Corneal laceration on my Bunny’s eye

[Adnyl68]

I’m so sad right now ” src=”http://rabbitsonline.net/images/emoticons/sad.gif” />  My bunny Beau was scratched in the eye by my sister’s cat.  I’ve had him to a vet and a vet/opthalmologist.  This was the diagnosis:

Corneal laceration with some iris prolapse-lens lacerated and some expuslsion into anterior chamber

I’m really scared as the vets both said that things like this don’t heal by themselves.  I’m really hoping there is someone on here who can give me a professional opinion.

 They put Beau on:

Baytril every 12 hrs (oral antibiotic)

Metcam every 12 hours (oral anti inflamatory)

Tramadol HCL 1xday (oral pain med)

Tobrex eye drops (antibiotic)

They wanted to remove the eye…but he just started on the meds and otherwise he seems fine.  Still eating and active.  I want to wait until I see if the meds work.  Even if he loses most of the sight in the eye, at least he’d still have his eye and some sight.  The surgery to “try” to repair it is $3500.00 and there is no guarantee it will work.  The removal of the eye is $1500.00.  I’ve already spent $400 in vet fees and medicine.

Am I doing the right thing in waiting to see if the meds work?  Has anyone else ever been in this situation where the lens has been lacerated as well as the cornea?

Any help would be appreciated. 

Lynda, Beau’s mommy.
 

[Sam and Lady's Human]

Well, the meds listed aren’t meant to heal it, only curb the pain and keep it from getting infected. If the vets said it wont heal by itself, then I imagine they are telling you the truth.

I did a quick “Dr.Google” for corneal lacerations, and all the results said it needed a doctors attn and repair, so I’d personally agree with your vets.

I’d get a surgery, although which one is up to you and your personal finances.

[LBJ10]

I think an injury as severe as this would require surgery to repair it. If left untreated, he will most likely lose his vision in that eye anyway. The medications you were given are just for pain and to prevent infection.

[Sarita]

I’ve had a rabbit with an eye removed and if that is what the vet recommends you should heed their advice.

It’s true what the other BB’ers said, the majority of those medicaitons are for pain control. Your bunny will be better off getting the eye removed and will manage just fine and be much healthier and pain free.

[Monkeybun]

Agreed, it won’t heal on its own, the meds are only to keep it from getting infected and get worse Poor little dude.

[Adnyl68]

Thank to all of you for your comments….What I don’t understand is…I know that without surgery he likely won’t get any vision back in the eye. But if I keep him on the meds, will the eye eventaually heal, and even though blind in the eye, he’ll be able to keep the eye??

I intend to ask the vet this as we have another appointment tomorrow, but I’d be ineterested to know what others think.

It’s so hard to believe this has happened…I am just gutted thinking about removing his eye (and at $1500, I can’t even afford it right now) …tonight he ran up and down the stairs no problem, up onto the couch and down and up to the patio door in the daylight and looked out with both eyes open….. it is wishful thinking to think these are good signs?

[Monkeybun]

The eye won’t heal, the meds are just keeping it from getting worse. Once the meds are done, it will likely continue to degenerate.

[LBJ10]

The body might try to do some healing, but with such a sensitive area it would most likely be irritated all the time and at risk for infection later on down the line.

[Monkeybun]

My vet told me that eyes can’t heal on their own back when Monkey poked her eye on the blinds and needed drops so it wouldn’t ulcerate. Something about the eye just won’t heal on its own.

[LBJ10]

Have you spoke to the vet about the cost? Maybe you could work out a payment arrangement with them.

[Adnyl68]

I will ask the vet tomorrow about a payment plan.

[littlemissflip]

My bun had a corneal ulceration last summer that we treated with flurbiprofen eye drops and gentamicin ointment, but it sounds like your bun’s injury is more severe In our case, the more serious issue was cataract formation due to E. cuniculi infection. We were also able to treat that medically after the opthamologist originally recommended lens or eye removal (eye removal being cheaper). Our vet checked with some other vets for their recommendations as well, and some were strongly in the camp of just removing the eye preemptively because then you’re guaranteed not to have further problems. But our vet and opthamologist felt it was reasonable to try treating medically first, and fortunately our bun responded really well and quickly to medical treatment, so we didn’t have to go to surgery –hurray! But point being — it’s possible that a different vet MIGHT have a different opinion about your bun’s chances of recovery with medical treatment, but if you trust your vet and they say the injury is too severe, then at least know that bunnies apparently manage really well with one eye (or so I learned when we were facing a similar decision). So if you do have to remove the eye, at least you can be reassured that his quality of life won’t suffer dramatically.

I’m sorry you’re going through this, and I’m hoping for the best possible outcome for your bunny!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Ditto-you might be able to work out a payment plan at the clinic or they may have options with companies that work with you (i.e. care credit cards etc).

The meds are for pain control and to keep the eye from getting infected. The vets telling you the eye won’t heal on it’s own *was* the professional opinion we can only share our experiences. I also had a bunny with one eye and he was blind in that one (the story from the shelter was it was due to infections from severe neglect) he got on very well. But I wouldn’t do a ‘wait and see’ with this-it’s painful so I’d book the surgery as quickly as you can!

{{Healing Vibes}} Welcome to the forum, so sorry for the reason you came. Please stay and keep us posted!

[Adnyl68]

Hello All,

Well, I have now been to see a regular vet ( eye exam and medications $235), a veterenarian opthalmologist ($150) and an avian & exotic animal specialist ($100). All of them tell me the enucleation (eye removal @ $1000-$1500) is the best option for Beau’s quality of life. I’m very fortunate that I was able to access the University of Guelph’s teaching hospital and small animal clinic as my last consult. They were so kind and so thorough and even though they told me the same thing as the previous vet I somehow felt a stronger depth of empathy and understanding from them.

The $3500 surgery the opthalmologist suggested had no guarantee of success and would have been a complicated procedure with added risk (not to mention more time under anesthetic) I was told it was quite possible that after putting Beau through all of that if it didn’t work there would be no option other than enucleation (so two surgeries instead of one). I was also told that if pressure builds behind the eye (ie: if left untreated) his eye could actually explode and I’d be then looking at emergency surgery. Vet also said he has worked along side families in the past willing to do anything for their pet, spend any amount of money, all the while he knows what outcome is likely and it almost always turns out as he expected,. I’m sure any of the vets on this site would probably understand being in that position.

So, after much research, stress and anxiety. I’ll be calling tomorrow to book the surgery for my poor little bunny. I think sometimes just making the decision is the hardest part!

Thank you all for your support and advice. It has been greatly appreciated.

Lynda

[Monkeybun]

So sorry he has to have surgery, but I am glad you found a place that will take good care of him with a more successful option.

Vibes for your little dude!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Sounds like you are making the right decision. They are tough to make! {Healing Vibes}} Let us know how it goes!

[Adnyl68]

I wanted to update everyone on what happened with my bunny’s eye. Unfortunately my bunny just passed but from the time he had his corneal laceration until now 2012-2018, the cornea scarred over and looked like a cataract. Thought my bunny was blind in that eye, he never had another problem with it. The vet recommended removing the eye at the time and I opted not to do that. I’m not saying that it is right for all bunnies but for mine it was the right decision. I just wanted to update folks in case I can help someone else with this information.

[LBJ10]

I’m sorry to hear that your bunny passed. But thank you for the update. It could potentially be useful to someone.

[Lauren & Buns]

I know this thread is like 6 years old, but I am currently experiencing the EXACT same thing. I have posted a similar question recently and for a second, I could have sworn I was reading my own words.

If the OP does read this, can you tell me how it played out for you? My bun has same injury. We chose the med route at first too. It ended up getting infected, but treated it and the infection is almost gone now, but his actual eye doesn’t look like it’s healed at all. We can’t even tell what’s going on when we open the eye to look at it, bc theres just so much going on in it. It’s been about a month and while the swelling is pretty much gone, he still doesn’t/can’t open the eye whatsoever. I can’t even hardly pry it open anymore when we go to flush it out with the saline. Vet wants to wait and see what the eye does before making the decision to remove it and says he’s fairly certian that he will be blind in that eye. Like you, I also wonder if the eye has to be removed even if it’s not bothering him and knowing he will he blind in it anyway. Any advice?

[Lauren & Buns]

I know this thread is like 6 years old, but I am currently experiencing the EXACT same thing. I have posted a similar question recently and for a second, I could have sworn I was reading my own words.

If the OP does read this, can you tell me how it played out for you? My bun has same injury. We chose the med route at first too. It ended up getting infected, but treated it and the infection is almost gone now, but his actual eye doesn’t look like it’s healed at all. We can’t even tell what’s going on when we open the eye to look at it, bc theres just so much going on in it. It’s been about a month and while the swelling is pretty much gone, he still doesn’t/can’t open the eye whatsoever. I can’t even hardly pry it open anymore when we go to flush it out with the saline. Vet wants to wait and see what the eye does before making the decision to remove it and says he’s fairly certian that he will be blind in that eye. Like you, I also wonder if the eye has to be removed even if it’s not bothering him and knowing he will he blind in it anyway. Any advice?

[Lauren & Buns]

I know this thread is like 6 years old, but I am currently experiencing the EXACT same thing. I have posted a similar question recently and for a second, I could have sworn I was reading my own words.

If the OP does read this, can you tell me how it played out for you? My bun has same injury. We chose the med route at first too. It ended up getting infected, but treated it and the infection is almost gone now, but his actual eye doesn’t look like it’s healed at all. We can’t even tell what’s going on when we open the eye to look at it, bc theres just so much going on in it. It’s been about a month and while the swelling is pretty much gone, he still doesn’t/can’t open the eye whatsoever. I can’t even hardly pry it open anymore when we go to flush it out with the saline. Vet wants to wait and see what the eye does before making the decision to remove it and says he’s fairly certian that he will be blind in that eye. Like you, I also wonder if the eye has to be removed even if it’s not bothering him and knowing he will he blind in it anyway. Any advice?

[Lauren & Buns]

I know this thread is like 6 years old, but I am currently experiencing the EXACT same thing. I have posted a similar question recently and for a second, I could have sworn I was reading my own words.

If the OP does read this, can you tell me how it played out for you? My bun has same injury. We chose the med route at first too. It ended up getting infected, but treated it and the infection is almost gone now, but his actual eye doesn’t look like it’s healed at all. We can’t even tell what’s going on when we open the eye to look at it, bc theres just so much going on in it. It’s been about a month and while the swelling is pretty much gone, he still doesn’t/can’t open the eye whatsoever. I can’t even hardly pry it open anymore when we go to flush it out with the saline. Vet wants to wait and see what the eye does before making the decision to remove it and says he’s fairly certian that he will be blind in that eye. Like you, I also wonder if the eye has to be removed even if it’s not bothering him and knowing he will he blind in it anyway. Any advice?

[Lauren & Buns]

I know this thread is like 6 years old, but I am currently experiencing the EXACT same thing. I have posted a similar question recently and for a second, I could have sworn I was reading my own words.

If the OP does read this, can you tell me how it played out for you? My bun has same injury. We chose the med route at first too. It ended up getting infected, but treated it and the infection is almost gone now, but his actual eye doesn’t look like it’s healed at all. We can’t even tell what’s going on when we open the eye to look at it, bc theres just so much going on in it. It’s been about a month and while the swelling is pretty much gone, he still doesn’t/can’t open the eye whatsoever. I can’t even hardly pry it open anymore when we go to flush it out with the saline. Vet wants to wait and see what the eye does before making the decision to remove it and says he’s fairly certian that he will be blind in that eye. Like you, I also wonder if the eye has to be removed even if it’s not bothering him and knowing he will he blind in it anyway. Any advice?

[Lauren & Buns]

I guess i should have read the rest of the replies before commenting. I am so so sorry for your loss.

[Author]

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