.m. :>