Not clued up on bunny blindness – are there always cataracts/cloudiness??

[Boston's Mama]

So most of you know I could boston had vision issues from day 1, bumping into things , resting on things , hates being inside anything ( hidey holes , under step stools etc ), uses his chin to test water level in his bowl ( which has brought about new issues I posted in a seperate thread)
Use to fall into his bowl of it was moved ( which I never do now) , falls off things , won’t go in tunnels or anything , freaks out banging into everything when he smells pellets but can’t find the man in his frantic state if I put them anywhere in his cage or pen – they must be in his bowl on his little tray or he can’t see them to find them – can smell them and it sends him crazy but can’t see where they are

Anyway vet said he def has vision reduction at least – but there’s no cloudiness or cataracts so nothing can be done
He said there also isn’t the equipment here to look further and no need to as they can’t do anything ( ie fix cataracts as he has none )

I’m new to this and can’t find any info on the net about blindness without cloudiness ?? I thought there always would be …?
I mean I know he has vision issues – I actually wonder if he sees at all
Bostons eyes also aren’t sharp to look like Oakley’s are in comparision – as in Oakley looks straight at me but Boston moves his head around pointing in the general area when I’m near or making noise he’s interested in but doesn’t focus in on the exact spot unless I’m right in front of him touching him
I can’t and don’t move things around in his area or he falls over everything and it scares me

[Muchelle]

My first thought is that if he’s always had problems, he could either have a genetic syndrome or could have suffered from perinatal or postnatal oxygen loss or even from an infection, causing developmental problems to his vision. Having him go through an fMRI is not realistic, so we can only guess…

[Boston's Mama]

He did have suspected E cuniculi I should add – hence why I rescued him in the first place. He was 8weeks old and had been removed from mum too early at 5weeks. I had seen him 3 times at the pet store with obvious vision issues and ec symptoms and they weren’t getting him treatment despite me badgering them too so I took him home. He had a 6week course of panacur .

However from what I read EC eye issues would bring a cloud appearance which he doesn’t have

[Muchelle]

I’m googling a bit and found that if hygienic conditions are poor in the nest, kits’ eyes can suffer from the contact with the dirty nesting material. If he also had a suspected E.C. it makes me think that the breeder they got him from wasn’t very professional (not an expert, but the shelter lady I met told me you don’t breed rabbits carrying the e.c.)… so it could be possible?
I’ve met a kitten that became blind because of a similar situation, so it might be valid for bunnies too?

[Boston's Mama]

Oh true I didn’t know that

Yes I think I found the breeder ( they deny it ) but if I’m right the conditions look appalling and he wouldn’t have been able to stand up in the hutch at 5 weeks old even … it looks horrid.

[Muchelle]

Poor baby… luckily you found him and are giving him the best care <3 Mine has a similar story, so I really feel for little Boston.

[LBJ10]

I agree. Blindness is not always caused by cataracts. It’s more common, of course, but not the only cause. His blindness could be genetic or environmental. Without being able to do tests, there’s no way to really know.

[vanessa]

Uveitis is caused by EC. If he had that – it could have led to his deteriorated vision. But I think you ro the vet woudl have noticed that. When I adopted Lancelot, hsi vision was bad. Then he got the careracts. He also had gouges/dents on the surface ff his eye. Boston’s vision could be hereditory/genetic.

[Sr. Melangell]

Hi Oakley and Boston’s Mama, I don’t know what may have caused Boston’s blindness and I’m very sorry to hear this, I’m visually impaired, I’m sure you understand we do somethings differently,(I include animals in that.) Boston checking his water levels with his chin is normal, like I check to see if my keys are on my desk by touch, I like things left where they are in my home or I fall over, people say to me. “I’ll put your coat behind the door.” Then I can’t find it or they used the towel in he bathroom and put it to be washed, annoying, it may take time for you both to know where things will go in his cage, we do panic when we cant find things, like I couldn’t find my bank card at my friend’s house, it was on the table in front of me all the time, My friend puts a table in front of me so all my things are together, I know you can’t do that with a bunny, it must be difficult for you both, but don’t give up.
Touch is very important, so make sure you stroke Boston, let him know you are there for him, he might like a massage.
Maybe one of his parents had a sight problem, it is frustrating when you don’t know why.
Maybe he would like a ball with a bell inside or something that makes a little noise if he moves it?
Good luck.

[vanessa]

Some blindness is within the structure of the eye and hard to tell. That wad the case with lancelit initially. I agree with charlies angel. Lancelot tests things with his face. His chin is often wet from checking the water level. I keep his “furniture” in the sane place, and i give him signals as to what im foing next. Lops r also prone to deafness. He is deaf too. So i use touch. I start with his head. Nose means food is forward. Ears indicate food is left or right. Down the spine is “about to b picked up. Luckily his wiskers r really long so he feely hand and isnt startled when i pet him. Blind bunnies get along just fine, we just need to think if how we r arranging their space. I keep objects at the perimiter, so he has no trip hazards, and his softest fleece in the center. As long as hecan still hear, sounds r good cues.

[Boston's Mama]

Thanks everyone
His hearing is good – I call him and he looks in the general area but then frantically tried to find me. He hears the pellet bag and he gets a fright if Oakley ( caged next to him ) moves suddenly etc
Boston loves touch , loves to be picked up , loves cuddles
He hates hideaways or enclosed spaces so his cage has no hidey spots. It has a fleece blanket , corner tray from which he can easily eat hay and drink water. The rest We keep simple and only has the things he loves. One corner has a bowl of sticks to chew which he loves , other half of cage has a fleece cat bed he also loves
And he has a marble cooling area along one side. We don’t rearrange anything.
He has pen time in the evenings which I made him a ramp to allow easy access in and out

I know he is happy and I know he is in a good place finally ( the breeders and the petstore were both bad places to start ) and he really loves us like we do him.
I’m not concerned about having a blind or partially sighted bunny whichever the case may be – we knew when we rescued him is what we were commiting to – I just had no knowledge on blindness without the cataracts and wondered if there was anything I’m missing ( hidden illness I need to look into or something ) but I think you guys are on to something with it being from his prior conditions

[Boston's Mama]

[Boston's Mama]

[vanessa]

He is soooo cute 🙂

[Muchelle]

so precious <3 he's gonna have a good life

[Sr. Melangell]

He looks happy, maybe if you sit near him and call him and he comes to you he may think ‘Yay I did it.’ Praise him when he does something good, he looks so happy, its a shame nothing can be done for his sight, my eye sight is because my dad was blind, nothing the doctors can do, if I am in some where and it is dark like a tunnel I can’see anything because of the light, maybe Boston has the same problem, its to do with contrast and it can be scary, a bunny’s eyes are on the side of the head, so if it looks dark because of a problem with contrast he might panic a bit, when I fell asleep at my friend’s I screamed, I thought I had gone blind, he had closed the curtains and I was on the sofa crying my eyes out, my eyes couldn’t pick up the bit of light coming through the curtain material.

[Author]

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