White eye discharge ?

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Eye discharge ? Eye gunk ? Eye booger ?

There does not seem to be an official name for the white stuff that appears on the eye or in the corner of the eye of a rabbit.

The appearance of a white cloud on the surface of the eye of a rabbit is frequently observed. It is usually due to the presence of a hair on the eye, with form grayish white mass floating on the surface of the eye form in the presence of tears. The mass can have various shapes, and usually grows with time. Dwarf rabbits seem more prone to suffer from this problem, due to their big round eyes. This makes elimination of a hair more difficult than in the eyes of larger rabbit breed.

A Rex rabbit suffering from accumulation of gunk in his eye (left) and after cleaning (right) (photos: Mandy Howard)

The white discharge does neither present any danger for the eye itself, nor does it relate to a disease or a bacterial infection; and it does not require a visit to a veterinary professional.

The “cloud” will eventually be removed by the rabbit, when it washes its face. It is possible to remove it by hand, but one must be careful not to damage the surface of the eye.

When the discharge becomes constant and collects at the corner of the eye, this is no more related to the presence of a hair. This situation requires the visit to a vet.

Acknowledgement

Many thanks to Arie van Praag for taking the pictures of Stampi.

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