Well, it’s possible they realized that they don’t have the experience to spay and neuter rabbits which is why they referred you to another clinic. There is a House Rabbit Society Chapter in the upstate New York area that has a whole list of vets -have you checked their site?

That price is more than reasonable – it’s cheap!

The one that charges $65 to $110 doesn’t provide pain medication? Or is it just not included in the cost and it’s an extra amount? I would not take my rabbit to a vet who did not believe in pain medication for this.

I can imagine that you are very frustrated. I would have to agree that the first vet has concluded that they just are not capable of neutering a rabbit properly.
I thought rabbits can handle metcaf (?) pain medication pretty well. You should ask about it. Really – it is okay to ask a vet questions no matter if they do think you are trying to do their job!!!!

I’d definitely ask the vet about pain meds… my Monkey was sore and wouldn’t move around after her spay til she had her metacam. It made me feel better too, just seeing her able to hop farther than half a foot away! They may just provide them if asked, you never know.

When I had Ruby done the vet didn’t give her pain meds at all.   Just enuf for that day and it would wear off in a bunch of hours.

She did ok tho.  The 3rd day she felt good her appetite was getting good then she over did it and hurt herself.  She went off her food again for another day.   I watched her closer and made sure she stayed put in her house. 

I did ask for pain meds they said they dont’ give them.  Just with the procedure and it wears off in a bunch of hours.  She was a little groggy from it.

Rabbits don’t get rabies vaccines. Are you sure that’s what they said? Check with the vet as the receptionist might have been wrong about that. The vet should know better.

But not for rabbits. I would double check that is well.

Ask to speak to the veterinarian, not the tech. There is no rabies vaccine even available on the market that has been approved by the FDA for use in rabbits.

They most likely are not familiar with rabbits then.

I had a vet tech tell me that I don’t need flea protection on my dogs unless I actually see fleas on them. It was almost humorous. But she was just new on the job so she is actually really knowledgeable now.
–Rabbits can contract rabies but they are not an important factor in the transmission of rabies. Rabies is passed on by saliva, when an animal is bitten. When a rabbit is bitten by a rabies-infected predator, the rabbit usually ends up dead rather than hopping home to you to bite you.

ive hard about rabies for bunnies too… all the vets i called to do hersheys spay wanted a rabies thing in order to board… ad they are very familier with rabbits…. something smells fishy…

Like Petzy said, there is NO FDA APPROVED rabies vaccine for bunnies! Thats a good enough reason to tell the vet to me!

I want the rabies vaccine myself. Apparently you can get it from bats. I see bats around here at night (outside)

Yes-Talk to them again about the rabies and the fact that rabbits shoudl not get rabies vaccine (In NA rabbits should not and do not need any vaccines). I agree with Sarita if they want to give your rabbit a rabies vaccine-then cross them off the list-they obviously don’t know rabbits.

Whichever vet said rabbits don’t handle pain medication-cross him off too. Metacam has been used safely in rabbits for years; Also I don’t agree with any ‘vet’ who will perform any surgery on any animal and not give pain medication. If you get stitches in your finger they freeze and give pain meds-why do we have to let animals suffer through the pain? I don’t get it?

It’s sadly common and frustrating to have trouble finding a GOOD rabbit vet. Keep us posted and good luck!

Definitely NO vaccines for rabbits AT ALL in the United States- different in other countries- but no legal ones in the US including Rabies.

Regarding the rabies thing. I think because they don’t normally board rabbits, they just gave you the regular requirements for cats and dogs, and whoever told you that, may have just been misinformed.     . It doesn’t necessarily mean though that the vet is inexperienced, it just means you got a friendly helpful person who may have misspoke based on a lack of knowledge about a couple of things.

I have volunteered over the years at not only rabbit rescues, but for California city shelters, SPCAs, and a Humane Society and they do absolutely have to make sure the CATS and DOGS have their rabies shots updated, but that was not a requirement for rabbits. As a volunteer, I actually had to go to a seminar about rabies and the risk it could pose to us as we work with animals, and again, rabbits were not required.

Regarding the boarding – be sure to ask them that if they do decide to board your rabbit, where will your rabbit be placed? I mean if they are used to just cats or dogs, it could be stressful/noisy in the kennel area, so you’ll want to check it out first hand.

I’m sorry that you found a friendly and helpful place that is within a budget you can afford, and yet we are creating some doubts here, but it’s better to be safe than sorry, and in this case it could have just been someone misinformed and doesn’t represent what is really going on.

Ask for the vet to you call you back and speak with him/her directly about these concerns.

Keep us updated.

Posted By Bren on 02/03/2010 08:46 AM

Please forgive my forgetfulness, they told me what the anesthegia was, but I forgot, and the reason they DO NOT give extra main medication. They explained the type they use, the pain medication portion stays within the system for 24 hours after the surgery. They do not give extra medicine because it is a very simple procedure, however, they do not want the bunny overdoing it either and causing more harm.

Just want to clarify on pain meds. From what you’ve said, they do give pain med as part of procedure.  They don’t give extra as take home med.  I was  under impression that’s quite normal (especially for neuters) not to be given extra meds.  They are ensuring the long lasting dose should be enough from what I gather.  Personally,  I’m thinking that is reasonable…..  Also, on “not over doing it” they are meaning over doing activity due to pain being masked?  Again, reasonable.  I think you do always have the option of requesting more meds if you feel your rabbit is struggling during recovery at home though.

A good vet WILL give an injection of pain meds before surgery as soon as bunny is asleep, or as part of a pre-med to relax the bunny.  The pain should be working when the bunny wakes up- that is the goal.

Boys bounce back much quicker- but a bunny neuter is more complicated than a cat neuter- so it still more invasive and pain meds are never a bad idea.  Griffin bounced back to eating at the clinic before I even picked him up later that afternoon.  Cotton (female) really did not eat until the next day- do I felt that pain meds for her were necessary- as she obviously did not feel herself- as it is a major abdominal surgery.  But even 24 hours later after surgery a human woman that had an ovariohysterectomy (spelling?) would want more than just the 24 injection they gave her yesterday!  and that is what a spay is! 

Mellow’s vet used a long lasting pain med shot as well as a pre surgery shot and did not send home any pain meds. I was concerned, but he did very well on that regime as it prevents the bunny from being in pain in the first place and he continues to eat and drink. See if the bunny vet can call a local vet with more pain meds if the shot wears off too quickly so that you do not have to drive so far to pick up additional meds.

Well, they will not put a vet on their list who thinks that rabbits require a rabies vaccination! There is not anything on the market approved for rabbits. It’s pretty telling too when another vet says that they would not take a rabbit to him if he requires a rabies shot. I have to wonder how much he knows about rabbits and if I would allow him to put my rabbit under anesthesia.

I totally understand your frustration though.

Are you still have problems seeing your own posts. That’s is strange.  Please message me about it so we won’t get side-tracked with it here (I don’t think what is happening to you is happening to other members. It may be something with your own browser etc …so just message me)

There is not really a prevent for flystrike other than keeping your rabbits indoors. Or if outdoors doing as the house rabbit society suggested. I guess too that considering there have been some cases of outdoor rabbits contracting rabies I would be wary to even let my rabbits play for even a small time outside since it’s another potential threat.

I’m glad you were able to speak with the vet – it’s great he’s so willing to talk with you and with other vets.

Yea it took me a while to find a reliable rabbit savvy vet. The one that did Fern’s spay is not the same as the one I currently use to bring them to checkups.

When Fern had an emergency stasis then I went to a different vet, because the vet Fern got spayed at only had one vet who did rabbits and he was not working there that day. So we went to a different vet – actually my mom did, because I was at school (being very anxious and distraught)- and I found him to be not very knowledgeable about bunnies at all. He wanted us to feed Fern yogurt and V8 juice I knew that was wrong. He also was convinced that Fern had a furball, and that was the reason for her not eating or pooping, he gave us some goopy cat hairball stuff for this. He also game me some antibiotics for I have no Idea what, I seem to remember giving her one dose, but I just felt that this was not right. — well I knew that bunnies should not be given cat hairball stuff, and yogurt was bad for bunnies, and knew that bunnies should not be given antibiotics on some whim that her not eating was bacteria related so I insisted we went to another vet.

So off we went to a DIFFERENT vet I was crying my eyeballs out and could not even call the other vet because my speech was incoherent. Once we got there I felt like everyone was looking at my red puffy eyes (an unfortunate side effect when I cry). I told the new vet what the other vet had told us and that I thought it was wrong, they confirmed that it was and gave Fern a fluid injection (I think, they took her to the back), and gave me some critical care telling me that the prognosis was good because when I took her there Fern was curious and exploring the area. They also gave me some gut stimulants -forgot the exact name, it was a gut motility drug. They gave me a big syringe for feeding Fern the critical care and a little one for the motility drug and off we went. Fern turned out fine and the critical care was wonderful. The vets there were nice and seemed very knowledgeable, the vet even gave me some alfalfa hay to see if Fern would eat that because she said that rabbits like alfalfa and are more likely to eat it, even though it should not be given on a daily basis.

Later on the unknowable vet called to ask how Fern was doing (he was unaware that we had gone to another vet), I was very touched by this, he really was a nice guy but was unknowledgeable about rabbits. Kindness does not imply knowledge.

SO through Fern’s episode I was able to establish with a good vet and now have made them my prime vet because all of the vets there are rabbit savvy, unlike the one I went to that only one vet was rabbit savvy, and the other one who only thought he was knowledgeable. I knew I went to the right vet when in the same visit I saw one person bring in a guinea pig and one person bring in a rabbit.

I’m so glad you got to the bottom of it. Sounds like your vet is good. My vet is very rabbit-savvy, but if she doesn’t know something she’ll just say…”I don’t know” and she’s very open to reading research I have found and she will also research more on her own. I really appreciate that mindset because there seems to always be more to learn… even for the experts and the way they get to be an expert is by being open.

I am so surprised about rabies with rabbits as in general rabbits (even wild) are not considered big carriers of this. But maybe because, like you said, in your area, rabies population is higher there, especially with bats and raccoons — so that would make sense since raccoons explore backyards and munch on things (leaving saliva on grass or where a outdoor domestic rabbit may also chew). Raccoons can also carry another deadly disease for rabbits (can’t remember the name of it off the top of my head) And also, from what I’ve read, just a little knick of a bite from an infected bat can transfer the disease.

So knowing that your area has a higher risk, I would also not let my rabbit outside – unless you were able to create an area, where you cleared out the section grass and started new, and built an outdoor run that raccoons and bats could not explore when the rabbits are not using. it.

I th