Info Sheets

Conjunctivitis may also be referred to as ‘weepy eye’ or ‘pink eye’. It can affect one or both eyes at the same time, having a variety of potential causes.

Conjunctivitis caused by Pasteurella multocida infection ©Vladimir Jekl

The conjunctiva is a clear membrane covering the whites of the eye as well as the inner surface of the eyelids. Conjunctivitis is inflammation of the conjunctiva. Inflammation is the body’s response to insult/attack by injury or a foreign invader (such as dust or bacteria).

Inflammation appears as redness, pain, swelling, and heat. If your rabbit has conjunctivitis, you will notice one of more of the following signs:

• Redness and inflammation around the eye.
• Pain which will manifest as excessive blinking, keeping the eye closed or squinting, rubbing the eyes.
• Discharge or wetness, which may look crusty around the eye.
• Loss of fur around the eye.
• Eating less due to the pain, which will go hand in hand with fewer, smaller droppings being produced.
• Withdrawing and hiding away due to pain and light sensitivity.

Conjunctivitis can have a variety of causes and will require different treatment depending upon the cause. Causes include:

• Bacterial infection: bacteria are abundant in the environment and on the skin. Some bacterial conditions such as Pasteurella or Treponema paraluis cuniculi (the bacterium that causes syphilis in rabbits) can cause conjunctivitis. Secondary bacterial infections can occur when the eyes are irritated from other things like dust, debris, moldy hay, grass seeds, chemical sprays, or ammonia fumes from urine-soaked litter trays.
• Viral infection: myxomatosis is a viral disease that causes conjunctivitis.
• Parasitic infection: Encephalitozoon cuniculi is a common unicellular parasite that can present with conjunctivitis.
• Foreign body: grass seeds, seeds from hay, small pieces of hay, or other similar bits of debris can become lodged in the conjunctival sac.
• Allergies: rabbits can develop allergies to environmental contaminants, plants, foods, or several other things. Conjunctivitis is a common sign of allergies.
• Dental disease: overgrowth of the upper tooth roots can impinge upon the nasolacrimal tear duct, which can become infected and clogged and can spread to the conjunctiva.
• Congenital deformity: abnormal shape/structure of the eyelids, eyelashes, tear ducts, and other structures in and around the eye can result in abnormal functioning of the eye and this can lead to inflammation and conjunctivitis.
• Injury: scratches to the eye or eyelids can result in abnormal functioning and subsequent inflammation. Injuries like this can occur from many things such as scratches from another animal, pieces of hay, self-trauma, chemical spills, sprays, fumes, flies/insects, and many others.

If your rabbit has conjunctivitis, and there is a suspected bacterial cause, your vet may take a swab to send away to an external laboratory, so they can isolate the bacteria involved and determine what antibiotics would be required. Other potential causes may need to be explored, so your vet will ask you questions about your rabbit’s living environment, and diet. They will examine the eyes for signs of a foreign body, or eyelashes that are growing inward and rubbing against the eye. They will also want to check the rabbit’s teeth, and this is likely to involve dental x-rays or a CT scan to assess the tooth roots.

The treatment depends on the condition. If the issue is related to a foreign body, the rabbit may require full sedation to explore the eye and remove the offending issue. If the condition is from a congenital deformity or injury, surgery may be required and/or a comprehensive treatment plan to correct the issue. If the cause is suspected to be related to dental disease, your rabbit may require a full examination under sedation or general anesthetic to check the teeth properly and attend to the issue causing the problem. If overgrown teeth are the issue, the rabbit will need regular dental care to prevent the issue from coming up again. A rabbit’s teeth grow continuously throughout its life. Treatments for allergic, environmental, bacterial, viral, and parasitic causes may require identifying the specific cause. Bacteria can be treated with antibiotics; parasites can be treated with anti-parasitic drugs. Environmental and allergic issues need investigation to find and address the cause and establish an effective treatment. Viruses like myxomatosis cannot be cured so supportive care is given until the rabbit’s immune system develops antibodies to the infection. If the rabbit is vaccinated for myxomatosis, then treatment has a high chance of being successful. If the rabbit is not vaccinated there is no guarantee the rabbit will recover, so humane euthanasia options should be discussed with your vet as soon as the diagnosis is confirmed. While the rabbit is recovering from any of the above conditions, medication including eye drops, antibiotics, pain relief, prokinetics, and/or anti-inflammatory medications may be required.  Additional supportive care can include making sure the rabbit is eating and drinking, keeping their airway clear of mucous, pus and scabs, gentle wiping to keep the eyes clean, keeping them warm and comfortable, providing syringe feeding if required. Make sure to let your vet know if you are uncomfortable or unconfident administering any of the medications so that they can assist you as needed.

The eye has far more nerve endings than almost any area in the body to help ensure the animal protects the eye from injury. This means that eye conditions like conjunctivitis are extremely uncomfortable and often very painful. This can lead to the animal rubbing the eye which can cause further injury. It is very important to take your rabbit to your vet as soon as possible if you notice any eye abnormalities as listed above.

Bacteria, viruses, and parasites can be infectious but depending on the issue it may or may not be highly contagious to others. If an infectious cause is suspected, contact your vet straight away so they can advise. It may be necessary to isolate your rabbit from other rabbits, so it does not infect others, but as isolation is stressful for rabbits, it is best to identify the issue as soon as possible so the rabbit does not have to suffer unnecessary isolation. Rabbits who have a foreign body or other non-infectious cause, such as dental disease, allergies, or congenital deformity will not infect other rabbits.

Whilst there is no vaccination to prevent conjunctivitis, there are lots of things you can do to make it less likely to occur in your rabbits:

• Vaccinate your rabbits annually against myxomatosis (and also RVHD1 and RVHD2).
• Keep your rabbits in a suitable environment. This should be large with good ventilation.
• Avoid other pets access to rabbits when it may end in fighting and injuries. This is particularly important with dogs and cats as teeth and claws can do significant damage to delicate rabbit skin.
• Clean litter trays daily and use an absorbent litter material, so urine is soaked into this.
• Feed your rabbit an appropriate diet, consisting of lots of hay and fresh grass, a small amount of rabbit nuggets and a healthy selection of herbs and greens to ensure proper dental wear to try to help avoid dental problems.
• Use good quality hay, that is dust free and without lots of seeds that may get stuck in the eyes.