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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Spay didn’t go as planned

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    • NoMane
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        So I dropped off Bea this morning for her spay at 7am. They did an exam and said she was good to go. I packed 3 ziplock baggies of various treats, cilantro and pellets clearly labeled with contents, her name, my name and my phone number, and her litterbox plus the blanket I keep in her pen. 

        Well, I get a phonecall at 5pm saying that their policy is that the bunny must eat/poop for them to do the spay… and she had not eaten OR pooped while there! They waited 10 hours to tell me. I immediately rushed there (30mins away) and got her, they handed me a bag of oxbow pellets(she hates oxbow) and pretty much said “Ok let’s reschedule for next week.” I am completely floored. I questioned if she was offered the treats/food *I* gave her and they apparently couldn’t find the zip block baggies. But assured me she “nibbled” at the stuff I brought her. Then I had to ask for her litterbox and blanket. She was shaking like a leaf. Apparently they said she was hard to handle which shocks me as well because she is a bun who likes to be held, sit on laps, etc. I let her out of her carrier and she immediately crawled into my lap and tried to bury her head under my arm.  

        I got home around 6:15, and kept offering any and all food that I could find that was edible for a bunny in the house. She had a buffet laid out and would not eat still. At 7pm I made the decision to syringe feed her a pellet mash and immediately afterwords she took interest in her buffet. Then around 10pm she finally began using the restroom like she should. 

        So she is rescheduled for Tuesday. I don’t even know what to say/do at this point. The only other vets in the area charges $400 for a spay and has significantly less experience doing it(they won’t even spay under 10 months old) and I have already paid for her spay when they have a no refund policy so I feel like I am backed into a corner. What do I even do when I go back in there? How can I get her nerves calmed down so she will eat and use the restroom in there? 


      • Mikey
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          It sounds like something at the vets office really scared her. Was it loud? Has she been there often? Does she like the vet who normally sees her? Does the vet like her? Did you get your blanket and litter box back? Did they try anything to comfort her?

          I would assume, if she hasnt been there often enough to get used to the noises and smells, that might have been what done it. New places are scary for rabbits, specially if they feel theyve been left alone in this unknown place. But, if the vet doesnt seem to like her care much about her, didnt get your items back, and/or they did nothing to try and comfort her every once in a while, i would assume the vet and vet techs/assistants dont really know what they are doing. I wouldnt go back, if thats the case. If she is just afraid of the vets office, i would ask if you can go there a few times before the spay just to sit in the waiting area for a while to help her get used to the surroundings a bit


        • NoMane
          24 posts Send Private Message

            I believe it’s the same clinic the Columbus rabbit rescue uses for their rescues. So they see a very high volume of animals come in and out and have specific days where they have rabbit surgeons come in and do their thing. I just checked their website and I didn’t know this until just now. The fact we live so far makes it pretty impractical to go visiting multiple times before next week. I’m going to try taking her on some more car drives and keep her in her carrier for very short errands(less than 10 minutes) to get her used to traveling. I got my blanket and litterbox back, no word on what was/wasn’t done as the rabbit techs left as I was coming in and it was a cat/dog tech who gave me her things. She’s so sensitive and needy and I’m just praying that there was some misunderstanding there. If I’m clearer about our needs I hope things will run smoother next week. I just can’t keep taking entire days off work in anticipation of being there for spay aftercare and then things not go through.


          • jerseygirl
            Moderator
            22338 posts Send Private Message

              The only other vets in the area charges $400 for a spay and has significantly less experience doing it(they won’t even spay under 10 months old) and I have already paid for her spay when they have a no refund policy so I feel like I am backed into a corner.

              Wow. I haven’t heard of a clinic doing that before.

              After what’s happened, I can understand your hesitation about Tuesday. You’re still confident about the vets skills?
              Since you’ve paid, I feel like you should be able to make some “demands”. I’d have a conversation with the practice manager before Tuesday and make it clear what you suggest that should make it less stressful for her. And your concerns about her nearly going into stasis.

              I think I would ask she put early on the lists of surgeries for that day. That way, if she was eating at home and you can report that she’s toileted, there shouldn’t be as much time past from when she eat/toileted to when she goes under GA.
              If they have cats and dogs in the clinic, I’d ask she is held in a different area. Even in her carrier in staff area or something. If the carrier is big enough, try put her tray in there, loaded up with some hay.

              Alternatively, see if you can bring her in later the 7am right before she is scheduled? This might mean you have to clear out your morning schedule though.

              I do wonder if they had other rabbits in and they got Bea’s food and she was given some bun elses. This might seem OTT but maybe attach a photo to her bag of food or a little description of her.
              I’m sorry this is making an already stressful event more so for you and her. Sending out some successful spay and recovery {{{vibes}}} for her in advance.


            • NoMane
              24 posts Send Private Message

                Yeah Jersey she actually hopped in the litterbox before I left and was eating salad on the way. They insist that they must *see* her eat and poop. :/ The photo of her with the food is a great idea!


              • jerseygirl
                Moderator
                22338 posts Send Private Message

                  I believe it’s the same clinic the Columbus rabbit rescue uses for their rescues. So they see a very high volume of animals come in and out and have specific days where they have rabbit surgeons come in and do their thing. I just checked their website and I didn’t know this until just now.

                  Mmm. I wonder if it’s worth contacting the Rescue and seeing what they do to help calm their rabbits when they’re there? Maybe they have a day where it’s rabbits only in the clinic.


                • jerseygirl
                  Moderator
                  22338 posts Send Private Message

                    When I got my first rabbit spayed, they said bring in food that she likes etc. So I had a little jar off pellets and put in some rolled oats and pepitas with it. When I picked her up, I got “reprimanded” for giving rabbits this type of food. Lol. One of the vets even wrote “Jersey’s MacDonalds” on the jar. But I was providing her favourite stuff as enticement to eat. It wasn’t an indication of her entire diet. But one vet was very anti pellet so… 

                    Now, after seeing how my rabbits generally don’t want pellets when recovering from not being well, I tend to just send hay, willow leaves and rose leaves in when they have to go under GA.One time, when one of my rabbits became very ill, he was kept in at the clinic for observation for full days. I had provided the bag of hay… When I went in to visit him, the hay had not been given to him. But somebody had thrown in some unsuitable lettuce and half a carrot.


                  • Love4Bunny
                    Participant
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                      Oh wow, that sounds really stressful. From a customer service pov, I would def. approach the clinic with a stronger approach, especially since you’ve paid (like JG suggested). Don’t let anyone bully you, and stay confident of the goal you have in mind, which is ultimately your rabbits safety. I would take down names and times of conversations, even record them on your phone if you have to. Lack of accountability is a big deal for some companies, as well as blame shifting, so I suggest naming who said what when you repeat information back to anyone you speak to on the phone. Sometimes being a polite “pest” means they know they have to do it right, because someone is keeping tabs on the situation.
                      EDIT: I forgot to add that it’s a good idea to remind them that your time and money is valuable, and that you do not want to be rescheduled (they should be accommodating of your schedule ESPECIALLY since they took your money). Def. demand timely notice if your rabbit is not eating, and do let them know it really concerns you that it took them that long to inform you of it.


                    • tobyluv
                      Participant
                      3310 posts Send Private Message

                        Even though they say they want to “see” her pooping, I wonder if you could collect a few of her fresh poops right before you leave and put them in her carrier? They hopefully would see those and think that she must have been pooping on the way to their office. Maybe that would be good enough for them. If they are experienced rabbit vets and vet techs, they should realize that a rabbit can hold in their poops and not want to eat if they are frightened, especially if they are in a place with the scent and sounds of cats and dogs, which are predators to them.


                      • NoMane
                        24 posts Send Private Message

                          I appreciate everyones insight. I’m going to be taking these suggestions along with being firm about her needs.

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                      Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Spay didn’t go as planned