# Nest box eye



## Marshloft (Mar 24, 2008)

I just noticed on a thread something about "nest box eye"
I'm glad you mentioned it who ever you are,, (I forgot who)..
I just went out to give fresh water to the rabbits this afternoon,, and noticed one of the (2 week old today) buns had one eye stuck shut..
Is that what you call "Nest box eye" ?
I did some research here on the forum,, lots of information,, thanks BTW..
But I'm not sure if thats what this guy has..
I took some warm water and HP and cleaned the eye area... It now has its eye wide open again... No puss or anything... But it does look watery..
The only thing I have today would be Neosporine antibiotic...
Won't use it till someone here says it's ok..
Thanks in advance..
Gary H.


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## YuccaFlatsRanch (May 3, 2004)

just keep them clean. check daily. Its usually from dusty hay in the nest box.


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## SILEIGH (Jul 11, 2007)

i thought i had a case of it yesterday. noticed it when i was cleaning the box out
i am soooo not used to having to nursemaid the kits i forgot about it (bad rabbit keeper smilie)
read the post went "oohhh i knew there was something else to do":bash:
go out with HP and cottonballs and can't find a thing wrong with any of the kits!!

i was surprised when i saw the yucky eye yesterday because i change boxes at 8 or 9 days and the doe keeps a very clean box!! oh well its nice when things work themselves out!!

thanks for the reminder Marshloft!


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## Marshloft (Mar 24, 2008)

Glad to be of some assistance.. :cowboy:
Not much help to most folks,, feels good to know I did my good deed for the day..
Gary H.


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

Tsk-tsk, Gary.:nono: No :bash: of self allowed! I, for one, find many of your ideas and comments helpful.

Regarding _minor_ eye ailments, Chickenista posted a wonderful home remedy. I had occasion to try it out on Patches, the rabbit with the catarac. I think she had rubbed at the eye and it was a bit weepy. One treatment... end of problem. Yeah, Chickenista! :goodjob: Here's what she said in a previous thread on the subject:

Chamomile tea and honey!!!!! Just make a cup o' tea, a little stronger than you would drink it and add a teaspoon of honey. I use an old syringe..sans needle.. to squirt into the eye. You can also use as a compress and as a wipe for the eye. It will work wonders.

Both chamomile and honey are anti-everything.. microbial, fungal, and with antibiotic properties. I used it on myself when the chick tried to remove my eye and I cleared up DS's pink eye overnight almost. Chamomile tea and honey are on the homeopathic/natural remedy websites as great eye treatments.


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## Marshloft (Mar 24, 2008)

MaggieJ said:


> Tsk-tsk, Gary.:nono: No :bash: of self allowed! I, for one, find many of your ideas and comments helpful.
> 
> Regarding _minor_ eye ailments, Chickenista posted a wonderful home remedy. I had occasion to try it out on Patches, the rabbit with the catarac. I think she had rubbed at the eye and it was a bit weepy. One treatment... end of problem. Yeah, Chickenista! :goodjob: Here's what she said in a previous thread on the subject:
> 
> ...


 Oh yeah,,, I agree about both,, the honey and the tea,,,

I saved my brother from having his leg amputated because the docters couldn't get his infection under control.. We both have bad legs,, he has diabetis (sp) ,, which makes it worse..
I suggested his Dr. find "MediHoney" used as a natural antibiotic where all other antibiotics won't work.. The Dr. ordered it,, and his infection was completly healed in 2 weeks..
 And,, Pony won't allow me to slap myself anymore,,, she's a tough one ya know... Gotta love all you folks...
Gary H.


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## Beaniemom (May 25, 2007)

I second the tea and honey remedy! I had just a TON of eye problems with winter litters, even though I was anal about keeping stuff clean! The eye cream oointments did nothing to cure the "nestbox eye on steriods" I was getting, tea and honey cleared it right up!

I haven't had a single case this spring, go figure! Escaping bunnies, yes, nest box eye, no. Guess Murphy thought I was getting too good at treating one issue and decided to give me a new set of problems to work on!


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## goat^farmer (Dec 28, 2005)

we have never used tea n honey stuff always used terramycin for bunnies with nest eye problem n it has always worked no problems at all. has a very small bunny that has a very server cause of nest eye it was swollen, red n had some pus like stuff coming out n put the terramycin in it's eye in less than 2 days it was better.

forgot to add when found the bunny had this problem with nest eye we took warm water with a soft wash cloth to wash eye out really good then added the terramycin to the eye n kept watch on it. it was stuck really good until took care of it.


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## nancy237 (May 29, 2008)

My own eye has been itching all day and feeling strange. I think I will try the tea and honey!!


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## prairiedog (Jan 18, 2007)

tea and honey sounds great we used neosporin on ours this winter worked great. Used on kittens before too.


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## Leveda (Aug 25, 2007)

I will certainly try the tea and honey. Had a liter with the nest box eye problem back in the spring used neosporin and cleared it up, but I'm always looking for natural remedies to use on my bunnies and on the family.


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## waynesgarden (Jan 4, 2009)

Reviving this old thread due to finding a bunny with nest box eye. First time I can remember seeing it.

Question. A couple of people in this thread talk about using HP to clean it up. What exactly do they mean? My first guess was hydrogen peroxide but isn't that corrosive to eye tissue? Is it some other substance?

Unless you know that everyone that reads the thread, now and far into the future knows exactly what your abbreviation means, I'd suggest that using abbreviations for medicinal items is worse than confusing, it can be dangerous. If I went with my guess that HP is hydrogen peroxide, would I cure the bunny or blind it permanently? I don't know and won't guess, but others might.

Hope someone can help.

Wayne


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

I don't know for sure what Sileigh was referring to when she said HP. I agree the use of short forms can be confusing. How many of us have had to ask what BOSS is? (Black Oil Sunflower Seeds.)

Why not go with either the tea and honey or with the antibiotic ointment? Both are effective.


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## twohunnyz (Apr 27, 2006)

If all you have is regular 'ol Lipton black tea, that will work, too! Even without the honey. 

Krystal


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

I had 1 get what I thought was nest box eye one time & used the teramycin opthalmic ointment that you can buy at TSC. I usually keep a tube anyways for the goats &/or dogs.


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## o&itw (Dec 19, 2008)

Questions for Y'all,

Not being a chamomille tea drinker myself, I am not familiar with it. Maggie, I think you said I could get it in regular tea bags....am I remembering correctly? Also...isn't this a bit sticky in the fur around the eye? Does one need to wash it off again latter? How often and how long does one treat?


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

You should be able to buy chamomile tea in bags at any good supermarket. It will be in the same aisle as the ordinary tea and coffee, along with all the other herbal teas. Tons of info about chamomile on-line, but here's a link to get you started:

http://www.teamuse.com/article_050201.html

If you are adding honey to the chamomile tea it might be a bit sticky, but I've never noticed it. I don't always add the honey, being concerned that it might attract flies or wasps if the rabbits are outdoors.

If you don't want to get into the chamomile tea thing, ordinary black tea (Orange Pekoe is a black tea) also works very well, as TwoHunnyz mentioned.

I usually treat the kits twice a day until I see improvement and then once a day. Length of treatment varies. Sometimes it just takes a day or two... Other cases are more stubborn. Be careful not to irritate the eye with the cotton ball. Real cotton is much softer than the synthetic puffs. 

I had one kit that would not improve... I finally gave up on it. The infection cleared up on its own and now I think that my efforts to help may have been prolonging the problem.


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## o&itw (Dec 19, 2008)

Thanks Maggie,
I guess I better pick up a box. I haven't had any problems, and usually don't during the summer, but one never knows in the winter, and it would be good to be prepared. If I kept it in a jar in the fridge would it stay "fresh" for a long time?


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

Sealed in its original package it should keep a long time. I wouldn't refrigerate it. If you only expect to use it occasionally, best of all would be the bags that come sealed in their individual foil envelopes... They keep for a couple of years. But generally those are premium brands and cost a bit more.


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## vikav (Mar 30, 2009)

I just read this for the first time, and had to put my







in, in case HP actually meant Hydrogen Peroxide.  Hydrogen peroxide causes severe chemical burns to the eyes of people and animals, and my cause blindness. If someone gets Hydrogen Peroxide in their eye, they are supposed to rinse the eye out with water for 15 minutes and seek immediate medical attention. I hope people don't put Hydrogen Peroxide in their rabbits' eyes 

I clean my cages with hydrogen peroxide, and when I do, I make sure there are no rabbits around to get sprayed in the eyes with the stuff, and make sure to wipe off and rinse off any hydrogen peroxide residue, before I put the rabbit back into the cage. It's not a horrible poison, but it can cause some nasty problems. It's always a good idea to read the label on a chemical first, before using it on people or animals. I've read on a Russian rabbit forum, people saying Frontline is so great for rabbits' skin issues/parasites. They say, they just spray some on their hand and rub the rabbit all over.  Ok, if the rabbit is fine with this, then ok. But what if they have to treat several dozen of rabbits? What about the effects of Frontline on the breeder?







Sometimes we just assume something is safe, without reading the label.


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## rabbithappy (Jun 24, 2009)

I have read on several different web sites that Frontline is deadly to rabbits. It they need something like that, Revolution is supposed to be safe.


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## brody (Feb 19, 2009)

problem is for rabbits nearly everything is off label (ie never tested) 
same issue comes up with parrots 

so you have to make educated choices

I have used Revolution on a rabbit who was so infested with every parasite going it was appalling he survived .. I have never used Frontline on anyone


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