Is Your Rabbit Blind? Find Out in 8 Simple Methods

Even a slight change in the rabbit’s health might be dangerous. A rabbit suffering from severe conditions like permanent blindness is scary. The blind rabbit needs to make a few adjustments to its lifestyle to remain happy and lead a long life.

If you have a blind rabbit, you may notice that it is sensitive to unexpected noises. The blind rabbit will react slowly to optical motivations. Sometimes, it will hesitate to move around new or different places. The blind rabbits will have bulged, cloudy, or fading eyes. When you see these signs, it is better to go to the veterinarian.

Here is detailed information on the indications and causes of the rabbit’s blindness.

Signs Or Symptoms

There are a total of eight crucial indications to confirm if the rabbit is blind or not. The first four belong to the behavioral category, and the remaining four signs are in the physical section.

1. Behavioral:

  • Getting terrified by sounds
  • Unexpected sounds will startle the rabbits. If the rabbit hears the walking sounds from guests or unusual sounds, it will start to feel nervous.
  • Quiet and careful actions
  • If the rabbit can not see, then it can not navigate. Your rabbit tends to be cautious while walking at a slow pace. Even if the rabbit is in its usual place, it will be careful while moving. In extreme cases, the rabbit will bang into items that are on its path.
  • Late reactions to stimuli
  • Here is one of the easiest and quick testing methods to tell if your rabbit is blind or not. When the rabbit is looking in your way, wave your hand or roll something interesting in its field of vision. If you get no response from the rabbit, there are high chances of your pet being blind.
  • Feeling anxious
  • If the rabbit is blind, it will feel nervous while you are touching it. The blind rabbit will also hesitate to move, drink, and eat. Sometimes it will be anxious to come closer to the owner or other rabbits.

Every rabbit has a 360-degree field of vision. When the rabbit is not responding to anything moving or changing in its sight, it is likely to be blind. Also, it is one of the crucial signs to tell if your rabbit is blind or not.

Before concluding anything about the rabbit’s health, go to the veterinarian. The veterinarian will do a test to check if the rabbit is blind or not. Remember, it is not good to treat the rabbit by yourself because it is way too risky. The safest option is to get a medical opinion from a rabbit expert.

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2. Physical:

  • Fading eyeballs
  • Widened or cloudy pupils
  • Bulging
  • Redness

In some cases, there are a few rabbits that have bluish color in their eyes.

It might be frightening for you to see a change in the appearance of the rabbit eyes. But not all these changes are uncomfortable to the rabbit. It is better to contact the veterinarian to know whether the change is painful or not.

After examination, the veterinarian will recommend some types of treatment and explain the cause of that change.

A few disorders, such as parasites, tumors, and glaucoma, are very severe for the rabbit. For these kinds of illnesses, treatment is crucial to ensure that the rabbit leads a healthy and active life. In extreme situations, it is necessary to remove the eyes of the rabbit. But your pet can still have an ordinary rabbit life.

Causes

  • Age:
  • Like humans, sometimes the rabbits will encounter blindness when they become old.
  • Abscesses:
  • It is a severe eye condition that occurs because of bad dental health. You can prevent this disease by giving proper care and attention to the rabbit’s oral hygiene.
  • Genetics:
  • In rare situations, rabbits are blind since their birth. Sometimes a few rabbits are born with a genetic tendency for blindness.
  • Glaucoma:
  • Glaucoma is a case in which the fluid will build up. It puts more pressure on the rabbit and reduces vision.
  • Tumors:
  • If there is a tumor within or near the eye or brain, this might restrict the rabbit’s sight. Many tumors are visible clots in the head of the rabbit. It is better to get an x-ray to check if there is a tumor or not.
  • Trauma:
  • If your rabbit encounters a wound or accident which hurts its head or brain, your pet might suffer from visual impairment.
  • Intrusive reasons
  • Some viruses, parasites, and bacteria will make the rabbit blind. They harm the rabbits, which makes their eyes and heads bulge. Sometimes it can result in abscesses which leads to blindness. Also, the infections can hurt the fragile parts of the pet’s eye and restricts its vision.

You have to take care of the rabbit’s health in every aspect to ensure that the pet stays happy and healthy. There are some methods you can use to prevent and change the predisposition of hereditary blindness. But vaccinating and going to the veterinarian for regular health check-ups will keep the rabbit active.

With periodic veterinarian visits, you can know what you need to improve to make the rabbit more healthy.

Before going to the veterinarian, list down all the recent indications your rabbit is often showing. Below are a few symptoms:

  • Pained expressions
  • Watery eyes
  • Closing eyes for a long time
  • Being sensitive to motion and light
  • Unusual and different eye movement
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A list of these signs and behavioral patterns will make it quick and easy to detect the issue in the rabbit.

Additional Care

Taking care of a blind rabbit will be a sudden adjustment to your and the rabbit’s life. As it is a crucial change, it becomes one of the protocols of the rabbit’s life. Apart from the veterinarian fees, there is no economic difference between a blind rabbit and a typical rabbit.

If you keep aside your lifestyle or other irrelevant reasons, there are not enough reasons why you do not want to take care of a blind rabbit.

Even though the rabbit is blind, here are a few methods to ensure that it remains safe and healthy. All these ways would not change the routine of the rabbit.

If blindness is a procedure, instead of sudden, go to the veterinarian. The vet will advise on how to alter the rabbit’s lifestyle.

Stress And Motivations

Reduce the stress levels of the rabbit. It is better to shift their food and water bowl spot to a safe place with no dangers. Remove all the sharp things from the rabbit zone and its surroundings.

Supervising the stressors is the primary thing to manage the rabbit’s life. This method is crucial for blind rabbits because they have limited capacities to adjust to their surroundings.

Chewing Patterns

Blind rabbits tend to chew more on items. It is a method to adapt themselves to their new environment. Due to this, ensure that the rabbit’s pen and nearby surroundings are free from dangerous objects.

Using this method, the rabbit can live in a safe and happy habitat. Also, your rabbit will be independent and can lead a typical life.

Smelling Sese

The blind rabbit depends on its smelling sense to navigate. It can sense body scents, home sprays, scented candles, and even air fresheners.

Use their scent on the path to the rabbit’s litter box and bedding so that your pet will guide by itself. This method makes the rabbit adapt itself to its surroundings.

If the rabbit is missing during its playtime, reorient it by keeping the pet in its bedding or pen. It is a grounding and soothing experience for your pet rabbit.

Emotional Assistance

If the blind is staying with its bonded pair, it will be very comfortable and happy. If the blind rabbit’s partner is there, it will adapt to the surroundings without being too scared. The owner’s presence helps the rabbit to stay quiet and safe.

But, if the rabbit is blind since its birth, there are fewer chances for it to make a bond with humans. Due to the lack of trust and being sightless, the blind rabbits will not become bonded to you.

In this situation, you can take help from a pet store or breeder. They will assist you in getting a new rabbit as a companion to the blind rabbit. It also makes the rabbit feel familiar with your presence.

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Normalcy Of Schedule

It is better to make a specific routine for cleaning the rabbit’s cage and feeding the rabbit. It helps your pet to remain relaxed during everyday activities. If you follow a schedule, the rabbit will not panic or injure itself.

The guests and different rooms create an aggressive effect on the rabbit. You have to take additional care of the blind rabbit while taking it to new surroundings.

It is better to introduce the new people or rooms with their smell. At first, give cloth items that have certain scents. After it is familiar with the odor, you can take the rabbit to places with stronger scents.

It is hard for the blind rabbit to feel safe when it is at new places or meet new people. But you can make it easy by being patient and gentle.

Normalcy Of Different Sounds

If the blind rabbit is familiar with the sounds, it can react well. They can recognize the voices of the owners and other regular sounds.

Though new noises can be scary, the familiar sounds give comfort to the rabbit.

You might find it funny, but the rabbits will feel peaceful if you are talking gently. Your rabbits tend to like the soothing ness and the closeness of your existence.

Here is another simple idea, when you are going near your rabbit, it is better to speak softly. When you are near the rabbit, the pet can feel your presence. It will predict your smell and touch, along with other sounds and vibrations.

Remember, when you are near the rabbit, it will feel comfortable!

Continuing With Life

You might find a few adjustments too severe. But these changes have a positive impact on you and the rabbit.

Even if the routine is becoming natural, it is crucial to stay attentive. Take care of the blind rabbit so that it can continue to be happy and healthy.

If you are careless while taking care of the rabbit, your pet will feel stressed. Also, if the rabbit became blind due to illness or infection, occasional maintenance will make its condition even worse. It might result in your rabbit suffering from unbearable pain.

If you are attentive and cautious, your rabbit will be happy, active, and can live for a long time!