Nest box eye is something that all meat rabbit raisers need to be aware of. It’s not something to get stressed or overly concerned about, but you should know what you can do to prevent it, how and when to look for nest box eye, and what to do if you find it.
Nest box eye can happen in any litter of kits, even if you’ve raised meat rabbits for years and have never experienced it, so regular steps to prevent it and checking for nest box eye should happen with every litter you have.
Jump to:
- What is Nest Box Eye?
- How Common is Nest Box Eye? Am I A Bad Meat Rabbit Raiser?
- Tips to Help Prevent Nest Box Eye
- Is There a Genetic Component to Nest Box Eye?
- Should Does be Culled for Nest Box Eye in their Litters?
- Time of Year Can Contribute to Nest Box Eye
- When to Check for Nest Box Eye
- How to Check for Nest Box Eye
- What to Do If a Kit’s Eyes Aren’t Opening or Appear Infected
- Start with Warm Soaks and Compresses
- Follow Up with Ointment or Drops if Necessary (Including Natural and Household Treatments)
- How I Personally Treat Nest Box Eye
- Continued Cloudiness and Raising Grow Outs to Harvest After Nest Box Eye
What is Nest Box Eye?
Nest Box Eye is basically conjunctivitis in rabbit kits. This is what is commonly called “pink eye” in humans and other animals.
Nest box eye or conjunctivitis is simply an infection in the eye caused when bacteria is trapped in the rabbit’s eye.
Nest box eye is most likely to occur around the time rabbit kits’ eyes are opening. Before their eyes open, bacteria or bedding from the box can get trapped behind the unopened or partially opened eyelid, where it festers and causes infection.
It also happens at this age because when the kits first open their eyes, they are not very good at blinking and cleaning their eyes yet, so bacteria and detritus are more likely to get stuck in the eye.
Some people call any infection of the eye in a meat rabbit (or pet rabbit) nest box eye, even if the rabbits are older, but typically, nest box eye refers to eye infections that happen at a very young age—around two weeks.
It happens when kits are still in the nest and just opening their eyes, though it can happen up until weaning or any time the kits are living in a nest or nest box. It happens to colony-raised kits in burrows or kits in any type of nest.
How Common is Nest Box Eye? Am I A Bad Meat Rabbit Raiser?
It would be an overstatement to say that nest box eye is a “given” or that rabbit kits always get nest box eye. In fact, with good conditions and good husbandry, it is not a regular occurrence at all, and you may never see it or see only a few cases of it. However, it is not uncommon, either.
The presence of nest box eye doesn’t mean you are a “bad” meat rabbit raiser, but it does mean you need to take action to help the kits along, and it also means you need to reevaluate your practice, especially practices relating to how you prepare and manage nest boxes, and probably most importantly when you check eyes so that you can react swiftly.
Tips to Help Prevent Nest Box Eye
You can’t always prevent nest box eye. Sometimes, it just happens no matter what you do. With good care and cage maintenance, you can reduce its likelihood significantly.
Here are some things you can do to try to prevent it:
- Sanitize nest boxes between litters; a simple wipe-down or spray with bleach spray or bleach and water will do. Let the bleach dry on the surface before reusing the box
- Provide extra fur or soft substitute nesting material if the doe has not pulled enough fur
- Supplemental and substitute soft nesting materials include fur collected from other does and saved for such a purpose; fur pulled from the chest of the doe; cotton balls or cotton batting stretched apart to simulate the doe’s fur; some people use fur from dogs
- Use a good quality kiln-dried shaving at the bottom of the next box. Use pine, not cedar
- Use soft, clean, dust-free, particle-free straw or hay in nest boxes
- Paper shreds are not recommended for use in nest boxes (dust)
- If you notice too many small or fine particles in shavings or bedding, switch brands
- If one brand of shavings or bedding seems to cause problems, stop using it, at least for nest boxes
- Keep nest boxes clean and dry
- Clean all material out of nest boxes after the kits turn 2 weeks old and when they have their own fur for warmth (earlier if the material is wet or soiled; if kits have thin fur, you will need to replace the doe’s fur, too; some breeders completely replace nest materials by day 9, before the kits’ eyes open)
- Remove the nest box in week 3 or 4, or at least clean it regularly after this point
Is There a Genetic Component to Nest Box Eye?
There is some debate over whether there is a genetic component to nest box eye. The general consensus is that, no, nest box eye is not genetic, but there could be some contributing factors.
Some factors that may make a doe and her litters more prone to nest box eye include:
- *Possible genetic factors
- Issues related to a poor immune system, which may make the doe and her kits more prone to infections
- Respiratory or mouth abscess issues (sinuses are closely connected, and this can present as an eye infection)
- Does with poor hygiene – especially those that build poor nests and those that use nest boxes as litter boxes, keeping the kits in dirty conditions or forcing the kits to burrow into nest materials without soft fur to buffer them (the case when does don’t pull enough fur)
Should Does be Culled for Nest Box Eye in their Litters?
In general, no, a few cases of nest box eye are not a reason to cull a doe unless the issue is very chronic and only appears to happen with a single doe. More likely, it is the breeder who needs to change their ways through prevention, cleaning, etc.
But again, nest box eye, while not necessarily inevitable, is common and can happen even with the best prevention and care. With good care, you should see few to no cases of it, but it is common enough that most breeders will experience it at some point if they raise enough meat rabbits for long enough.
That said, if the doe’s mothering and nesting habits are causing multiple and regular cases of nest box eye, you might consider culling her—more for her lack of hygiene and mothering abilities than for the presence of nest box eye.
Also, if her immune system seems poor and that is a factor, that would be a reason to consider culling the doe and replacing her. Respiratory problems are a certain reason to cull a doe, so if you suspect that is the cause of eye infections, replace that doe. (If respiratory problems seem passed from the buck—which you’d usually experience as problems from only that buck’s litters and across more than one doe—cull and replace the buck.)
Entropion eye, which is slightly different than nest box eye (it’s a condition where the eyelid and the lashes turn in and constantly irritate the eye and cause issues), is likely genetic, and that may be criteria for culling and replacing the doe (or the buck if you suspect the trait is passed through him). Cull the offending breeder if it is a frequent problem in many kits.
Time of Year Can Contribute to Nest Box Eye
You may notice that nest box eye happens more often in the cooler and winter months. The reason for this is that kits need to burrow more to stay warm, so they spend more time and stay in the nest longer, and they are digging down into nesting materials more. It’s a simple matter of exposure.
You may consider adjusting your nest box cleaning regimen in the colder months to reduce soiling and bacterial exposure. Also, though eye checks are important at all times of the year, be more stringent about it when the weather is cold and when you know nest box eye is more likely to occur. Other than that, this is simply a “sign of the times” (cold times, that is), and there isn’t much more to be done. It's most important that the kits stay warm!
That said, warm weather can give pathogens better conditions to grow in bedding material, so it’s important to do checks for nest box eye (and respond if present) at any time of year.
When to Check for Nest Box Eye
Early detection is key to getting a handle on nest box eye.
Check all the kits’ eyes starting on day 10. This is around the time their eyes will start opening (but be aware that there is often a range of a few days, even between litter mates).
At this point, unless you see active pus and infection, you don’t need to intervene, but by day 14, all the kit’s eyes should be open, and if any are not, you should step in. An eye that is still closed at two weeks of age is probably stuck and crusted shut, even if it doesn’t look infected yet (and it may not be, but if it doesn’t get opened, it soon will be infected, too).
How to Check for Nest Box Eye
This is simple. Pick up each kit and check both eyes. You are looking for:
- Eyes that are stuck shut after 14 days old
- Eyes that have visible swelling behind the closed lid (even if you don’t see pus or infection)
- Pus or weeping infection leaking out from behind closed eyelids
- Eyes that are only partially opened
- One eye open and one closed (the closed eye is probably stuck and needs some help)
- Open eyes with signs of infection (pus)
- Eyes that close up again after they’ve been open – any eyes that are stuck and crusted shut
After the initial check, if all looks good, you’re probably in good shape, but it never hurts to take a few extra seconds when you feed and water each day to look and see that all the kits’ eyes are still open and look healthy.
What to Do If a Kit’s Eyes Aren’t Opening or Appear Infected
Fortunately, nest box eye is generally easy to treat. It just takes a little time, care, and consistency until the blockage is opened, the kits get better at blinking and clearing their eyes, and the infection passes.
Start with Warm Soaks and Compresses
The first step is to help the kit work through the crustiness to get the eye open. Often, after the eye is open and able to clear itself, the infection will resolve, though it is helpful to take a few extra steps to make sure.
- Apply a warm water compress/soak to remove crustiness and help open the eye
- Warm tea bag/tea compresses can be used in place of or in addition to warm water soaks – black, green, or chamomile tea all work well; tea is naturally drawing, so it helps draw out infection
- Chamomile tea also has antibacterial properties; you only need to steep dry chamomile in warm water, or you can use a chamomile tea bag from the store
- Saline may also be used
- For the first few treatments, just soak and gently wipe the eye. Don’t pull unless the eye is opening, and then only gentle pulling to separate the lids—don't force it.
- Once the crust starts to open, soak it with a warm compress or tea and gently pull the lids apart
- Wipe away pus—there may be a lot, but it should reduce once the eye is more open and with continued treatment
- Use fresh, clean cloths or tea bags for each eye (even on the same rabbit).
- Use clean materials and a new, clean tea or water source for each rabbit.
- Bring hand sanitizer with you and disinfect your hands between handling different meat kits so you don’t pass infections between rabbits.
Plan to soak and/or treat the eye twice a day for several days. After the eye is open, continue to check to make sure the infection hasn’t reappeared and the eyes have not closed again. Check for at least two to three days after you stop treatment until you are confident the condition is resolved.
And always wash your hands after treating infected eyes. Don’t touch your own face or eyes until you’ve washed your hands! The same bacteria can give you pink eye, too!
Follow Up with Ointment or Drops if Necessary (Including Natural and Household Treatments)
Some people will get the eye open and stop there. That may be enough, depending on how quickly you found the problem and treated it and how long the eye spent being stuck shut, trapping in bacteria.
Even with soaks, it is helpful to apply some type of ointment to help keep the crust soft and pliable, which will help open the eye and keep the eye open.
Antibacterial ointments or drops will give you added protection to kill the bacteria and end an infection, especially if it is a bad one.
Some options include:
- Over the counter triple antibiotic ointment (such as Neosporin or a generic brand) WITHOUT pain reliever! Pain relievers are toxic to rabbits.
- Terramycin ointment (available at farm stores, usually without a prescription, but you may have to ask for it, and it is often kept in a locked cabinet)
- Verterycin Optical gel (available at pet stores and some farm stores)
- Coconut oil (which is cheap, easy to keep on hand, and has natural antimicrobial properties)
- Saline to flush opened eyes
- Colloidal silver (many people SWEAR by colloidal silver as the best and fastest way to treat nest box eye – available at pharmacies and natural/health supplement stores). Used topically in the eye like you would an ointment or drops.
You do not need to use all of these ointments or treatments. Any one of them can be used in addition to soaks and opening the eye. Any one of them should do the job.
Wipe the ointment or apply the drops to the seam of the eyelids while closed. Ointments help keep things soft and aid opening. When open, apply gently to the inside of the lid.
Apply ointments for several days until you see the eye stays open and pus and weeping have cleared. Continue for two or three more days as insurance.
How I Personally Treat Nest Box Eye
I would not hesitate to use any of the products or recommendations listed here. I do prefer to treat my rabbits more naturally, which is also usually the cheapest route as long as it works and is effective. If not, I will put the rabbit first and use what is needed.
I do like to use natural treatments to reduce antibiotic resistance and preserve antibiotics for difficult cases so they work when there are no other options. (My personal opinion.)
That said, there’s no real reason to need a veterinarian to manage nest box eye, and you can get what you need at any local pharmacy.
I have only dealt with nest box eye once, and this is what worked well for me:
- Warm water soaks/cleaning with chamomile tea
- Coconut oil applied after the soak to loosen and open the eye
- Over the counter Triple Antibiotic applied daily for a particularly stubborn infection
This worked well, and within a week, the eyes were open, and the kit recovered fine, with no lasting damage.
Continued Cloudiness and Raising Grow Outs to Harvest After Nest Box Eye
Kits’ eyes can remain cloudy for several days or a week or two after they have opened and remain clean. Give it time. This will usually clear. If it does not, the animal will be fine to grow as a grow out and eat for meat, but it’s not one you would want to keep for breeding purposes.
As long as the rabbit does not seem to be in pain, raise it to harvest age. If the problem is chronic or the rabbit does look to be in constant pain, consider culling it as a mercy instead.
If the issue is really entropion eyelid, it may not resolve, and you will need to make a decision regarding culling. This would not be a candidate to keep for a breeder, as you may risk passing on the trait, and that is not something you want in your line.
I hope this helps you deal with nest box eye if it arises in your rabbitry. If you have experienced nest box eye with your meat rabbits and have a good treatment to add to the list (preferably cheap, fast, and easy to obtain and use), please leave it in the comments.
Leave a Reply