Rabbit happy again after eye issues
When Betty and Mabel’s bond broke down, her owner knew the kindest thing to do was ask Blue Cross to find them both new companions. Because, without company, rabbits can quickly become depressed.
But while Mabel found a friend and new home in no time, six-year-old lionhead Betty’s health issues held her back – but she’s now ready for her fresh start with an understanding family.
Sarah Miller, Vet Coordinator at Blue Cross Hertfordshire, explains: “Betty arrived with a complex medical history – we knew she had a problem with one of her eyes and her previous owner had been taking her to have her tear duct manually flushed by the vet as it was getting blocked.”
As lionheads are what’s known as a brachycephalic – flat-faced – rabbit breed, they can have misaligned teeth that don’t wear down properly, causing all sorts of health issues including eye problems. This needed exploring and Betty travelled to our Victoria animal hospital in central London for assessment.
Sarah continues: “When rabbits like Betty have eye problems, it’s often caused by their teeth. But our vets couldn’t find anything wrong during examination or on X-rays.
“Our vets believe that her tear duct is now completely blocked, perhaps due to scarring caused by previous flushing. As her quality of life is still really good, we do not want to cause excessive stress and risks for Betty with further flushing.
“So, we hope that regular eye cleaning, which she has been very comfortable with so far, will manage her condition.”.
“Her quality of life is still really good, but it just means she’ll need regular eye cleans. She’s been very comfortable with us doing this and great all-round with any kind of grooming.”
Aaron McPotter, Assistant Manager, adds: “Betty is a great all-rounder. She’s very friendly and easy going. She’s happy with a variety of people and spends time with different volunteers. She’s very social and confident and always out and about looking at what’s going on.”
Betty is now in a new home where we hope she will thrive.
